MY FRIENDS TIGGER & POOH: FRIENDLY TALES
(TV-G)
MOVIE: *** (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5)
Studio: Disney
BY KEVIN CARR
The latest show featuring the Hundred Acre Wood is “My Friends Tigger & Pooh.” Unlike the classic Pooh shorts, Christopher Robinson is nowhere to be seen. Replacing him is Darby, a feisty little girl, and her trusty mutt Buster. Together, they join with the stuffed gallery of characters to be super sleuths and solve mysteries.
Instead of simply playing through life in the Hundred Acre Wood, the “My Friends Tigger & Pooh” series offers a more interactive experience. Like “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” this show is computer generated and uses a lot of talking to the camera to engage the viewer. It’s clearly aimed at a preschool audience and relies heavily on encouragement and fun.
The latest DVD release of this series is “Friendly Tales,” and it makes its way into stores in time for a gift in an Easter basket. (The last release had a Christmas theme, so expect a summer fun release soon enough to follow the seasons.)
Three episodes from the Playhouse Disney series are included on the disc, including one that hadn’t been aired prior to the DVD release. Each show features a mystery the gang must solve, and they enlist the help of various friends in the Hundred Acre Wood (with the only change being Gopher is now a Beaver).
Full of heart and very sweet, “My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Friendly Tales” is a cute incarnation of the classic Pooh characters. It’s put together with more care than the old 80s television series and differentiates itself from the classic shorts in style and form.
The DVD comes with a “Super Sleuth Challenge” that parents can help their preschoolers with. My preschooler loves the game, in which he can guess different objects Darby is trying to find. It’s simple enough to give kids a sense of accomplishment, but it still has a bit of a challenge to it.