O Mundo Redondo de Olie

Okay, so I'm on vacation and flipping through the channels and I see this simple little CGI-rendered cartoon. I'll automatically give a second look to anything that's CGI. It's sappy and the CGI, as well as the storyline, are very simplistic. But there's actually something very subtle and appealing about Rolie Polie Olie. They whole idea is that it's SUPPOSED to be simplistic. From the storylines to the basic shapes used to render the characters, it gives you a look at a nice little care-free world. There's a real 1940's feel, from the retro design of the furniture and backgrounds to the "Our Gang" music soundtrack. It harkens back to the good old days (or our perception of them anyways) when people were just a little bit nicer and everything always worked out in the end. The kids are good little kids. The adults are good little adults. They even have their own Elvis. The whole thing is just so, well, CUTE! The plots are saccharine and entirely unrealistic. There are no drug dealers or mass murderers in Polieland. If I wanted reality, I'd watch the news. But they also deliver a gentle basic morality lesson. I guess a spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down. To sum this all up, I guess I really like Rolie Polie Olie, although as I type this my cynical side is attempting to beat me to death with my keyboard. Let your kids watch it. Let YOURSELF watch it. Personally, I'd like to spend the rest of my vacation in Polieland. There, you can talk to the TV and no one will think you're nuts. Because the TV talks back.

My son is 2 years old, and this is his favorite show. I know that when I sit him down in his chair to watch this, he will not move and I can get chores done during this half hour. He wakes up asking for Olie, Olie! I almost wish it was on all day!

My Daughter will be 2 this January, and among several other Playhouse Disney shows, she loves Olie. She wakes in the morning/afternoon, asking for "olie,olie"...My wife and I have many shows taped, we own the video's, toys, clothes...we have much Olie. I must say, it is a rather good show for children her age, younger and even some older kids. She picked up on Olie when she was maybe 9 months old. And my wife and I have been "victims" (used only as comedic relief), to the hypnotic computer animated show.

Well, come on, parents do anything for their children.

10 out of 10

So underrated, in fact, that for years I was convinced I hallucinated this show.

There is a particular(Canadian?) gentle charm about this series that sets it above the seemingly endless dross. It promotes wholesome family values including unusually not just mom and pop but uncles, aunts and siblings. Today's episode has Zowie, the youngest member, taught the need for the words Please, Thank You and Excuse me. The clear intention is to teach those things necessary for all members of a happy family: consideration for others and tolerance but it shows that adults as well as children must follow these rules.

It is evident that the makers have put far more into it than they perhaps need have done. The most brilliantly realised character is the dog "Spot" - a non-speaking part, everything is done with body language. It's such cleverly observed dog behaviour. In one second a scolded Spot can go from excitement to rejection, to reproach, to dejection - all absolutely unmistakeably indicated by every part. It is so well observed you can see aspects of dog behaviour not noticed before.

The sofas and fridges with bulging eyes and wide mouths are a recognisable borrowing - presumably a respectful homage - from pioneer Max Fleischer's cartoons of the 1930's. There they were a little weird - here they're part of the story - fridges have feelings too!