"Extra Mile" Kid's Show Episodes

As we all know, most children's TV shows stay pretty light in their content.  The playground bully or a scraped knee is usually the worst thing mentioned, and rightly so.  Small children don't need to be constantly saddened or scared by dark content.  But, now and then, there comes an episode of a children's television show that does delve a little further into topics that are a bit less-than-pleasant or deeper.  And, often, they do it very well.  In no particular order, here are some of my favorite examples of this:

1. "Full Of Life"-In this episode of "The Big Comfy Couch", the main topic covered is the concept of "full and empty", but it squeezes in a little lesson about life and death.  While in Granny Garbanzo's garden, Loonette makes friends with a cute little caterpillar.  But, the friendship is cut short when the caterpillar dies suddenly.  In the resulting scene, Loonette (and all the viewers) learn that nothing can be full of life forever.  And, Granny Garbanzo's "Sometimes You Have to Say Goodbye" song during the little caterpillar's brief funeral is amazingness-chill-worthy.

2. "Lucy's Okay"-This is another example of delicately dealing with the subject of death.  In this "Little Bear" episode, Duck accidentally sits on Emily's doll, Lucy, and Emily proclaims that Lucy has died.  A funeral is put together and carried out (the seriousness with which the characters treat the preparations and conducting of the funeral is actually very cute).  At the end of the episode, however, Emily reveals that she was only playing and that "Lucy's okay".  Personally, I liked the lighthearted ending, but I suppose it could give children the wrong idea about actual death, which is not a game.  Still, this definitely makes my list.

3. "April 9th"-This "Arthur" episode is one of the very, very best.  When a fire breaks out at Lakewood Elementary, this episode shows how a disaster can affect everyone differently.  Sue Ellen's beloved diary is destroyed in the flames, leaving her destroyed right along with it.  Arthur's dad is catering an event in the school when the fire happens, and it takes the firefighters a long time to get him out.  This leaves Arthur afraid for his dad's life every time he leaves the house.  Binky, who has always been the tough guy, actually sees the flames and is terrified by them but won't tell anyone.  That is, until returning to his school after it's repaired becomes too much for him, he runs away, and Mr. Frensky (Francine's dad) finds him en route in his garbage truck.  Buster, who was late for school the day of the fire, wasn't emotionally affected by the fire itself at all, which bothers him because he can't relate to any of his friends (I had an experience similar to this in 8th grade when a classmate whom I didn't even know died suddenly.  The whole school was devastated, and I couldn't relate at all.)  However, when he visits the school's injured janitor, Mr. Morris, in the hospital, he makes an unlikely friend.  At the end of the episode, Mr. Morris leaves to live with his daughter in New Mexico, but he gives Buster his old accordion.  This episode is a very profound one.  You see a lot of emotional growth in a lot of the characters.

4. "Mother's Day"-Rarely do you see a "Rugrats" episode with much depth at all, but this one sure has it.  On Mother's Day, everyone is preparing, in their own way, to make the day special for their mommy.  That is, everyone but Chuckie.  Chuckie has no mom, and he doesn't know why.  So, the gang sets out to find him a mom, employing a dress mannequin, Spike, and even *gulp* Angelica to take on the role.  Near the end of the episode, Angelica locks Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil in the Pickles' living room closet, and they find a box of things that had belonged to Chuckie's mom.  Chuckie's dad, Chaz, had asked DiDi to stash it there.  After Chuckie discovers them, Chaz tries to take the box away from him, but DiDi intercepts with this:

DiDi: "Chaz, I think it's time you shared these things with Chuckie."

Chaz: "Well, I'm just afraid he'll miss her."

DiDi: "Then, you can miss her together."

And, he does share them with Chuckie.  And, the episode ends beautifully with Chuckie knowing that his mommy is always with him.

5. "Sesame Street Episode 1839"-I never saw this whole episode because it aired about 10 years before I was born, but, on YouTube, I've seen the part that's important to this list.  In case you haven't already guessed what episode I'm talking about, it's the one when Big Bird is told about Mr. Hooper's death.  This scene is just amazing.  No question.  The explanation he's given is a bit blunt, but not abrasively so. And, you can see the emotion in the actors' performances as a genuine reaction to the real-world death of Will Lee, the man who'd played Mr. Hooper.

