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REVIEW: TV Critic Reviews... "Higglytown Heroes"

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



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