Common Sense Media Review
By Polly Conway
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming, colorful series teaches resilience, teamwork.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Little Ellen
What's the Story?
Little Ellen (Laurel Emory) is a series loosely based on the early life of comedian Ellen DeGeneres. Ellen is a kid who lives in New Orleans with her grandmother, aka Gramsy, and cat Charlie. She has two best friends, Freckle (JeCobi Swain) and Becky (Johanna Colon), and together they go on small adventures and deal with challenges. Each episode also contains a few short songs.
Is It Any Good?
This bright, colorful, and warm series doesn't have much to do with the real Ellen, but that's OK -- kids don't need to know anything about the comic to enjoy these charming adventures. Visually, it's a delight to look at, with retro handpainted-style backgrounds of New Orleans' highlights. Ellen and her friends are funny (of course), kind, and sometimes frustrated by challenges; the show frequently finds them learning ways to adjust expectations and be resillient in the face of change. For example, a visit to a local festival doesn't go as planned; there are no blueberry beignets left, and they fail at dunking local musician Funky Chunk in his dunk tank (yes, it's Funky Chunk's Dunk Tank).
These lessons may seem small, but they're super valuable to the intended audience -- as Gramsy (the lovely, lively June Squibb) says, "Sometimes plans change, and that's OK." Ellen herself learns a powerful lesson when she can't cheer up her cat Charlie despite many efforts. She ultimately figures out that "being sad with someone you love is the happiest way to be sad." Excellent writing includes lots of fun wordplay that makes the series feel lived in and the relationships strong -- however you feel about the real Ellen, Little Ellen is a charmer.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about TV shows based on real people. If you had a TV show about you, what would the story be? What parts of your life would you want to share?
Ellen, Freckle, and Becky are a great team, and the show sees them learning patience, perseverance, and adaptability to changing circumstances. Why do you think these are important character strengths?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 13, 2021
- Cast : June Squibb , Laurel Emory
- Network : Max
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Character Strengths : Communication , Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : December 13, 2021
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