Here in Higglytown

I know I'm not supposed to let my toddler watch any TV, but sometimes Petunia is super cranky and extra whiny. I find that about 15-20 minutes of well-timed television can yield an instant improvement in her disposition.

Now, if you thought there was some crappy children's music out there, try watching kids' TV. Seriously, the DoodleBops make me want to stick my head in an oven. And have you seen "Boohbah"? (With no disrespect to dooce and the good things that show has done for her sex life, I think that show was designed for acid-tripping college students, not toddlers.)

But some of the shows are tolerable, and a few of the shows are even good. This morning, I realized how great "Higglytown Heroes" really is.

Higglytown is a quaint little slice of animated Americana, where everyone is a nesting doll. (It's really handy to hide things inside yourself with just a flip of the upper body. Great for suprises!) The kids in the town (one girl, three boys) and their buddy Fran the squirrel (voiced by the secretary from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off") go about their daily lives and often encounter problems they can't solve on their own. When that happens, they sing,

"Someone special, who could it be?
This job's too big for you and me.
We need some help, but never fear-o!
It looks like a job for a Higglytown Hero!"

Then, the hero is featured amidst firecrackers and sings,

"I'm a Higglytown Hero, brave and true.
I help my town with the things I do.
Work real hard and you will see,
you can be a hero just like me."

The kick is, the hero is always an everyday Joe. This morning, it was a bus driver. (The kids were so happy they didn't have to walk the miles and miles to Fricky Frack Ferris Wheel!) I've seen a telephone operator (who helped the kids find a phone number), a sanitation worker (who took away all the leaves they raked), a librarian (who helped them research the caterpillar they found) and a weather person (who helped them know the best time to plan their outside Acorn Day party).

I love it! The characters are great (Twinkle's favorite phrase is "Oh, pickles!" and Pizza Guy appears in every episode), and it shows how much society relies on public employees, service industry workers and skilled tradesmen. It's always cute and never feels hokey.

Also, it apparently is very trendy. Aside from the fact that They Might Be Giants perform the theme song, it has become a cool Hollywood resume note to be a guest voice on HH. I'm not normally a link whore, but you've got to check out some of these names.

My only complaint about the show is that it's on at 8 am, as we're getting ready to go out the door. If someone at Playhouse Disney could figure out how to drop a safe on the DoodleBops and move the Higglytown kids into the prime 7:30 am slot, she'd be a hero to me!