I think this show is great. Of all of the things on TV for my little ones this one show is very entertaining and educational. It takes a vey creative mind to put together something for children and adults, there are so many "educational" shows that aim at flashy lights and sounds to attract the little ones attention. They lack substance or are way to annoying to anyone over 4. The Hoobs are in the great Henson tradition of Grover, Fraggles and early Sesame Street. Fun programming the parents and child can enjoy together. I only wish more shows like this were made.
The Hoobs
(Rated TV-Y, Educational, Starring Brian Herring, Donald Austen, Julie Westwood, Where to watch: Sprout, DVD, Online)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Cheerful, curious series overdoes the "Hoob-ese."
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 3 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Hoobs was written by Emily Ashby
Parents need to know that this British import from The Jim Henson Company engages preschoolers with colorful puppets and fun music and encourages their curiosity about all kinds of topics. In each episode, the characters -- who hail from far-away Hoobland -- seek answers to simple questions about the world. Through their own investigative work and input from kids (or "tiddlypeeps," as the Hoobs call them), they find answers to their queries and celebrate their discoveries with song and dance. While parents will love the show's educational qualities for their kids' sake, they may find the Hoob-iquitous language nuances ("Hooby groovy," "Hooble-toodle-do," and so on) a bit too nerve-grating for their own liking.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the discovery process the Hoobs use in each episode. What question did the Hoobs want to answer? How did they start to collect clues to the answer? What did they do when they hit a dead end? How did the kids help the Hoobs? Would your kids have helped them differently? Parents can ask kids what questions they would like to investigate with the Hoobs and can explore the subjects with them.
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More on The Hoobs
What’s the Story?
Created by The Jim Henson Company, British import THE HOOBS uses colorful puppets, spirited music, and storytelling to excite preschoolers' curiosity and get them interested in exploring the world around them. Tula (Julie Westwood), Groove (John Eccleston; Brian Herring), Iver (Donald Austen), and Roma (Gillie Robic) -- Hoobs who hail from far-away Hoobland -- are sent to Earth by Hubba Hubba Hoob (Herring) to discover all they can about life here. They report back, and Hubba Hubba Hoob adds the new information to his big, scholastic Hoobopaedia. The Hoobs often get answers from "tiddlypeeps" (kids), who help the Hoobs via songs or crafts, as well as with their own age-appropriate knowledge of how the world works. The Hoobs always recap the highlights of their investigative process, and the repetition gives preschoolers the chance to see how the dots connect from the initial question through each phase of discovery up to the final answer.
Is It Any Good?
The bottom line for parents is this: The colorful, peppy stars of The Hoobs will encourage your preschoolers to think creatively about the world around them, but if your kids are the type to repeat everything they hear, you might want to opt out of this one. The relentless tweaking of the English language to include Hoob-isms (like "Hooby groovy," "Hooblicious," and the overused "Hooble-toodle-do!") may be fun for kids, but for parents, they quickly get Hoobtiresome.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Great Program
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I rate this title iffy and give it
Need a Dictionary to Understand
The concept and idea behind The Hoob is on target and excellent. However, the Hoobs have thier own language that is completely make believe and requires a special dictionary to understand what they are saying. I enjoy the catchy songs and bright colors, but the language issue is a problem for me. As parents and educators we strive to teach correct communication and language to our children and students. To have a completely different language that has no bases in reality is irresponsible and unfair.
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