Bear in the Big Blue House

For readers that think I have slowly started to crumble into a world of watching television for the sake of seeing colourful images moving, I must clarify that I came to The Bear a year ago as part of helping out some friends. A young family stayed with me in my house and they included two children of about 2 and 3 years old. Each morning as I was eating breakfast, the children would be merrily watching the Bear on channel 5 and joining in with his fun. So, from their critical point of view the show certainly appears to have worked – but they cannot type so damn them and damn their opinions.

Watching it as an adult I must admit that it is a good product that has the strengths of the genre but has none of the major weaknesses that you would associate with something like Barney. Bear is actually quite a warm character and he has a bit of personality behind him rather than just churning out phrases and corny clichés. The fact that the other characters are pretty good also helps as, although they are cute of course, they are not so sickly that I ever feared becoming diabetic from just watching it. It has a nice warm feel to it and Bear approaches the audience like a kindly Uncle rather than doing patronising baby talk. It isn't quite Sesame Street but it has more of that feel than the dreaded dinosaur. The characters all look good and are well delivered (although Shadow as an idea is just plain creepy if you ask me) and the voice work matches it all well.

Overall this is an enjoyable show for pre-school kids that can be watched by adults without getting annoying in the way that some others do. Like I said, not Sesame Street but effective nonetheless.

This is the most wonderful show for children of any age. Bear actually talks to the screen, and my 15 month old thinks that Bear is talking to him. It is a great show, with 5 other main characters beside Bear. There is Treelo, a lemur, Tutter the mouse, Pip and Pop are both otters and Luna is the moon. A truly creative show all around.

Although I like to poke fun at this show, I must admit it has several pleasant qualities that make it a wonderful show. It's mainly for children not yet "graduated" into shows for older kids. It has a "Mr. Rogers" type of quality in that Bear talks to the children watching and sort of invites them in to play with all of his friends in the big blue house. It can teach things such as being nice to others, even if they do something you might not like. I recommend this show for children aged up to about 7 or 8 years. This show can be a nice show for a young family looking for something enjoyable to watch with their children. It's neither too violent nor too babyish and can be a nice way to pass an afternoon before naptime.

I can't say enough good things about this show. It is the only children's program that consistently addresses the everyday aspects of life, such as potty training, cleaning the house, bathing, brushing one's teeth, going to school, etc. The amazing thing is how it's all done in the most entertaining way with fun songs and lots of dancing -- not an easy thing to do well. My kids absolutely love it when Bear feels the Cha Cha Cha coming on! The entire cast is extremely talented. I never hear them talking down to children as I do on many other shows. The segment with Luna is wonderful to open children's minds to contemplation -- it is so soothing.

My children, now 3 and 1, have adored this show since they were old enough to hold their heads up and it's one of the few programs that I actually enjoy myself as there is a subtle humor that adults can appreciate. Most importantly, however, this is a show that actually teaches kids about real life while entertaining them and opening their imaginations. My personal favorite of all the current kids shows, and objectively speaking, one of the three best kids shows on TV. Also, the pacing is great and it does not contribute to the short attention span syndrome like so many other kids shows.

My neice was a huge fan of Bear, and when I had my daughter I was glad to see that it was still on TV. Since my daughter was around 7 months old, she has adored Bear. She can actually sit through an entire episode without fussing or moving. The characters excite her (especially Tutter and Bear), and the gentle nature that Bear uses to interact with the viewers is superb. It can't help but foster respect for other people, and self confidence in the kids who watch it. The lessons are range from cleaning house to using the potty, to the different seasons. Each subject is treated with the same gravitas, and the opinions and thoughts of kids are nurtured and reinforced.

As an adult who watched his fair share of kids shows growing up (I was nurtured on a diet of Captain Kangaroo, Mister Rogers, Sesame Street and Electric Company), this is the best show I have seen for kids in a long time. Bear is a modern day Captain Kangaroo, the sidekicks are wacky, the lessons are important, and the kids are talked to, not talked at or talked down to.