Playhouse Disney- Review of My Childhood (part 2)

Hi, I'm the Whatsoever Critic. I review just about anything.

Welcome back to my review on Playhouse Disney! In Part 2 of this review, I will look at the shows that started in 1998 and 1999. So this is Part 2!

PB&J Otter

This show wasn't too bad. The series revolves around an otter family that live in a boat... house whatever, along with their boat-house-living animal neighbors at a place called Lake Hoohaw...
-(giggling)
The series is mainly about three young otters.

You had Peanut, who's the older brother of the otters;

Butter, the youngest of the otters;

and Jelly, the big sister.
-Yeah, basically the show named these characters after the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
So the kids would get into situations and try their best to solve most of their problems by... doing the Noodle Dance.

-That's like the most memorable part- the Noodle Dance. Does anyone remember that?

Anyway, the show was really good at teaching children the importance of problem-solving and teamwork. In fact, the show was so good that fans begged Disney to bring it back, even though it's all reruns. So the show went on the air every once in a while on Disney Junior.

After PB&J Otter wrapped up...
-Well, I forgot the time slot that existed back in the day...
But anyway, next up is Rolie Polie Olie.

Rolie Polie Olie

I found this show to be a little cutesy. Just the title alone is cutesy.
Here's the story: the series is about a little rolie polie character that lives with his family in an obviously geometrical word.

-That's cool how they live in a teapot with eyes. It's like Peewee's version of the movie Robots. I'm not kidding: every object in this world has eyes- the fridge, the house, the appliances, etc.
The lead character, Olie, would have adventures with his family and/or his friends.
For this show, I found the characters fascinating. You had:

1. the main lead as the all-around nice guy

2. the cutesy little sister

3. the housewife mom

4. the inventive father

5. the old geezer stereotype

6. the uncle that reminds you of Elvis

7. the supporting character as the lead's best friend

8. the family dog
And just like PB&J Otter, this show is shown every once in a while on Disney Junior, because again, the show was so popular that it needed redemption.

And let's be fair: this was one of Disney Channel's first full attempts to shove Pixar out of the way, so that they could try their own hand at CG animation, which was pretty impressive.

Out of the Box

Now, of all the live-action shows that aired on Playhouse Disney, this was one of my favorite ones.

The show is about a group of kids, along with two adult chaperones, that would come and play in "The Box." Inside "The Box," they would sing, play games, act out stories, and do crafts.

-For a long time, I thought the rooms that were inside "The Box" were real.

I know that during the intro, they construct the box with many boxes, paints, and construction paper; but the place seems pretty legit to be real.
What I liked about the show was that it felt like a routine: first there was the opening song, then came the arts and crafts, and then story time before the kids leave. And after that, there was the Goodbye Song, which was creative in itself, because I would snap and clap with them to the beat of the music.

I also liked the adults that were on the show: Tony James and Vivian Bayubay. They always seemed very kind and understanding towards the kids, as well as funny.
-I wonder what those two are doing nowadays?
Anyway, the show was awesome. But what I don't get is that Disney Junior can show reruns every once in a while of some past Playhouse Disney shows, but not this one! WTF?! This show is awesome! So, Disney Junior, make it happen!

The last show that I'm going to cover for today is another one of those shows that were acquired from other stations to be viewed on Playhouse Disney. And let me tell you, this one is... um...

Madeline

Based on the Ludwig Bemelmans book series of the same name, this show was a little iffy. My preferences are split down the middle, when it comes to this show.

Madeline was about a girl in a sort-of orphanage/schoolhouse who lives with other girls in a safe environment, with their caretaker Miss Clavel watching over them. There would be side characters every once in a while, like Pepito, the kid that would either befriend or annoy the girls.

There was also the dog that Madeline found one time.

To be honest, of all the specials and TV movies that this show had, the most memorable was the TV movie Madeline: Lost in Paris.

In fact, that movie was insultingly memorable, which was a bad thing, because it depict scenes of little girls working in a sweat-shop-like environment of the movie's villain.

-That's kinda harsh.

The movie aired in 1999, and what did I think of it when I was a kid? I remember crying, because of the child labor scenes that Madeline was in.

-That TV movie would be great for a review, maybe...

Well, anyway, Madeline wasn't too boring, with its songs and air of innocence.

And that was Part 2 of my review of Playhouse Disney! I'm not done yet, so stay tuned for Part 3!

Whatsoever Critic

Sources:

Wikipedia

PB&J Otter

Rolie Polie Olie

Out of the Box

Madeline

Courtesy: Walt Disney Television Animation, Nelvana, Disney Channel/OOTB, Inc., and DHX Media.