| As aunt of a preschooler and an aspiring | | | | from an adult perspective. For example, when |
| voiceover actress (I knew all those hours of | | | | Kip climbs a tree to save a beloved |
| watching Bugs Bunny would come in handy), I | | | | neighborhood cat and her kittens, his friends |
| know all the kids' shows as well as every | | | | help him. Why, when he gets stuck, can't |
| kids' DVD out there. My TV Critic column | | | | they help him back down? Ahem...when was the |
| will be a regular family-fare guide to Kids' | | | | last time you tripped and panicked? You need |
| TV. | | | | help in your own life every day without |
| | | | thinking about it. |
| In my opinion, there's no better way | | | | |
| celebrities can recoup their outrageous | | | | The beauty of "Higglytown Heroes" is that it |
| salaries than entertaining and sometimes | | | | celebrates working together, "having fun |
| educating kids. And They Might Be Giants get | | | | together," and the Higgly Kids as well as |
| the "cooler than Elvis" vote for singing the | | | | their families never take for granted the |
| theme song to one of Playhouse Disney's | | | | Heroes in their lives. The Electrician |
| newest hits, "Higglytown Heroes." | | | | (Lance Bass) gets invited to share in the |
| | | | "Higgly Monsters" TV party after repairing |
| For those of you not familiar with all things | | | | the circuitry for Kip's house. The Fire |
| Higgly (an adjective used as much as "Smurfy" | | | | Fighter (Donald Faison) who gets Kip out of |
| but not, thank Higgles, as a verb), the | | | | the tree shares in a birthday party for the |
| series centers on a small town and four tots | | | | neighborhood cat. How many of us go out of |
| named Eubie, Kip, and siblings Wayne and | | | | our way to thank the people who make our |
| Twinkle. Think "South Park" with better art | | | | lives easier? Sometimes we forget to see |
| and no foul mouths. The strongest language | | | | them as people with needs and feelings. |
| is, "Aw, pickles," usually uttered by Twinkle | | | | |
| (pinker than Trista Rehn Sutter!) after her | | | | We even forget to see our own families as |
| fanciful ideas for solving the kids' dilemmas | | | | heroes. Kip's Grandmama (voice of Betty |
| get gently punctured by Fran, a friendly | | | | White) knits the kids sweaters. Kip's Mom |
| squirrel voiced by Edie McClurg. | | | | acts like the soul of '50s domesticity, but |
| | | | gets rewarded when Kip and his friends make |
| In each two-episode half-hour show, the | | | | her a get-well card. Wayne's Mom shows the |
| Higgly Kids experience common, innocent | | | | kids a caterpillar and drives them to the |
| childhood events such as finding a | | | | beach. |
| caterpillar, hosting a television party for | | | | |
| the Happy Hairy Higgly Monster Primetime | | | | Interestingly, Higgly families aren't always |
| Special, losing a tooth, Kip's Grandpa locked | | | | nuclear families, something Disney portrays |
| in the bathroom, or caring for an unhappy | | | | as normal without calling attention to it. |
| bird. The kids try to solve their problems, | | | | Kip's family is the closest, with twin |
| guided by Fran who is the voice of reason, | | | | sisters, a baby sister, a mom and dad (who |
| helped by their loving families and the | | | | operates a hot dog cart), and two |
| ever-enthusiastic oddly Bill and Ted-ish | | | | grandparents who either live in Kip's large |
| Pizza Guy...plus someone special. Then comes | | | | house or visit constantly. Twinkle and |
| the inevitable song... | | | | Wayne's mom seems to be a single parent |
| | | | (although all are African-American, no one |
| "Someone special, who could it be? | | | | has screamed racism yet), and Eubie is |
| | | | apparently being raised by his |
| This job's too big for you and me. | | | | Southern-accented Aunt Millie and Uncle |
| | | | Zooter, with visits from his |
| We need some help! | | | | Southern-accented Grandpop (a farmer). |
| | | | |
| But never fear-o, | | | | In many ways, Higglytown is idealized. No |
| | | | one really seems to worry about jobs, money |
| It looks like a job for a...Higglytown Hero! | | | | or status. People go to the library, and a |
| | | | Librarian is a Higglytown Hero! The kids |
| A Higglytown Hero!" | | | | "work real hard" and take responsibility |
| | | | (gasp) by thinking up ways to help themselves |
| Some of the heroes are natural choices, | | | | and their families, and in each episode there |
| especially after September 11: Police Woman, | | | | are little moral lessons and advice (take |
| Firefighter, etc. But how many of us think | | | | care of your pets, don't use too much |
| of sanitation workers, electricians, | | | | electricity, make someone smile) to show the |
| plumbers, gardeners, mail carriers (voiced by | | | | kids how they can grow up to be...Higglytown |
| Kathie Lee Gifford) and farmers as heroes? | | | | Heroes! |
| Or a telephone operator (voiced by Cyndi | | | | |
| Lauper)? Although the heroes have celebrity | | | | Cynics and naysayers will deride this as |
| voices, the Higgly Kids discover that the | | | | kiddie pablum. I call it a refreshing dose |
| real stars all around them are the people who | | | | of reality and a tribute to the heroes all |
| solve problems every day. | | | | around us. The Disney animators are |
| | | | Higglytown Heroes for creating this show. |
| Some of the dilemmas get a little ridiculous | | | | |