Parents' Guide to

Top Wing

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Eager rescue cadets teach preschoolers about teamwork.

Top Wing Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 3+

Based on 11 parent reviews

age 4+

A good show, unfairly overhated

This show has basic elements of what kids shows usually have, bright and exciting animation, fun characters, easy to follow yet still entertaining plot. Since people tend to shove this show as a 'rip-off', I will compare this show with other available shows too. It falls into the category of rescue team like a lot of other shows (like Save-Ums, Octonauts and yes, Paw Patrol). But it adds the layer of Top Wing as an academy/ school and the cadets are students. They are still learning and the show portrays them as such. They make mistakes, they do wrong things and learn the consequences of actions. It shows kids that it's okay to make mistakes and it's important to learn from it. They are also guided by two responsible adults aka their teachers, which makes a more realistic story than kids having a weirdly mature attitude with a sole big responsibility (ahem, Paw Patrol). The world-building is definitely more coherent and interesting. There are less apparent lessons (compared to shows like Bluey or Sesame Street, in my opinion) but this show promotes teamwork and resilience well enough. It's a fun show with positive messages overall. The characters are lovable in their own way. I don't think it's fair for other reviews to critic the female characters so much and then call it sexist, especially when it's wrong. The male to female ratio isn't as large (4 males, 2 females) when other popular shows have way worse (namely Paw Patrol and Octonauts, but there are a ton of others) It's frustrating when they could've make it equal without changing anything in the story, but it's a widespread problem in animation and the entertainment industry in general, not just this show in particular. Both female characters play an important role in the team, and it's proven in the show that without them, the team can't function. One of the teachers is a chief mechanic, and she has a lovable personality just as much as the other teacher. The girl cadet has shown to be the most reliable, and just because she makes mistakes doesn't mean the show promotes "girls are weak and need help from the boys". "All the boy characters in the show make mistakes and that's fine, but if the girl character makes mistakes it means the show is saying she is incompetent"? That seems more of a sexist opinion from the reviewer, not the show. The show doesn't rely on gender roles, and people who do say that might be projecting their internalized views on it. Plus, non-bird characters have shown to have a chance in being 'cadets', so it is not exclusive to one species. The animals are not portrayed as any definitive particular race. Some designs are inspired by such, and that's all there is. It's not a perfect kids show. It's a decent show if your kids love it. But it does not deserve to be hated and simply labelled as a 'rip-off' just because it has similar traits, since it has executed some ideas better than the popular 'original' shows. Plus, the music is pretty cool too.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
age 3+

Its a cute show

My grandchildren love Top Wing and are soo upset that its been cancelled from NOGGIN. They have the toys, the characters and watched the show just like all the other Nick shows they have. Its a good, clean, cute show that show kids teamwork, helping others, following directions, listening, amoung many other good qualities. For those saying uts sexist, thats a stretch or you are just trying to find something wrong with the show. One of the head team leaders of the school amd also the mechanic, is a female, thats a pretty strong girl lead if you ask me. So sad in this day and age when everyone us so sensitive that they have to pick apart a childrens cartoon and remove it from the network and break kids' hearts because the adults have nothing better to do with their time.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11):
Kids say (4):

These four young whippersnappers will win over preschoolers in record time, and their experiences promote social skills like communication and working together. Their exuberant but unique personalities remind kids that differences don't have to divide; they can expose us to other points of view and challenge us to see things through another person's eyes. In the case of Swift and his new friends, this translates to a better team of rescuers for their surrounding community.

While Top Wing doesn't overwhelm with its creativity (Paw Patrol fans especially will notice similarities), it caters to preschoolers' emotional awareness by portraying young characters who experience impulsiveness, impatience, and selfishness at times. Happily, the stories spend ample time showing the consequences of these negative traits and what the cadets learn from them, plus how they turn those lessons into better teamwork and service to others.

TV Details

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