6. "Happy Anniversary"-This "Little Bear" episode doesn't actually deal with an issue or break tough facts of life to children, but it is a bit more romantic than most kid's shows.  And, I don't mean romantic in a dirty way at all!  I mean romantic in a "Aww!  That's so sweet!" way.  It's Mother Bear and Father Bear's wedding anniversary, but Father Bear is away on his fishing boat.  Despite his absence, Little Bear convinces Mother Bear that they should have an anniversary party, anyway, and even that she should wear her wedding dress to it.  Mother Bear plays along to please Little Bear and, possibly, to cheer herself up, a bit.  Then, as they are having fun, dancing around the room to a record, we see...Father Bear looking in the window!  This whole thing turned out to be a surprise that he and Little Bear had been planning, all along.  It's just such a beautiful episode!

Changes and Non-Changes

As we grow up, things change.  Our bodies, our circles of friends, the size and makeup of our families, our levels of responsibility.  What I'm wondering about and contemplating is this: What about our souls?  Do they change a lot?  A little?  At all?  What do you think?  My personal opinion is that they change a little or hardly at all.  Yeah, they may be covered up and reined in and quieted by our adult minds and egos, but they're there.  We're all children, way down deep.  Some deeper than others.  Why else would some people become whiny, needy, insecure messes when ill or frightened?  Why else would we develop insaciable, wide-eyed fascinations with certain subjects?  How else would authors have the imagination to create such lovable and enduring characters?  There isn't much "inner" about my inner child.  I'll admit that.  It's either on my shoulders or sitting next to me most of the time.  It doesn't much like staying in, and it comes out to make me look like a fool more often than not.  But, without it, I wouldn't even have the capacity to be a fool.  Isn't that part of the fun of life, the ability to be a fool once in a while (or more often, if you'd like)?

"Have To" Person

I've never been a "have to" person.  "I can't do that!" "Well, you have to."  If I can't do it, I can't do, for whatever reason.  Telling that I "have to" do something isn't going to make me do it.  It might make me ashamed, but it won't make me do it.

No "But" Here

We all feel the need to look back to our childhoods sometimes.  Most people will admit and acknowledge this.  They will say that it's true and that they've felt that way.  However, the next phrase out of their mouth usually begins with "but" and continues in a contradictory phrase used to affirm their adulthood and put dreamers back into their proper place.  Well, there will be no "but" here.  We all need to look back at our childhoods sometimes.  I admit and acknowledge it, and I feel that way often.  No "but".  No curveball.  It's a fact that needs no justification.

Anyone Else Have This?

Okay, I gotta ask.  Does anyone else have The Sicky Brigade within their Facebook or MySpace friends?  Those people who, seemingly everyday, post statuses like this: "So sick ", "Ugh!  I'm sick AGAIN :-(", "My sinuses are killing me! >:(", "Feel awful.  Just wanna go back to bed".  The people that make you wonder just how sick someone can be and still be coherent enough to complain about it online.  Have any people like this in your friend list?  Let's all get together and tell them to go to the hospital and stop filling the screens of us laymen with their health problems.

My World

My world shattered when I started school.  And, all the pieces were pushed to the side so I could see clearly (not discarded, but pushed to the side) about a year later, when both my first pair of goldfish and Shari Lewis passed away within the same few months.  My mom told me about both of these occurrences.  My fish on the way home from the seashore, and Shari while I was sitting on the living room floor, not aware of what my mom was about to tell me.  I didn't cry when she told me about either of them.  I didn't feel much of anything.  No, I did.  I felt pride for the first time.  Not in myself, but in her.  For some strange reason, I felt proud of my mom for telling me.  I still don't know why that was.  I just know it was the strongest sense of pride I've ever felt.  I may not have had a true sense of loss or sadness at these deaths, but I grew up a lot that summer/fall.  I think that's when I actually started to grow up.

Time Away

I need some time away from Facebook, if only for the rest of the night.  I have decided that.  I have seen one swear word-filled status too many, and my inner 5-year-old is pulling me away from the overall roughness of many of my contemporaries.  I know that sounds childish, and maybe it is.  But, so am I.  I always have been and always will be.  When I think about being a child, the scene that comes to my mind right away is sitting in the living room of our old house, watching "Lambchop's Play-Along".  That was innocence.  That was pure fun.  That was before anyone died, went to school, had any responsibility, had any complication in their life.  That was before the world exploded.