The Upside Down Show

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Outstanding preschool series is fun and inventive.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this terrific series for preschoolers uses silly humor, imaginative play, language play, and whimsical storylines to stimulate young minds to be curious and creative and to think critically about the world around them. The show's interactive aspect encourages cooperation and self-confidence, as preschoolers get to be "in control" while lending a helping hand.


What's the story?

A delightfully inventive series for preschoolers, THE UPSIDE DOWN SHOW stars renowned Australian comedy duo David Collins and Shane Dundas -- also known as The Umbilical Brothers (whom many kids may already know from their often-wordless appearances on Sesame Street). In each zany episode, the energetic pair -- who talk plenty here -- takes young viewers on a rollicking journey, pausing every so often to invite kids to "control" the action via an imaginary TV remote that they "hand" to the viewer at the beginning of the episode. David and Shane play brothers who live in a fantastical house with an infinite number of quirky features, including magical doors and hidden passageways (such as an imaginary staircase or an elevator behind the sofa) that lead to bizarre rooms and other worlds, as well as everyday places beyond their living room.


Is it any good?

 

Each episode sends the brothers on a quest to find an object or place -- perhaps they need to track down a cowbell in order to play Puppet's "Symphony for a Cowbell," or they want to go to the art museum so they can display Shane's drawing. To fulfill their quest, the brothers have to travel through some of the house's magical passageways. Since they usually aren't quite sure how to get where they need to go, the journey involves lots of trial and error, and they're often sidetracked by bizarre rooms or locations, such as the Sticky Room, the Boat Out at Sea Room, or the Finger Painting Museum -- which makes the adventure all the more fun. At several points along the way, David and Shane ask young viewers to help them by pressing various buttons on their imaginary remote. The brothers may decide that they want to change the size of something, for example, or they may just need help out of a jam (such as getting unstuck from the walls of the Sticky Room); in any case, there's always a button on the viewer's remote that can do the trick. Occasionally, the viewer will "push a wrong button," at which point the duo suffers some unfortunate effect such as being turned sideways or upside down.

Not only are David and Shane funny and entertaining, but the show's storylines are refreshingly original; each episode is filled with clever jokes, puns, music, and tons of physical humor; and the fanciful world the brothers explore is sure to pique preschoolers' imagination and curiosity. Moreover, the series teaches little ones new words, life skills, relational concepts, and how to think critically, and introduces them to all kinds of wonderful things, places, and activities that exist out in the real world. Don't be surprised if even the youngest toddler is glued to the screen during The Upside Down Show.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about each episode's theme and how each adventure unfolds. What are David and Shane looking for in this episode? Why do they want to find this particular object or place? Who helps them, and how? Do David and Shane end up in any strange places or funny rooms along the way? How do they get out of these places? Did they ask you to help them by clicking your imaginary remote? What did they ask you to do? What happened as a result? What happened when they finally found what they were looking for? What did you learn from this episode that you didn't know before?


This review was written by Larisa Wiseman
Kid, 13 years old
September 9, 2009
 
Perfect for anyone 5+
I think 2, 3, AND 4 year olds can't yet handle the humor and will be two blown away, but still a great show for anyone between 5-8 (and older than 8)

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Parent of 3 year old
April 18, 2011
 
A wonderful kid friendly show at any age!!
I hated it at first because it sounded annoying. I was not paying attention to what was going on because of that. When I started really watching it I fell in love with it. Anyone who has had any experience in drama would understand. These silly men are performing, to perfection, pantomime! It is brilliant! It teaches children to use their imaginations, that it is o.k. to be silly, and to have fun! They are always searching for places, or things. This teaches our children that you have to explore, investigate, search, research, and you can have a good time doing so! They go over words, and how to do things. they teach and make it so much fun that your child, and mine, will love to learn growing up. I'd give it ten thumbs up if I had them!

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Kid, 12 years old
August 27, 2010
 
the best show in history of shows
te upside down show i would have to say is the best my favorite show. make new ones i have seen every episode ever this show couldn't be better. awesome job. shmoesome shomb. i think the shmugies would say it that way keep on coming up with new ideas please. i have an i dea. so write me back on here

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Teen, 15 years old
July 3, 2010
 
well, it's an okay show
my little brothers like this show. It's okay, I mean personally it seems kinda weird (expect in the episode when they did udder chaos that was funny)

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Kid, 13 years old
November 21, 2010
 
the best show ever
I love the upside down show, It's the best show that nick jr has ever made.

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Parent of 3 year old
November 15, 2010
 
LOVE IT
I love this show and so does my son! It definitely reaches my son's energy level and I will even sit and watch it. I also love how they use big words, of course they will explain it, but kids need to hear them! I love this show!

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Parent of 4 year old
April 1, 2011
 
Great for any age! :)
Love it! We hadn't heard of the show until our son (3 yrs old) stumbled upon the game on NickJr* and he loved it. As for episodes on TV, only time we see it is late at night when the tv happens to get left on or we have trouble sleeping. Really don't see why it's only on so late. Have to dvr so our kiddo can watch. We like it too for the humor and how inventive it is. Especially love when they decided to put away the real items to play with imaginary versions instead. Almost reminds me of improv with how refreshing the style is. :) This is one of the few 'kids shows' that we'll sit down through the whole thing and watch it with our son.

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Parent of 3 year old
January 19, 2010
 
annoying
I get so annoyed by this show..they act like thier on drugs seriously..my son is 2 and does not like watching it..he gets bored..these guys are strange and creep me out..i wish nick jr would bring back Jacks big music show..now thats a cute show.

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Parent of 3 and 5 year old
October 5, 2009
 
Perfect for everyone who appreciates make believe!
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Encourages creativity & imagination- things that are becoming a "lost art" My husband & I even enjoy watching this one :)

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Teen, 15 years old
August 30, 2010
 
this a very positive example for toddlers
a very hilarious show

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This review was written by Larisa Wiseman
This review was written by Larisa Wiseman
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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