The Wild Thornberrys - TV-Y7
TV Rating: TV-Y7
Network: Nickelodeon Cast: Tim Curry, Jodi Carlisle, Lacey Chabert
Genre: Children, Cartoons, & Animation
Available on: 
DVD
Common Sense Note
Although the appreciation for animals the series promotes is admirable, parents may want to remind young fans that animals encountered in the wild should be approached with caution. Eliza's sister Debbie is often snotty and superficial to the point of giving teenagers a bad name.
The bickering between the sisters, perhaps realistic, is nevertheless grating, and young and old viewers may wish to discuss what a more loving sibling relationship would look like.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Betsy Wallace
How do you teach kids to appreciate animals, instill in them a curiosity about different ways of living, and suggest to them the vastness of the world? Start by creating a show about a filmmaking family that dashes to a new corner of the globe in each episode--to Finland, Australia, India, or the Everglades. Let them meet click-talking Kung people, Maasai, and Aborigines. And just for kicks, create a miniature Dr. Dolittle in the form of a 12-year-old girl, and let her interact with everything from aye-ayes, to wombats, to humpback whales. And so all of this won't blow your production budget, make it a cartoon!
The premise of THE WILD THORNBERRYS is tailored to a child's imagination. The Thornberry kids don't attend regular school, they're on vacation all the time, they live in a camper, and the protagonist has a secret power no one knows about. It's a fantasy life, for sure, but the series explores the real customs of many different cultures and the real behavior and habitats of countless kinds of animals.
Episodes also delve into family relationships. Okay, so a wild boy found in the jungle and a chimp happen to live with this family, but Eliza (Lacey Chabert) and teenager Debbie (Danielle Harris) still struggle to overcome sibling rivalry, learn responsibility, and form independent identities. The show presents a nuclear family living an alternative lifestyle; as a result, even episodes with traditional growing up themes come across as fresh and new compared to many home and school-centered family shows.
Also worth noting is the married relationship here, surprisingly rich and multidimensional compared to most marriages seen on television. The Thornberry parents (Tim Curry and Jodi Carlisle), true partners and great role models, include their family in the realization of their own dreams and in the pursuit of travel, creativity, and adventure.
Check out 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures for more globetrotting adventures.
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Sexual ContentEpisodes have involved mating but not sex per se. |
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ViolenceThe characters sometimes get entangled with the forces of nature and the ferocity of animals. |
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Social BehaviorMain characters are white--they actively seek and embrace different cultures...and species. Some sibling put-downs. Very clever humor, especially from the guest animal characters and the witty chimp Darwin. |
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