I think I admitted a while back that I let the kid, Frank, watch TV well before the age of two.  It was more like I aimed his baby swing at the TV with the golf channel on while I did laundry, vacuumed, made beds, etc…  So I didn’t really let him, I guess I kind of forced him.  Anyway from that and watching movies in the car on frequent trips to Lexington to see Grammy, Frank settled into some regular cartoons, detailed here: Cartoon Wars I.

Well the kid is four now so while he woulds still rather go outside to play with the kids in the hood, there are times when the TV has allowed me to get some things done.  To that end I think it’s time update his viewing proclivities.

It’s interesting to see the evolution of this.  Old friends have been replaced, shows he shunned from he beginning have become favorites now.

Following are the shows of the day and my unapologetic opinion/review of them.

You take Tri-care Prime Remote Doc?

Doc McStuffins

He did not like this show at all when it first came out.  Now, he doesn’t miss it.  Doc McStuffins is a girl who can talk to the animals, the stuffed animals.  She’s a toy doctor.  She boasts she’s the best in the business and has never lost a toy.  Hard to dispute, since to my knowledge she is the only toy doctor in my HMO network.  Plus even toys have HIPPA rights I guess, so really no way to know how their treatment went.   No matter.  Good show, good music. Although Lenny may not think so.  His gender was changed because of this show.  Read here: Lenny goes to Finland.

Jake and the Neverland Pirates

Big favorite when it came out, still a big favorite.  So much so, that we added some pirate ship accouterments to his play-set.  The music is good, and they’ve even dropped some new tunes.  In case you were unaware this is the summer of Pirates and Princess’ on Disney Junior.  So Jake has been running in conjunction with Sophia the First, a little girl whose mom marries into the royal family.  Isn’t that always the way.  Anyhow, Sophia has, by the strong lead in from Jake and his crew, made it to the viewing list.

American dog in Paris

Gaspard and Lisa

This has replaced Agent Oso as the dumbest cartoon in the history of televised cartoons. Gaspard and Lisa are dogs who live in Paris, France.  They are the only dogs in France capable of speech.  They go to a school where they are the only dogs.  They are the only dogs living in a high-rise apartment a stones throw from the Eiffel Tower.  They are the only friggen dogs wlaking on two feet in this stupid cartoon and the human characters are demonstrably dumber than the dogs.  No one seems to mind though.  They just go about their business interacting with the dogs as if a full grown Yorkie, Gaspard’s father, who makes his living as an investment baker in Paris is just normal.  I won’t even mention the issue of Gaspard and Lisa actually watching a dog in one episode.  The comedy is forced, the tag lines are forced, it’s all just ridiculous, or should I say re-dog-ulous.  I’m here all week folks, try the veal and tip your servers.

Rolie Polie Olie

Don’t get it, never will.  But he likes it so much it has replaced Little Einsteins.  That’s huge.  Olie, as are all the characters in the show, is comprised of various geometric shapes.  They are immune, impervious, unaffected by forces, natural and supernatural.  They can got into space without equipment but somehow can’t hit a 7 iron to a green 100yds away.  30 wonderfully nonsensical minutes wasted watching Olie’s father hack away at a golf ball.  I mean he had just returned from a day trip to a newly discovered planet completely made up of ice-cream for goodness sake.  My gut tells me this might be a little below Frank’s brain pan, but he digs enough for me to get 3 loads of laundry done, so there’s that.

Mickey who?

Winnie the Pooh

Winnie and his buds in the 100 acre wood have not displaced Mickey and his band of socialists in the “club house” (read collective) completely, but they have cut deeply into the mouse’s viewing time. 90 minute movies about each character in Christopher Robin’s world was genius.  The Piglet movie is currently getting the most play.

Of course all these cartoons appear on the Disney Jr. channel so Mickey wins in the end, as it appears, he always will.