The Wiggles meet LSD and we get the birth of the Doodlebops
Written: Apr 30 '05 (Updated Apr 30 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: They made me a big fan of the Wiggles
Cons: Just a horrible show all around. Quite creepy, really.
The Bottom Line: I really was creeped out by the whole Doodlebop experience and can only hope this one is soon stricken from the Playhouse lineup.
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| bonzobean's Full Review: The Doodlebops |
Disclaimer: Before I begin my epinion, I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of the television. I tend to be incredibly picky about the shows my kids watch so I may be a bit more biased in my review.
My daughter is almost two and because of her young age, she doesn’t watch a lot of television. I have some Teletubbies and Wiggles shows recorded for her and she doesn’t seem to mind watching the same episodes repeatedly. She’s a huge fan of the Wibbies (as she likes to call them) and can really shake that diapered tushy once they start belting out the tunes. So far, though, these are the only shows that grab her attention and keep her involved.
One morning, while waiting for the “Wibbies” to come on, we were “treated” to some show I had never seen before. My first thought was this was The Wiggles on LSD. Turns out it was some Canadian show that PlayHouse Disney had decided to air. Yes, the Doodlebops were in the house.
The Doodlebops
According to Disney, The Doodlebops are a Monkee’s inspired kid’s show aimed at the tot and preschooler set. The show was created for the CBC in Canada and, apparently due to their success, Disney decided to air the show here in the States. The show consists of three clownish-looking (and dare I say, "creepy") characters. In fact, if you took a bit of the sixties meets eighties and mixed it with a good dose of LSD and perhaps a little ‘Dawn of the Living Dead’ (or some other bad horror picture), you might start to get an image of what these characters look like. First we have Deede in her A-lined, piano keys dress looking a bit like the girl who turns into a blueberry on ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. I found that young girl annoying and didn’t miss her a bit when she was rolled out of the movie…not sure why I just thought that…hmmmm. Next, you have Deede’s two sidekicks, Rooney and Moe who are even scarier than she is. With their orange and blue wigs, painted faces and horribly coordinated costumes, it’s a wonder kids don’t have nightmares. You think I’m making this up??? The characters have these huge cartoonish looking hands and they look completely misshapen. Add to that the plastic-type Stepford Wives smiles and, okay, are you getting the feeling that these people give me the creeps? And, then the guy in the shaggy vest starts break-dancing…yipes, get me out of here…Honestly there isn’t much ‘cute’ and toddlerish about this show. Add into this show all the shots of the audience looking bored and trying not to fall out of their seats while trying to stay awake and something just seems terribly amiss about this show.
I’ve watched two episodes now but was hard-pressed to actually stay in the room and watch. Thus, you are not going to get a detailed, blow-by-blow account of the show. My daughter, who initially showed interest in the songs, became far-more interested in making her baby doll ‘nakkie’ (aka naked). The shows consisted of this self-proclaimed “rock band” playing some songs and mixing in some ‘Laugh-In’ type moments where they told bad jokes. The characters are certainly colorful but I just thought the singing was horrible. Of course, the intent behind many of the songs is good when they sing songs about getting along, sharing and whatever other issues are the talk to local preschool but, well, blech…
What I liked about the show
Maybe only seeing two episodes, I have not given the show a fair shake but, honestly, if you have a product that you don’t like, how many times to you have to endure it before you get rid of it? Once is usually enough for me unless I suspect there must be something more. Unfortunately, I just could not find the something more in the Doodlebops.
What I did not like about the show
My daughter had very little interest in the show which pleased me. I cannot see this ever being a show I’d willingly tape for her to watch. I found nothing appealing about the singing, characters, costumes and, knowing very little about this group, I’d guess they were riding the Wiggles coattails in order to make a fast buck. There is certainly a market out there for toddler and preschool programming and these kids like music.
Parting thoughts
I am sure some parents and kiddos may disagree with me. If this show wasn’t successful, Disney wouldn’t be replacing the Wiggles with it during certain timeslots. I suspect this is either a 'love it' or 'hate it' show. I can't stand it (in case I wasn't clear up til this point) and The Doodlebops will easily be skipped over in our house. Suddenly, I am seeing The Wiggles in a new light and loving them all the more for it.
Recommended:
No
Type of Program: Other
Best Suited For: 12 to 36 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
bonzobean
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Location: West Coast
Reviews written: 134
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About Me:
I think the mistake many of us make is thinking the-state-appointed shrink is our friend.
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