Reviews
by George Vernadakis and R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 3/23/2009 2:00:00 AM
THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
(Nickelodeon, Saturday March 28, 9:30 p.m.)
Call it Nickelodeon's march of the penguins. The network is debuting its new animated series The Penguins of Madagascar right after its 22nd annual Kids' Choice Awards, followed by two weeks of primetime premieres before the show settles in to its regular Saturday-morning slot on April 18. Penguins-related content is also waddling its way to on demand, online through Nick.com and TurboNick, and wirelessly via Nickelodeon Mobile.
Whether viewers consider all this penguin programming a happy feat will depend on their opinion of the Madagascar films that inspired the show. A co-production with Dreamworks Animation (which was also behind the theatricals), the series is visually vibrant, fast-paced and good natured. But its computer-generated stars are, for the most part, a one-dimensional excuse for antics that tend to be mildly amusing rather than flat-out funny.
Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private are penguin brothers living in New York City's Central Park Zoo, who fancy themselves an elite strike force. Their “missions” run the gamut from tracing spooky noises around the zoo to launching themselves into space just to escape their obnoxious lemur neighbors.
Younger viewers and franchise fans may be charmed; others will probably reach for their channel flippers. — George Vernadakis
CHUCK JONES: MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD
(Turner Classic Movies, Tuesday, March 24, 8 p.m.)
Legendary animator Chuck Jones — best known for his work at Warner Bros., where his cast of characters included such cartoon icons as Bugs Bunny and Road Runner — is the subject of the brief but winning TCM documentary Chuck Jones: Memories of Childhood.
Filmmakers Peggy Stern and John Canemaker combine interviews with Jones, who died in 2002, with archival images and original animation.
The result is a bittersweet boyhood reminiscence in which Jones speaks candidly about his upbringing (including talk of his sometimes abusive father) and his love of drawing.
Jones once described an animator as “an actor with a pencil.” But, as his gentle narration proves, he was also a great storyteller.
Fans expecting a wild ride through the history of animation and a treasure trove of cartoon footage may be disappointed, but not for long — TCM will follow up the doc with 11 vintage Jones shorts and the feature film The Phantom Tollbooth. — George Vernadakis
THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY
(HBO, Sunday, March 29, 8 p.m.)
Female-led cop/detective series are all the rage on television these days, but new HBO drama series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency puts a unique spin on the genre.
The series, shot completely in the African nation of Botswana, stars Grammy-winning singer and actress Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe, the spirited owner of the country's only female-owned detective agency. Supported by her detail-oriented but excitable secretary Grace Makutsi (Anika Noni Rose), Precious — in a laid-back, charming manner not often seen on today's police procedurals — uses her personable approach and her keen instincts to solve a variety of crimes, ranging from philandering husbands to child-kidnapping, during the series pilot. While her approach is often unorthodox and doesn't always produce the desired outcome — as in one case involving a suspicious wife — Precious in the end accomplishes her goals, without the use of aggressive, Rambo-esque tactics employed by some of her female TV law-enforcement counterparts.
Although it may take time for audiences to warm up to the characters and the slower, more character- and storyline-driven pace of the series, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is certainly worth the time and effort. —R. Thomas Umstead
