The word “wholesome” gets thrown around a lot with regards to children’s/family programming, and it’s usually sarcastic shorthand for “boring” or “uncool.” To me, it is an all-important indication that as a parent, I can turn it on and not have to worry about what my kid is watching.
For unlike most shows aimed at and marketed toward kids, The Adventures of Chuck is one of the rare ones that hits the sweet spot of being entertaining and family friendly, but not dull. So it’s with gladness that I added the most recent Chuck collection from Shout! Factory Kids, Top Gear Trucks, to my son’s DVD collection.
For those unfamiliar with the Chuck & Friends series, the idea behind each episode is pretty simple. Chuck (a red dump truck) and his collection of anthropomorphic vehicular friends navigate a series of fairly tame adventures, all the while learning about universal themes such as friendship, bravery, and safety. The computer-generated animation is bright, colorful, and smooth on about the same level as the typical CGI kids’ show.
What I appreciate is that there is not a trace of cynicism here, and no real attempt to be super-slick. This is just a fun, child-friendly show that is perfect for the preschool set (and older), boys or girls. If your child is anything like mine you’ll find yourself becoming quite familiar with Chuck & Friends soon, and being glad to have them around.
The Adventures of Chuck: Top Gear Trucks retails for $12.99 and is available now on Amazon.
Episode list:
1. “Digging Deep”
2. “Fools for Rules”
3. “Fort Chuck”
4. “Ghost Stories”
5. “Mayor Chuck”
6. “Pop Goes the Inner Tube”
7. “Runaway Chuck”
8. “The Dirt on Chuck”
9. “Up All Night”
10. “When Haulie Met Porter”
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