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Parents' Guide to

Growing Up Creepie

By Pam Gelman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Tween toon has dark visuals, but OK for most kids.

TV Discovery Family Channel Kids' Animation 2006
Growing Up Creepie Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • Growing Up Creepie TV Show: Scene #1
  • Growing Up Creepie TV Show: Scene #2
  • Growing Up Creepie TV Show: Scene #3

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 8 parent reviews

MovieCritic699
MovieCritic699 Adult
January 2, 2016
age 8+

Growing up Creepie…The Greatest Beetlejuice-Based Cartoon For A New Generation.

I love this show really cute and it teaches about insects. It's about Creepie Creature, a girl that was raised by bugs (yes it gets pretty weird) the animation is cute though, and Creepie is actually a really caring person, a little dark, but she stands up for what she believes in and isn't afraid to be unique. Her parents are caring, but they still have their 'insect' instincts. Still pretty cool show for kids, not my favorite, but pretty entertaining. This show is very positive because it deals with being yourself amongst your peers. But it also stresses the importance of making friends. Young kids will learn from the information Creepie dishes out about bugs. This is a family friendly show that shouldn’t scare your kids at all and should teach them a valuable lesson about self-discovery. I think this show is very educational for a kid that’s why it’s on the Discovery Kids. I recommend it. This show is awesome.
HannibalPhil
HannibalPhil Adult
April 27, 2013
age 5+

I got to say, its a good show.

Really educational, it will have like a 30 second segment of a clip of types of insects that kids can learn about, in a friendly cute manner, although the show is dark theme with the protagonist as a little Goth girl, it feels like a Tim Burton film, in all, kids can definitely enjoy this cute friendly show.
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

No one can escape the challenges of being a tween -- including Creepie Creecher. Left on the doorstep of Dweezold Mansion as a baby, Creepie (voiced by Athena Karkanis) is raised by a praying mantis mother and vegan mosquito father and has so many brothers and sisters that they just appear as a fuzzy, buzzy swarm. Creepie starts middle school feeling different than the other kids, but also surprisingly OK with who she is and is able to make friends. Two of Creepie's brothers stand out from the swarm: a gnat and a pill bug who follow Creepie around and get into mischief. Her human friends include popular girl Chris-Alice Hollyruller (Leah Cudmore), whose father is the town exterminator and causes much conflict. Creepie also has a crush on Tarantula Boy, a freak side-show at the local carnival.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8 ):
Kids say (8 ):

GROWING UP CREEPIE has lots of dark, Tim Burton-esque visuals and scary organ tunes, but older grade-schoolers and tweens will recognize that both are used for dramatic effect and will be able to focus on Creepie's day-to-day challenges. In one episode, Creepie recites a Mother's Day poem about "crunching limbs" and "leaving victims helpless." Her classmates and teacher are horrified, but Creepie's mother, a sultry praying mantis named Caroleena (Julie Lemieux), explains to the principal that she's a strong female role model who speaks her mind and stops at nothing to support her family -- and it is a loving family. Creepie's dad, a pale, vampire-looking mosquito, is actually vegan -- because, of course, male mosquitoes don't drink blood. He's also very playful and affectionate with the thousands of "adopted" bug children who live in the mansion.

You won't find any fighting scenes (unlike fellow bug-themed cartoon Spider Riders) or constant flirtations (a la 6Teen) here -- just a girl making it through the ups and downs of adolescence, which is something kid viewers can definitely take a bite out of. And for kids interested in insects, the show even includes a 5-second bit of information about specific bug characters in each 15-minute segment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the challenges of being the new kid in school and strategies for making friends. How can kids make an effort to help others feel welcome to a new school or neighborhood?

  • What challenges does Creepie face since she looks and feels so different from her peers? How is she similar to other kids, and how do her differences make her unique and special?

  • Why is it important not to judge someone based on how they look? What should you base your impressions of people on?

  • If kids are interested in entomology, parents can help them look up more information about the bugs on the show.

TV Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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