Wow Wow Wubbzy was one of my favorite shows when I was little, and I watched it all the time when I was both 5 and 6 years old. I used to play Kickety Kickball in my backyard when I was little, just like Wubbzy. I have Wubbzy, Widget, Walden, and Daizy plushes, a remote control talking Wubbzy toy with a spinning kickety kickball in his hands, Wubbzy and Daizy action figures, and an action figure set that consists of a Walden, a cowboy Wubbzy, and a Wubbzy in a rainbow wig. I got 3 Wow Wow Wubbzy DVDs for Christmas nearly 5 years ago so I can relive my childhood. This appears to be one of the most popular Nick Jr shows with older audiences. I am older than Nick Jr's target audience, and this is my absolute favorite Nick Jr and Noggin show!
Despite being a preschool show, Wow Wow Wubbzy is also aimed at older audiences. It has a wacky, slapstick comedy style similar to Nickelodeon shows. It stands out from other preschool shows by featuring silly characters in a unique world and avoiding a generic feel. Unlike several other preschool shows, Wow Wow Wubbzy doesn't follow a predictable formula or feature repeating songs in every episode, offering a different plot in each episode. This originality sets it apart from other shows, making it a refreshing choice for viewers who may be tired of formulaic preschool shows. I think just because a show is formulaic and has the same song(s) in every episode doesn't mean it sucks, but it's good to have at least one Nick Jr show that has an entirely different plot in every episode and isn't formulaic, otherwise, we'd have too much of a good thing.
Unlike some other fourth wall-breaking preschool show characters, Wubbzy doesn't talk down to the audience and rarely interrupts the plot by breaking the fourth wall. Instead, he says hello to the audience, introduces the episode, explains what's going on, and rarely breaks the fourth wall for the rest of the episode. Talk about fourth wall-breaking done right!
The characters are quirky, extremely fleshed out, and very likable, especially the four main characters: Wubbzy, Widget, Walden, and Daizy. I'm not going to talk about all the characters in detail, only the main four, otherwise, we'd be here all day. Wubbzy has always been my favorite character. Why? Partly because he's optimistic, playful, carefree, friendly to everyone he meets, and always ready to have fun. He loves to play Kickety Kickball and always tries his best to make everyone happy, never holding a grudge against anyone. He goes through relatable situations that children often experience, such as being nervous about starting school, much bigger people getting in the way of everything, and avoiding chores to have fun. Since I started watching the show, Wubbzy has reminded me of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh because they both bounce on their tails all the time. Wubbzy also slightly resembles both Winnie the Pooh and SpongeBob. His tail gives him uniqueness and quirkiness and allows him to pursue various talents, such as dancing, spinning a ball, and playing Kickety Kickball.
The only thing I don't like about Wubbzy is that sometimes he can be careless and selfish without realizing it at first, but that's understandable and justified because he's a little kid. However, he always learns from his mistakes, finds a solution to his problems, and makes up for them with the help of his friends.
As for the other characters, Daizy is my second favorite because of her design, voice, and skipping while singing, which make her extremely cute. I find her crush on Wubbzy sweet and endearing. She is a girly girl who loves all sorts of girly things (tea parties, dolls, dresses, ballet, etc.) but surprisingly doesn't make the show overly feminine. You can probably tell by my username and what I said that I'm a dude. When Wubbzy first met her, he found her difficult to befriend until he gave her interests a chance and found things in common with her. This shows that people with different interests, hobbies, or genders can still be the best of friends, which I can relate to and find to be a refreshing change.
Walden always reads about whatever is around him, spends a lot of time in his library, and is very knowledgeable about everything, especially science. He seems to own almost any book one wants to read and can answer almost any question. I don't understand how anyone can go wrong with a character like that. I especially love his catchphrase, "Yes, yes, yes!"
Widget loves to build machines, especially robots. Thanks to her inventions, any problem can be fixed, and any task can be done. However, her inventions often malfunction and don't work properly, but she has a can-do attitude and never gives up. I don't understand how anyone can go wrong with a character like that either.
I love the animation and art style. The characters have cute designs, especially Wubbzy and Daizy. The animation slightly reminds me of the animation in another one of my longtime favorite Nick shows, The Fairly Oddparents. Coincidentally, both shows have some of the same voice actors in them, and Wubbzy was created by Bob Boyle, who was also the executive producer of The Fairly Oddparents.
I really enjoy the background music in the scenes without singing, as it reminds me of the music from FOP. The music and songs can be bouncy and energetic at times, much like Wubbzy himself.
The songs are very catchy and groovy, especially the theme song. I love the theme song because it has a post-punk/new wave 1980s style, and the line, "Wubbzy lives in a tree, he loves to play, play, play. He's got a bendy tail, and he likes it that way," reflects how playful and unique Wubbzy is, and that he's proud of it. Some of the songs sound like video game music, which I really like. Several of the post-episode songs convey the episode's morals in a fun way and help the audience understand the morals better. For example, the song "Wait" gives suggestions for passing the time while waiting for something, like making up a song. "You're a Star" is extremely catchy and delivers great messages: listen to your heart, everyone is good at different things (e.g., singing, dancing, sewing, doing art, baking, etc.), and we're all special in our own ways. Moreover, "Sing a Song" explains the simple joy a song can bring to others. Some of the songs don't have underlying lessons (e.g., "The Happy Hop," "Dance Dance Party," "The Robot Dance," "The Wubbzy Wiggle," etc.) but that's perfectly fine. These songs are fun, fast-paced, catchy, and sure to get the audience up and dancing. This is one of the many musical Nick Jr. Shows I've seen, but it's one of the only ones where the characters don't sing every 5 minutes or so. Instead, 90% of the songs are in their own separate segments and sung by off-screen singers. Luckily, there are some episodes with no songs at all, other than the theme song.
I repeat, Wow Wow Wubbzy is the best Nick Jr show EVER!!
