Disney Channel's CGI 'Pooh' for the Pre-K set

[ALIASd]

The new CGI series, 'My Friends Tigger & Pooh' premiered Saturday, May 12th at 10AM on the Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney. The show's Executive Producer Brian Hohlfeld is a 'Pooh" specialist at Disney, he's previously penned the screenplays for 'A Very Merry Pooh Year', 'Piglet's Big Movie and 'Pooh's Heffalump Movie'. The Disney Channel's new series will soon be shown in over 70 countries around the world.

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. Currently available on basic cable in more than 90 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on 26 Disney Channels and feeds around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney-ABC Television Group.

Read more on the story at:
Digital Pooh and Tigger Too!
http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no=3280

Tigger & Pooh Get New 3D Look & Friend in Latest Series from Disney
http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=19788

[Doopey1]

I watched it (most of it) with my kids this weekend. They certainly loved it and were very excited about it. I thought it was pretty cute. The theme song is very catchy, the animation looks nice. The characters all pretty much behave the right way. Piglet's voice isn't quite right, but its close.

I don't have so much of a problem with the new kid (Darby). I don't look at it like she replaces Christopher Robin. This is just kind of an "alternate" Pooh reality and CR still exists in the "traditional" world (and as we know it's his world to begin with). Darby is basically a surrogate for the kids watching the show. I really like that in one segment Tigger tries to set a woozle trap to catch a woozle they suspect has been stealing Pooh's honey. Since they've now introduced a real heffalump as a permanent character, it's nice that they utilized the woozle as the new go-to imaginary creature.

I was curious why there was no Owl, but one of the articles above points out that Owl is a problem-solver (as is Christopher Robin), and Pooh and Tigger have to solve their own mysteries in this one.

Anyone else have any thoughts about it?

[ALIASd]

Originally Posted by Doopey1

I was curious why there was no Owl, but one of the articles above points out that Owl is a problem-solver (as is Christopher Robin), and Pooh and Tigger have to solve their own mysteries in this one.

Yes, its not unlike the problem-solving skills employed on 'Mickey Mouse Clubhouse' and 'Jojo's Circus'. It seems very positive in its formula.

[Doopey1]

^^ From just my initial viewing of Pooh, I think Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a better constructed show from an educational standpoint. But "My Friends Tigger & Pooh" has potential to be a solid addition to the preschool lineup.

I've really grown fond of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I like it when they feature "peripheral" characters like Prof. Ludwig Von Drake or Clarabelle Cow. This weekend there was an episode where Minnie lost her cat Figaro, and it was Figaro from Pinocchio!

[lafantasma]

I thought it was cute. My four year old was very excited it was FINALLY on and enjoyed it too. I'll be singing the song for the next three days until it gets out of my head...

[patattack]

I like the new show although i would have rather them kept christopher robin and owl and doesnt anyone remember mole?? Darby is cute though. Its smart that there bring pooh bear back though because he was being forgottin for a bit. If only they made some kind of tom huck show we might still have TSI. Oh well.

[pirate_tim]

When you say "mole", I believe you are referring to Gopher. He's the only character in the original Winnie the Pooh shorts that did not come from A.A. Milne's source material. I've always been amused by him.

On the DVD commentary, it's stated that he is a very "American" character (as opposed to the other "British" characters) in that he is big on construction and ingenuity, which represents inventiveness and development as values in the US.

Haven't seen the show, but I do hope they do include Gopher.

P.S. I'm kind of against all of these CG versions of classic characters. If they are going to use CG technology, I would perfer they used classic "cell shading" which creates a more traditional animation look. They've used this in other Disney works (I think "Runaway Brain").

Here is an explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_shading

[helpmegetaway]

My 4 y/o absolutely loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and interacts with it constantly. We've so far watched all the episodes of MFT&P and he seems to like it. He does not, however, like that it's a girl instead of a boy lol. Disney is constantly on at our house even if just for background noise and the theme song for Tigger and Pooh is very catchy and he dances every time it comes on, as does my 7 y/o.