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Cartoon Network Premieres Mon 4; check local listings.
Forget Abigail Breslin. There’s a new (or rather, renewed) Little Miss Sunshine in town. The smiling, pigtailed cartoon girl debuted in author-illustrator Roger Hargreave’s popular 1970s and ’80s “Mr. Men and Little Miss” children’s-book series. Now she—along with 24 other zany characters—stars on Cartoon Network’s half-hour sketch show inspired by the volumes and geared for children ages two and up.
Each brightly hued Mister and Miss personifies a “state of mind” moniker: Mr. Happy, Miss Helpful, Miss Calamity and so on. Snappy vignettes demonstrate the meaning of the names and what happens when clashing dispositions collide. The slapstick scenarios that these goofy little monsters face—like convincing Mr. Stubborn he’s walking the wrong way on an escalator—are neither sophisticated nor urbane, but the cast’s diverse skin colors, speech styles and personalities make their suburban hometown of Dillydale feel a lot like the Big Apple. Look closely: Mr. Lazy is a dead ringer for an emo hipster from Williamsburg.
The show’s underlying lesson won’t be news to young New Yorkers; they already know their home ground is teeming with millions of different people and that they have to deal with all types. The characters’ kind treatment of one another, however, is a helpful reminder of a valuable kindergarten rule: Be tolerant.
—Julia Israel
