Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gentle, low-tech show with a good heart.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
Relying heavily on viewers to put their imaginations to active use, THE BIG COMFY COUCH is a live-action show centering around the adventures of Loonette, a teenaged clown who sings, dances, tells stories, hangs out with her family, and plays with her dolls on the oversized sofa that gives the show its name.
Is It Any Good?
Those just tuning in to The Big Comfy Couch will probably be tempted to switch channels and look for fare more dazzling to the eye. The cheesy costumes, amateurish makeup, and extremely rudimentary sets are unappealing when compared with stunning new-style kids' shows like The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron.
But there's something endearingly chintzy about the show, too, with its reliance on imagination and pretending that hearkens back to old-school '70s kids' shows like Captain Kangaroo and The New Zoo Review. Parents should give The Big Comfy Couch a chance: Whereas the new shows are bing-bang-boom attention-grabbing eye-candy, there's a sweetness and gentleness to The Big Comfy Couch that parents will appreciate -- and a slowness that's calming to kids raised on short-attention-span televised junk food.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about issues that are brought up in each episode and relate them to their own family.
How can we treat other people with kindness? Why is it a good idea to cooperate with family members?
What does respect look like, and why do we show it to others?
What mistakes does Loonette make, and what does she learn from them?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 1, 1995
- Cast : Alyson Court , Bob Stutt , Grindl Kuchirka
- Network : PBS
- Genre : Kids Musical TV
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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