REVIEW: TV Critic Reviews… “Higglytown Heroes”
by:
Kristin Johnson
As kinswoman
of a kid and an aspiring voiceover player (I knew all those hours of looking Bugs Bunny would-be move in handy), I cognize all the kids’ shows as well as every kids’ DVD out there. My TV Critic column wish be a regular family-fare manual to Kids’ TV.
In my opinion, there’s no better way celebrities can recoup their outrageous salaries than diverting and sometimes educating kids. And They Strength
Be Giants get the “cooler than Elvis” vote for singing the theme song to one of Toy
Disney’s newest hits, “Higglytown Heroes.”
For those of you not familiar with all things Higgly (an adjective used as more as “Smurfy” but not, impart
Higgles, as a verb), the series centers on a small town and four tots named Eubie, Kip, and siblings Wayne and Twinkle. Think “South Park” with better art and no foul mouths. The strongest language is, “Aw, pickles,” ordinarily verbalised by Twinkle (pinker than Trista Rehn Sutter!) after her fanciful ideas for finding
the kids’ dilemmas get gently perforate by Fran, a friendly squirrel voiced by Edie McClurg.
In each two-episode half-hour show, the Higgly Kids experience common, innocent childhood events such as finding a caterpillar, hosting a television party for the Happy Hairy Higgly Monster Primetime Special, losing a tooth, Kip’s Grandad fast in the bathroom, or caring for an unhappy bird. The kids try to solve their problems, radio-controlled by Fran who is the voice of reason, helped by their affectionate families and the ever-enthusiastic oddly Bill and Ted-ish Pizza pie Guy…plus causal agency special. Then comes the inevitable song…
“Someone special, who could it be?
This job’s too big for you and me.
We need several help!
But ne'er
fear-o,
It looks like a job for a…Higglytown Hero!
A Higglytown Hero!”
Some of the heroes are natural choices, especially after Sept
11: Police Woman, Firefighter, etc. But how many an of us think of sanitation workers, electricians, plumbers, gardeners, mail carriers (voiced by Kathie Lee Gifford) and farmers as heroes? Or a telephone operator (voiced by Cyndi Lauper)? Though the heroes have celebrity voices, the Higgly Kids learn that the real stars all about them are the folk who solve problems every day.
Some of the dilemmas get a little ridiculous from an adult perspective. For example, once
Kip climbs a tree to save a beloved neighborhood cat and her kittens, his friends help him. Why, once
he gets stuck, can’t they help him back down? Ahem…when was the last time you tripped and panicked? You need help in your own life every day without thinking just about it.
The beauty of “Higglytown Heroes” is that it celebrates working together, “having fun together,” and the Higgly Kids as well as their families ne'er
take for granted the Heroes in their lives. The Trained worker
(Lance Bass) gets invited to share in the “Higgly Monsters” TV party after repairing the electronic equipment
for Kip’s house. The Fire Fighter (Donald Faison) who gets Kip out of the tree shares in a birthday party for the neighborhood cat. How many an of us go out of our way to impart
the folk who do our lives easier? Sometimes we forget to see them as folk with of necessity
and feelings.
We even as forget to see our own families as heroes. Kip’s Grandmama (voice of Betty White) knits the kids sweaters. Kip’s Mom acts like the soul of ‘50s domesticity, but gets rewarded once
Kip and his friends do her a get-well card. Wayne’s Mom shows the kids a caterpillar and drives them to the beach.
Interestingly, Higgly families aren’t always nuclear families, thing
Film-maker portrays as normal without job attention to it. Kip’s family is the closest, with twin sisters, a baby sister, a mom and dad (who operates a hot dog cart), and two grandparents who either live in Kip’s large home or visit constantly. Twinkle and Wayne’s mom seems to be a single parent (although all are African-American, no one has screamed racism yet), and Eubie is apparently being raised by his Southern-accented Kinswoman
Millie and Uncle Zooter, with visits from his Southern-accented Grandpop (a farmer).
In many an ways, Higglytown is idealized. No one actually seems to worry just about jobs, money or status. Folk go to the library, and a Professional person
is a Higglytown Hero! The kids “work real hard” and take responsibility (gasp) by thinking up route to help themselves and their families, and in each episode there are little moral lessons and proposal
(take care of your pets, don’t use too more electricity, do causal agency smile) to show the kids how they can grow up to be…Higglytown Heroes!
Cynics and naysayers wish mock this as kiddie pablum. I call it a refreshing dose of reality and a tribute to the heroes all about us. The Film-maker animators are Higglytown Heroes for creating this show.
Copyright Kristin Johnson.
Kristin Johnson is co-author of the “highly recommended” Geographical area Book Review pick, Christmas Cookies Are For Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Production
Heartwarming Gifts (ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A downloadablemedia kit is accessible at our Web site, www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com, or e-mail the publisher (info@tyrpublishing.com) to obtain a written
media kit and sample copy of the book. Much articles accessible at http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com.
kristin@poemsforyou.com
