Higglytown Heroes Review

Back when I was hosting the morning movie on WQXT Channel 22 in St. Augustine, I would interview guests in the breaks on the show. One day my guest was Randall Terry, who was then making an unsuccessful bid for the State Senate (apparently he was too right wing for Northeast Florida, something I had not thought possible). Looking for some common ground, I brought up his young family, and somehow the conversation came around to what our kids watched on TV.

Terry shared my extremely low opinion of Higglytown Heroes, a computer-animated series which airs as part of "Playhouse Disney" on the Disney Channel. "I don't get it," he opined, "The pizza delivery guy is a hero? What kind of message does that send?"

It's not the message of Higglytown Heroes that I find offensive, it's the show itself. After starting off with a cool theme song by They Might Be Giants, each episode descends into a feeble lesson about everyday "heroes" (like the pizza delivery guy). The "Higglys" are a cross between Weebles and Chinese boxes, legless creatures who have some of the most annoying character voices in the history of animation. Scanning the credits for "voice talent," one sees names like Kathie Lee Gifford. No wonder.

However, I will give a pass to Liliana Mumy, who voices "Twinkle," if only for her father Billy's work on several classic Twilight Zone episodes. Wouldn't want him to wish me into the cornfield or anything.

While I find Higglytown Heroes to be a painful experience, I wouldn't give it such a bad review if my kids liked it. After all, I'm not the target audience, they are. My two- and three-year old, however, share my low opinion of this show, which comes between Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and The Wiggles on the schedule.

Because of that, and the theme song, I am awarding Higglytown Heroes an extra star. Why, you ask?

Anything that gets the kids to turn off the TV must have some redeeming value.