Ozzy & Drix - TV-Y7

An action-packed inside-the-body adventure.

TV Rating: TV-Y7 Network: Cartoon Network Cast: Vivica A. Fox, Jeff Bennett, Phil LaMarr Genre: Children, Cartoons, & Animation

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this series features gangster drama occurring inside the body of Hector, a 13-year-old boy. Bad guys are viruses and bacteria who scheme, chase, and threaten, using expressions such as "you're a butthead" or "get whacked."

Families can talk about the human physiology dramatized in each episode. Where is an appendix? Why does it become inflamed? The show also offers the opportunity to discuss the importance of how good hygiene helps combat body odor, tooth decay, and teenage acne.

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Pam Gelman

Based on characters from the movie Osmosis Jones, OZZY & DRIX is a 30-minute animated series that appeals to adolescent humor. It follows the health of 13-year-old Hector as he enters puberty, discovers girls, is tempted to try a cigarette, and other challenges of young teens.

Each show begins with Hector facing a situation typical of adolescence. In the episode "Street Up," for example, it's the dreaded yearbook picture day. Inside his body (aka the City of Hector), all sorts of drama is about to unfold: A menacing germ named Smirch is finalizing plans to give Hector a mammoth pimple on his forehead.

On the case are the show's heroes, Osmosis "Ozzy" Jones, a white blood cell with plenty of street savvy, and his partner Drixobensometaphedrian, or "Drix," a cold pill concocted in an Ivy League petri-dish who has smarts but lacks common sense. The pair works well together: Drix remembers that because it contains baking soda, toothpaste can be used to soak up the oil Smirch is using to produce the pimple, and the duo stops Smirch just in time for Hector's picture.

Other characters on the show include Maria Amino, Ellen Patella, Mayor Spryman, Chief Gluteus and a slew of villains. Together, most kids will find these characters, even the villains, funny. Expect humor to be about odor, mucus, phlegm, and bodily functions that are still humorous to this age group. The scenes in which Hector's health is in jeopardy -- for example, when a gangster named Sal Monella (voiced by Henry Winkler) tries to poison Hector -- may be frightening for children under 7 who still blur the line between reality and fantasy.

Still, for those who can stomach the subject matter, Ozzy & Drix offers a glimpse into an urban world inside the complicated dynamic body of a 13-year-old who's just trying to get through the day. Kids who enjoy funny, action-packed cartoons might also like The Life and Times of Juniper Lee and Jackie Chan Adventures.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Very mild flirtations (or attempts to flirt) typical of adolescence.
Violence White blood cell heroes chase and shoot at (with medicine) germ villains within the body.
Language Typical adolescent dialogue: "You're a butthead." "Yank my chain." "There's a zit."
Message
	Social Behavior Ozzy and Drix have very different styles of germ combat but realize they work best as a team.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco A villain named Nick O'Teen wants Hector to smoke.