What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this old-fashioned live-action
kids' series ruminates gently on real-world challenges such as
being kind to people or having patience.
Families can talk about issues that are brought up in each episode and relate them to their own family. How can we treat other people with kindness? Why is it a good idea to cooperate with family members? What does respect look like, and why do we show it to others? What mistakes does Loonette make, and what does she learn from them?
Common Sense Media Review
There's something endearingly chintzy about THE BIG COMFY
COUCH, with its reliance on imagination and pretending that
hearkens back to old-school '70s kids' shows like
Captain Kangaroo and
The New Zoo Review.
Modern children's programming tends to rely heavily on computer animation and special effects. If the characters need to be transported to a rainforest or take a trip into outer space, viewers see every aspect of their journey. But in Captain Kangaroo's day, if the Captain wanted to become a pirate, he'd just throw on an eye-patch and a parrot, and viewers would have to pretend the rest.
That same spirit prevails on The Big Comfy Couch, a live-action show centering around the adventures of Loonette, a teenaged clown who sings, dances, tells stories, hangs out with her family, and plays with her dolls on the oversized sofa that gives the show its name. Those just tuning in will probably be tempted to switch channels and look for fare more dazzling to the eye. The cheesy costumes, amateurish makeup, and extremely rudimentary sets are unappealing when compared with stunning new-style kids' shows like The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron .
But parents should give The Big Comfy Couch a chance. Whereas the new shows are bing-bang-boom attention-grabbing eye-candy, there's a sweetness and gentleness to The Big Comfy Couch that parents will appreciate -- and a slowness that's calming to kids raised on short-attention-span televised junk food.
A typical episode plot involves Loonette's attempts to make warm clothes for her doll, Molly. She's too impatient to learn how to knit mittens, and her friends are no help. But Loonette's wise Granny Garbanzo tells a story about patience, and Loonette is finally able to overcome her frustration. It's simple, old-fashioned stuff, to be sure. But it's the kind of show that parents will remember and love from their own childhood -- and the kind they'll feel comfortable showing their own kids.
Fans of The Big Comfy Couch may also like other easygoing live-action shows like Barney & Friends , Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood , and Reading Rainbow .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
