Disney's "My Friends Tigger & Pooh" is their newest offering in the line of television series featuring the character Winnie the Pooh. For this edition, they've decided to shake things up a bit by making some changes -- doing the show in CGI, adding a new character, Darby (with her dog Buster), and targeting the show squarely at younger preschool audiences. Each idea had the potential to be dangerous if not handled well, Yet, for all the hullabaloo about how Christopher Robin was being "replaced" and the Pooh franchise was being ruined, this show has turned out to be more than a pleasant surprise. It's lively, a lot of fun to watch, and may actually teach its target audience a few things.
Isn't it nice to know that even while some things change, the best things remain the same? Pooh and his friends are still the same old lovable characters they always are. Pooh, Tigger and Darby may now be the Super Sleuths, but in many ways, Pooh is still "a bear of little brain." Roo is endearingly cute, and Lumpy (the wonderful heffalump first seen in "Pooh's Heffalump Movie") livens up the show every time he appears, and is a great friend to Roo.
In each episode, the Super Sleuths are called upon to solve a mystery. There have been some pretty unusual turns, however, and no matter what the outcome, you can count on a lot of fun and humor along the way. Oh, and Christopher Robin isn't gone. He's appeared in two episodes so far, and could easily be back for more. The quality of the animation, and general production in general, is wonderful.
As of the writing of this review, 22 episodes and a Christmas special have been released in the United States. Three more have aired only in other markets, and I look forward to these installments of the show. The program has also been renewed for a second season, and I can't wait to see what new direction it takes. So, in the words of Tigger, "TTFN - Ta ta for now!"
