My Friends Tigger & Pooh is Disney's latest incarnation of A. A. Milne's characters. This time around, the characters make the jump to CGI in a show aimed at the preschool crowd. At first it was a bit awkward seeing Pooh and friends as computer animated characters (and this is after I played both Kingdom Hearts games), but in the end the choice is a good one. Characters have a bright, fun feel that really pops off the screen and lends itself well to the preschool-friendly mood the show is aiming for. Its actually a pretty neat look since it manages to replace that hard, sterile CGI look found in other made-for-TV shows with a softer, more cartoon appearance.
Each of the show's three episodes (which is composed of two smaller episodes) center on a new character, Darby, who replaces Christopher Robin as the main human character. Each episode begins with a simple mystery that only the Super Sleuths, Tigger and Pooh, can solve. Darby plays a role similar to Dora the Explorer or Kevin from Blue's Clues by asking viewers to become involved with solving each episode's mystery. Pooh or Tigger will ask a question and Darby (or another member of the Hundred Acre gang) will turn to the viewer and ask for the audience's answer. Compared to other shows that use a similar format, Tigger & Pooh does a much better job at cutting out the long, awkward pauses between the question and answer. Audience interaction also plays into the DVD's only extra, "Darby's Super Sleuth Challenge", a game that allows kids to solve a series of mysteries and become a Super Sleuth just like Darby.
Each mystery is accompanied by an overarching plot, which is where a lot of the original Pooh charm shines through. Many of the primary characters show up, but several have either been demoted or removed. Some of the changes make sense; Tigger and Pooh will always get top billing and including Owl, who was the group's Yoda, would probably ruin the entire premise of the show. At the same time, I was disappointed that Roo and Piglet have taken more of a backseat. Rather than being close sidekicks for the two main characters, they're minor characters that are just there -- sort of like Red Shirts without a certain occupational hazard.
Despite its changes, Pooh still keeps much of the charm that made the characters likeable in the first place. Tigger still acts like he's jacked up on Mountain Dew and Pooh is still the master of "Pooh Logic" (if it doesn't somehow relate to honey, it isn't important). This charm is really what helps to make what would be an otherwise formulaic preschool-aimed show enjoyable. Overall, My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Friendly Tails is a fun show for kids; the characters are likeable, there's a fun, catchy song and a certain level of interactivity that will help keep them involved and entertained.
