Goldie and Bear

After famous fairy tales are written and adapted into many books, someone who likes those stories would combine them into one. That is the case of Goldie and Bear as it features characters from many well-known stories.

When I saw ads for this show as well as seeing a few episodes, I was initially entertained. The graphics are quite colorful, and the way the characters are drawn are similar to what I see in children's story books.

I do adore the characters in the show, especially Goldie. I like her trademarked hair, her blue dress, and best of all her cute pink mary janes. All the other characters are perfect, although the boy bear in a beige shirt with green sleeves could use a child actor to do his dialog.

While these may be a bit tame for kids 10 and over (absolutely no violence or psycho-tension), Parents (and GrandParents like me) will find these short animations (two separate 12 minute animations in each episode),a real treat to share with the younger set. We just spent 3 days with our 3 yr old GrandSon and he wanted me to keep repeating the episodes. When I thought he must be getting bored with them, I showed him the new Lion King series on Disney. He liked it, but wanted to go back to the Goldie and Bear animations. After just a couple of viewings, he was singing along with the songs. It is refreshing to find a children's series with "no agenda" other than a positive message through entertainment.

As I sit here watching a Goldie and Bear episode for the 100th time, I figured I'd write a review for other parents. My 17 month old daughter has been obsessed with this show for the past two months. My husband and I know the dialog and sing the songs to each other at this point. I'll wake up with the songs in my head. They're catchy.

As kids' shows go, this isn't a bad one to watch repeatedly. It's fun and upbeat. I enjoy most of the characters. I'm pleased to see two main characters of each gender instead of the standard boy lead in most children's shows. There's nothing I'd consider questionable or objectionable. The writers twist traditional fairy tale stories for their own purposes so don't expect historical or literary accuracy. Don't expect rational plots either. This is meant to be a fun show to entertain kids and tell simple morality stories as well.

My husband and I are actually excited for season 2 to be released. Mostly because we'd like to see a new set of episodes 100 times. But also because it really is a decently entertaining show for parents stuck watching a show with their kids.

Goldie and Bear is a great animated series about a friendship between Goldilocks and one of the brown bears. You'll see the big bad wolf, Humpty Dumpty, jack and Jill, mother goose and just about anybody else in the fairytale world. Awesome cast of voices and great songs. Our toddler sings along to the songs, yes suspenseful in the action scenes and shows compassion in the heartfelt moments. It's a full bodied quality cartoon that even we enjoy as adults. Our baby has watched the same episodes what seems to be hundreds of times and we still don't mind (unlike with half the junk on TV these days). Great show we hope to own on DVD if possible.

I really like Goldie & Bear because of Goldie. She's my favorite character. I found out later her full name was Goldie Emily Locks and she and Jack Bear (Which is the Little Bear's real name) became friends. Overall, it's the best show ever.