Tuesday, October 01, 2002

By RAYMOND A. EDEL

Kim Possible to the rescue on ABC.

Television — it distracts your children from doing their homework, it keeps them inside on a sunny day, it pits sibling versus sibling.

Ok, so before you go schlepping the tube down to the curb, television can also be imaginative and cultural.

This fall’s children’s television has plenty of both, with something for all age groups and tastes.

From flying pigs and African wildebeest encounters, to teenage patriots and middle school safety officers — here is a sampling of what’s worth watching on the networks this fall.

Parents, pay attention, this could be the talk at the dinner table.

ABC

Schoolyard justice has a hip new defender in Safety Patrol Officer Cornelius Fillmore, the title character of the new animated series “Disney’s Fillmore!” (9 a.m. Saturdays). The series captures the essence of the great Seventies cop shows – in the guise of a smart, quick-witted seventh-grader out to stop crime in its school-age tracks.

It also succeeds at portraying someone other than an athlete or cheerleader being “popular,” albeit in his own circle.

Also new at ABC is “Disney’s Kim Possible” (11 a.m. Saturdays). Premiering on Disney Channel in June, the animated series “Disney’s Kim Possible” follows the comedic adventures of a typical high school girl (Christy Carlson Romano from Disney’s “Even Stevens”), who, in her spare time, happens to save the world from evil villains.

Kim finds out that defeating bad guys comes easier than coping with the typical teen pressures of dating, schooling, and socializing.

If parents can deal with the cartoon violence, the fact that there is a female role model makes this show well-worth watching. Except for maybe the “Power Puff Girls,” there aren’t many “super” females on television.

ABC FAMILY

Do not adjust your TV sets.

That oinking and squealing you hear is coming from ABC Family’s utterly unique and imaginative series “Tokyo Pig” (10 a.m. Saturdays). The animated comedy is about the adventures of a 9-year-old and his magical pet pig.

While working on his homework, Spencer unlocks his power to turn his thoughts into reality. Surprised, he draws a picture of pigs flying and voila! Sunny appears.

With Sunny at his side, Spencer’s every thought continues to come to life. The sky is, literally, the limit with this show.

The program’s emphasis on imagination should help cultivate the creativity of any youngster that tunes in, as well as giving them a “good” reason to do their homework.

CARTOON NETWORK

The world’s most beloved and zaniest group of cartoon personalities “Looney Tunes” prove that true character is something you’re born with as Cartoon Network airs its newest original animated series, “Baby Looney Tunes” (9 a.m. weekdays).

Each half-hour episode features two 11-minute shorts showcasing the immortal “Looney Tunes” — Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tasmanian Devil, and the rest of the gang — as “small-fries,” exploring the world for the very first time.

Parents will enjoy watching this program because it’ll remind them of the days they used to watch Bugs and friends in the afternoons. Children will like it because they will be able to relate to what the little ones are going through (like breaking toys and getting along with other kids) — not to mention the one-minute song/music video in every episode.

FOX

It’s French fries versus pizza! Spaghetti and meatballs versus peanut butter and jelly!

Children of all ages, put your aprons on — Fox is serving up “Fighting Foodons” (11:30 a.m. Saturdays), a tasty action-adventure where foods transform into monsters to do battle for more than just good Zagat ratings.

An apprentice sets off to rescue his father by whipping up some kitchen creations, when the world’s greatest chefs are kidnapped by the evil Don Cook.

Will this series cause your children to play with their food? Probably not anymore than they do now, but it may give them an appreciation of what they get to eat. It may also give them the impetus to help mom and dad out in the kitchen.

Table for a family of four, non-smoking?

NBC

Beginning Oct. 5, Discovery Kids on NBC will make its debut in a new weekly three-hour programming block (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays) that will dare to entertain kids as it engages their minds.

The block will build on Discovery Networks signature area of science, adventure, exploration, and natural history.

The line-up includes:

* “Prehistoric Planet” (10 a.m.) based on the Discovery Channels’ award winning series “Walking with Dinosaurs.” The series follows the stories of dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts, recreating the sights and sounds of the prehistoric world to shed new light on the creatures that inhabited it.

