2008 Woodie Awards
'Johnny' teaches kids to discover new ideas
Children's show caters to higher demoninator
Katherine Moore
Issue date: 5/14/08 Section: Movies and Television
|
"Johnny and the Sprites" has set a new standard in children's programming. Parents are encouraged to watch television with our children to interact with them and help them understand what they're watching.
But let's face it: kids shows are fairly horrible. They seem to cater to the lowest common denominator and rely on the assumption that most kids will watch just about anything as long as it's colorful. Every morning I live in fear that this will be the day my son discovers the likes of Barney or the Teletubbies.
That's why I was pleasantly surprised to discover "Johnny and the Sprites" on the Disney Channel. Now in its second season, "Johnny and the Sprites" is the story of a young man named Johnny (played by John Tartaglia) who moves to a house in the woods to write music. He soon discovers that the woods surrounding his new home are filled with magical creatures, including the Sprites.
Ginger (Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) is an air sprite who enjoys sports and games. Basil (Tim Lagasse) is an earth sprite, he's very smart and is an expert on gardening and sprite history. Lily (Carmen Osbar) is a water sprite. Lily is very attuned to nature and speaks Spanish. Root (Heather Asch) is a baby Earth sprite who has already learned to make vegetables grow just by talking to them.
Johnny teaches the sprites (and the viewers) important lessons about patience and taking turns while the sprites remind Johnny of the importance of having fun and living life to the fullest. With the help of special guest characters like the "Make a Mess Troll" and the rare "Notseenaloticus" children learn about cleaning up after themselves and the value of protecting endangered species.
Sage (also played by John Tartaglia), the oldest and wisest sprite in the woods, is always on hand to give the young sprites advice. Johnny's human friend Gwen (Natalie Venetia Belcon) stops by in every episode with a different job, stressing the importance of trying new things.
Be the first to comment on this story