Rolie Polie Olie

Speaking of McDonald’s, who doesn’t love their french fries? C’mon let’s be honest. Just like they are a guilty pleasure that are ok to have once in awhile, I have another show to share that I suspect is not highly recommended but I may be surprised. I guess we’ll find out together as I research it for this blog.

I love Rolie Polie Olie. It was in production from 1998 until 2006 and Drew, my husband & I would watch it together and laugh. At first, it took a little getting used to because their whole world is very geometric and CGI but the characters are endearing and the family unit is so cohesive that you can’t help but be drawn in. The main characters are Rolie Polie Olie, his sister, Zowie Olie, their mom and dad and grandpappy, their dog Spot and their neighbor’s son, Billy Bevel. The family learns the typical life lessons over the course of an episode.

It’s tough to describe Rolie Polie Olie so let’s see what Wikipedia (*gasp*) says:

The show centers around the Polie Family, who live in teapot-shaped house in a geometric world (Planet Polie) populated by robot-based characters. The stories revolve around the young 6 year old Robot Olie learning life lessons and going on wacky adventures (either real or imaginative) while growing up. These often include his 2 year old younger sister Zowie, his 38 year old inventor father, his 31 year old hard-working mom, his fun-loving 70 year old grandfather Pappy, and his dog named Spot. Although most of the main cast is made up of circular bots, other characters are featured in other shapes, such as Olie's friend Billy Bevel and his family, who are square-shaped bots from "Planet Cubey". The show contains a classic Mickey Mouse flow to it, mixed with a little Star Trek. Nearly every object in this world is alive.

So that is why we loved it so much! It is Mickey Mouse mixed with a little Star Trek. And everything is alive and has a personality. Wow, according to Wikipedia (yes, I know!) the show was Emmy Award-winning. I double checked that on other sites and saw that it was nominated a few times for Best Animated Show but did not see that it won except for Best Production Design. So now this blog can be a lesson in media literacy about Wikipedia, too. Use it to find other references but don’t rely on it!

I am very curious to see what Common Sense Media has to say about it since it seemed fun and cute and very imaginative to me but did not give off the, “We’re teaching you whether you realize it or not,” vibe that other shows give off. Here goes:

What parents need to know: Parents need to know that this imaginative world of robotic friends is colorful and inviting for preschoolers, but may not seem high-tech and flashy enough for older kids and up. Still, it won an Emmy and appeals to many in its target audience.

This is the type of show that parents need to take a breath and watch for a while to appreciate. Yes, the songs will be stuck in your head for the day. But for a very young preschooler, it's funny, not scary, and extremely silly. Okie dokie?

Families can talk about many of the issues Olie's family faces, from how to get along with a brother or a sister to what kind of behavior is appropriate at the dinner table. Families can also talk about how much fun it is to use your imagination. What shapes and colors would make up a world all their own?

Back to me. Well I am tickled to find out that Rolie Polie Olie isn’t as much of a guilty pleasure as I thought it was. Rolie liked to wear a colander on his head during his adventures and Drew followed suit. My child would sue me if I posted a picture of him at two wearing a metal colander on his head so instead I will show you Rolie with the colander hat. All I know is that this show sparked Drew’s imagination and made him want to draw the characters and act out adventures. He made space ships out of boxes and crayons and had great adventures while watching Rolie and Zowie. To me, developing the imagination is as critical as other skills so this mom gives Rolie Polie Olie a thumbs up. Okie dokie?