Since the Federal Communications Commission’s recent directive requiring broadcast networks to air at least three hours a week of educational or informational programming, networks are scurrying for sources to fill up their Saturday morning lineups.
ABC’s new Disney-esque schedule is mostly FCC-friendly and deserves high marks for creating a collection of programs with a learning curve that clicks.
In the past, Disney movie spinoffs such as “The Little Mermaid” and “Timon & Pumbaa” were weak attempts to copy the originals, but newcomer “101 Dalmatians: The Series” (7 a.m., Saturdays) is different. Perhaps it’s because ABC made a substantial effort to create a cartoon that would meet the FCC’s criteria. According to ABC, “101 Dalmatians” was developed with the consultation of Harvard Project Zero, a consortium of educators and childhood experts who are developing a set of guidelines for quality educational television. Project Zero’s quality test requires that a program send coherent messages about getting along with others.
“101 Dalmatians” picks up where the movie’s plot left off. We find Roger, Anita and Dalmatians Pongo and Perdita living in the country with their 99 pups. And to keep the series lively, the foil, Cruella de Vil, lives next door in Villa de Vil and is Roger’s employer (he designs video games).
The TV series focuses on three of the pups–Lucky, Rolly and Cadpig–whose misadventures make them think while conveying messages such as conquer your fears, never say never and quitters look back, winners look ahead.
Personalities are strong in this Disney cartoon. Lucky is the leader, fearless and true blue; Rolly adds comic relief, and Cadpig is the sweet female who knows what her boundaries are. Cruella still represents evil although she is a politically correct shrew in the TV series. Instead of fur draped around her neck, Cruella’s live ferret is her wrap and doubles as a sneaky, sniveling scoundrel. Kids of all ages should enjoy the adorable antics of this new Disney cartoon.
For older kids, ABC has designed a two-hour programming block called “Disney’s One Saturday Morning” (7:30 a.m. Saturdays) meant to keep kids tuned in to its three weekly series–“Brand Spanking New Doug” and new arrivals “Disney’s Pepper Ann” and “Disney’s Recess.” The block is glued together with hip shorts, a live audience and a host.
In “Disney’s Pepper Ann,” 12-year-old Pepper Ann and her adolescent angst hold center stage. The cartoon series is written by Sue Rose, who was inspired by her own childhood experiences. The show seems authentic and in step with the times. Pepper Ann is the oldest child of a single working mother; indeed, divorce is common in her classmates’ lives. Plots take in problems all 12-year-olds face, including pimples and parents. No heavy issues here, only personal sensibility that kids will relate to. “Pepper Ann” provides kids with a chance to laugh at themselves.
“Disney’s Recess” holds court at the school playground where grade school kids experience their first real friendships, conflicts and the art of getting along. When creators Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere thought about school experiences, they immediately thought about recess and the school playground. Their spotlight falls on a group of 4th graders who are unlikely friends. From geek to stud, they have an unshakable friendship that offers a heartfelt message. The premiere episode, however, featured kids who “pull together” and vandalize the school to help their friend bust out of detention to join them at recess.
“Science Court” (11:30 a.m. Saturdays) is ABC’s biggest departure. Geared toward kids 10 and older, it delivers more scientific facts than most Discovery Channel documentaries, yet its unique blend of comedy and learning make this cartoon as appealing as “Beakman’s World.” The series is set in a courtroom with a comical team of law professionals who conduct, under the jurisdiction of Judge Stone (voice: Paula Poundstone), trials about scientific mysteries.
Parenting programs worth watching this week include “WTTW Journal: A Welcome For Every Child” (8 p.m. Wednesday, WTTW-Ch.11), in which two families with young children–one in Paris and the other in Chicago–are profiled in their distinct approaches to health care, child care and early childhood education. France’s comprehensive “programmes d’accueil” (programs of welcoming) is compared to America’s system of public and private child care and preschool choices.
