TV Review: Wishbone
I know Wishbone is an old television series and it probably does not even play as repeats on PBS anymore, but I remember it as being a great kids show during its run and just recently saw one of its DVD releases (do not recommend buying, but well worth renting if you do Netflix like me). The main character of the show is Wishbone, who is a well-read dog.
The show starts with Wishbone and his owner, as well as usually his owner’s friends, in a real life situation, which often involves them doing a good deed. Soon what is going on in Wishbone’s “real” life reminds him of some classic literature story and he begins daydreaming with himself playing the main character (he occasionally does not play the main character of the classic story, but he usually does). At least once during his daydreaming telling of the classic story he is brought back to the real life situation. At the end of the episode he usually tells a little about the making of the daydream segment of the show.
Overall this is an engaging show that is great to use as a way of getting kids interested in classic literature and going on to read to full version of the stories Wishbone tells. Just a few of the classics that have episodes featuring them are The Phantom of the Opera, Great Expectations, and Treasure Island. Many of the episodes have been released on VHS and a few are on DVD, such as Hot Diggety Dawg. If you can find the VHS cheap, then go with that, as the DVDs are simply the episodes and have no special features.
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September 17th, 2008 at 6:39 am
[...] Wishbone is a show I highly recommend as a fun way to introduce kids to classic literature and encourage them to read the classics for themselves. The only problem is that the show is no longer on television expect perhaps a few PBS stations that opt to air reruns and the DVDs are not at all impressive. There are only a few Wishbone DVD releases. The only one I have watched is Hot Diggety Dawg. While the episode of the same name, which is on the DVD, is a good one that is a twist on the classic Journey to the Center of the Earth, that is all that is on the DVD. It is kind of pathetic DVD with only the one episode and no special features. [...]