Weird.

There is one show that I failed to mention on my list earlier today... maybe it was just by chance that I forgot, but probably it was a psychological self-preservation tactic that I blocked it out. It's not a pure evil or obnoxious, but man is it weird. You would think the show was written by Roger Waters, inked by Ralph Steadman, and directed by Terry Gilliam. Weird. Weird weird weird weird WEIRD! What show do I speak of? It's aimed at a younger audience....


The night is black,
And the stars are bright,
And the sea is dark and deep

And someone I know is safe
And snug, and they're drifting
Off to sleep

Round and round, a little boat no bigger
Than you're hand, out on the ocean, far away from land.

Take the little sail down,
Light the little light.
This is the way to the
Garden of the night

That's right. Grab your bong and hash-pipe... we're "In the Night Garden...". Strange characters, weird names, and even more messed up props and plot devices... don't even get me started on the environments. Even my three year old thinks the show is a bit odd. That should tell you something right there.

I could go on... I could write hundreds of thousands of words delving into the crazy of this program, but I won't. Perhaps I'll examine the individual characters during future Treehouse Tuesdays, but for now I just wanted to mention the shows existence and give a brief warning to parents:

While this show seems to be addictive to the kids (and likely those imbibing in the LSD), the content is mostly harmless and does attempt to teach some good morals (sharing, cooperation, hygiene, etc..) albeit in a very, very, VERY odd way. There may be some frightening scenes/costume designs, but they are probably more frightening to the parents than they are to the children.

One other thing... the character Makka Pakka, who I think is supposed to be made out of stacked rocks, can be construed as being made out of poop. At least my daughter swears that this is the case and can't be convinced otherwise. It's part of what makes the show entertaining for my wife and I. Every time Makka Pakka comes on screen, the kids yell "Poop!" in excitement. Ironically Makka Pakka (or the poop guy)'s 'job' on the show is the janitor... I guess. He pushes around a strange device containing cleaning items and wipes down characters with a sponge.

Ah well... The kids like it.