Littleburg

Very, very sweet new show; seems to target kids 4-7. In my opinion, kids too 'old' to watch "Blue's Clues" will enjoy this one a lot.

Mix of puppets [talking animals & their friends, families], real humans [Whoopi is mayor, little kids drive taxis/the bus to Town Hall & participate in town events, various adult celebs are residents & sing songs & such], and animation [talking sun & moon, some educational shorts].

Main characters: Spencer is a cute little pig who moves to the town with his baby bro/sister & their single mom. Worried about making friends, he soon finds one in a little kitty next door named TJ (Tiger Jane) being raised by Mayor Whoopi, along with a little Tweety-looking bird named Chester (?) sometimes perched on top of Whoopi's braids.

Though different in species & various other things, like their personalities (he's quiet & shy, she's.. not *smile*), they get along quite well--as does the whole town. Everyone is helpful, understanding.. & when conflicts do arise, the adults (human and/or puppet) help them sort their feelings out & settle things fairly. Often with cute little songs (new lyrics to old songs adults would know).

The Town Hall meetings with Mayor Whoopi are funny too; there's one where a goat (I forget which committee he's on) proposes to change a game from "Duck, Duck, Goose" to Duck, Duck, Goat" -- has a chart up & everything :-). Mayor Whoopi says, over her sunglasses, "Does the goose know abut this?!"

Only place I've seen it is on, so far: the "Nick 2" channel; during Nick Jr. time. I hope it's here to stay!!

While the pilot is the only thing to be seen on Nickelodeon just yet, it already has great potential. The puppetry is beautiful. Whoopie does a wonderful job of playing the show's lead, guiding the child-like characters through daily adventures with clear inspirational objectives. Also, songs fade in and out throughout the show, creating melodies that children can clearly follow, as well as jazzing up old favorites. The smooth, colorful puppets and backgrounds will dazzle children's eyes, and with Whoopie at the helm, it can be assured that many more guest stars are on the way(Sandra Bernhard premieres as "The Macaroni Lady" in the pilot). Littleburg offers elements that parents and children will enjoy, creating a show that both can watch together. And don't worry, it's funny too!