*Then, he’s been bitten, trampled, chomped, stomped, slimed, hugged, tripped, and ripped, all in the name of sharing his love for animals. Steve Irwin and his stalwart partner and wife, Terri, will bring their brand of fun, information, and high velocity adventures to “Croc Files” (10:30 a.m.).

*Most parents think that their kid’s room is a junkyard. Well, here’s a chance for mom and dad to figure out what to have them do with all that clutter. TLC’s “Operation Junkyard” (11 a.m.) gives tomorrow’s techno-wizards (two teams of four kids) six hours to transform trash into treasure by creating a functional machine such as a catapult, a water bike, and even a pie-filling machine. Each team’s contraption is then put to a test with the winning squad advancing to the next round with the dream of making it to the finals.

 Do you have what it takes to endure? “Endurance” (11:30 a.m.) tests kids’ knowledge, athleticism, savvy, and team skills and asks them to succeed in a world without malls, TV, or video games. Twenty kids are brought to an island in the Pacific and challenged in matches of skill, speed, strength, and smarts. Every other week, another team will be eliminated after a showdown until one team is crowned champion. The tribe has spoken!

* “Scout’s Safari” (Noon) is a real-world fiction series that chronicles a young American girl’s coming of age in an environment that is completely new to her. Born and raised in New York City, Scout is a typical 12-year old girl who can’t wait for the excitement of her teenage years to unfold. Suddenly, she is forced to move to a remote area of South Africa where her mother is running a safari lodge. Minus the comforts and conveniences of modern society, Scout comes face-to-face with nature and learns some valuable lessons about what really matters in life.

*What happens when the natural laws of science you never noticed no longer apply? Welcome to Blake Holsey School (a.k.a. “Black Hole High”, 12:30 p.m.), an unusual private school where scientific mysteries and oddities are the rule.

“Black Hole High,” produced by Fireworks Entertainment in association with noted producer and director Henry Winkler (yup, The Fonz) invites viewers to join four kids who are secretly investigating these strange events and trying to get to the bottom of things.

NICKELODEON

This fall, Nick Jr. welcomes two funny bunnies to the family with “Max & Ruby,” a new animated series based on the popular children’s books by author and illustrator Rosemary Wells. Each half-hour episode consists of three seven-and-a-half-minute stories that not only celebrates, but helps kids deal with sibling relationships.

The series follows Max, an enthusiastic pre-school bunny, and his big sister Ruby, a goal-oriented second-grader, through their everyday lives in the village of East Bunnyhop. Even though Max and Ruby have conflicting agendas, they enjoy working and playing together.

If you have a couple of feuding kids at home this show will surely aid in the peace process. It may also get the combatants to check out the books from their local library. “Max & Ruby” is scheduled to launch Oct. 21 with a special prime time airing at 8 p.m. and will then air regularly weekdays at 10:30 a.m.

PBS

Respected journalist Walter Cronkite, as the voice of Benjamin Franklin, leads an all-star cast of voices in PBS’s new series, “Liberty Kids” (3 p.m. weekdays on WNET/Channel 13).

The half-hour animated series spotlights the stories behind the birth of America, as told through the eyes of two curious teenagers. Since 9/11, there has been an emphasis on patriotism. Well, you can’t get any more patriotic then the original American patriots themselves.

The program manages to pull off being entertaining, while at the same time offering kids a sense of history — and a love of country.

WB

Zits, sore throats, and body odor. All the worst nightmares for adolescents. All are also topics, the WB will tackle with its’ new series “Ozzy & Drix” (9:30 a.m. Saturdays).

“Ozzy & Drix’ is based on the characters from the feature film “Osmosis Jones,” a 2001 animated inner-body buddy-cop comedy.

The television version follows the adventure of Ozzy, a white blood cell cop, and his partner, over-the-counter cold pill Drix, as they defend the City of Hector – the body of a 13-year-old boy.

There are a lot of gross things about this series — smells, germs, phlegm –you get the picture. Kid will love it, parents will like it less. The series underlying point, like the movie, is a respect for one’s body. A feeling that health and hygiene are not to be taken for granted.

According to his wife, Kathy -- Ray watches way too much television with their 5-year-old daughter, Paulina. The Edel's and their televisions reside in Clifton, N.J.

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