I haven’t done a Happy Friday post in awhile, so a quick review: Happy Friday is just what it sounds like. Fridays are happy days, so I post something that makes me happy. And the “Sheriff Piglet” episode of “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” has made me happy for decades.
POOH HAS MUCH TO OFFER ADULTS
I am of the opinion that the immense charm of A.A. Milne’s Pooh series is rooted in its philosophical musings and gentle weirdness. Here, check out my favorite Pooh book quote:
Rabbit sat down on the ground next to Pooh, and, feeling much less important like that, stood up again.
This is high comedy and you cannot tell me otherwise. Also, it’s part of the whole Spotted or Herbaceous Backson subplot, which in and of itself is an oddball romp. I love it. I love it!!!
So if you are inclined to dismiss the Pooh series as inherently childish, I beg you to think again. The books are classics for a reason, the movies are good, and the TV shows, well…
“THE NEW ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH” IS AMAAAAZING
When Disney acquired the rights to Pooh, they didn’t just make movies. During the ’80s and ’90s, they decided to get a little wacky and make some bizarre television series too. The live action one, with the characters played by actors in fur suits, was automatically trippy by virtue of the medium. It’s incredible if you enjoy the absurd.
“The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,” however, is just incredible. Animated in a more modern Disney style, it featured repeatable episode after repeatable episode, and once they were released on VHS, boy did I repeat them.
I wrote up a little Ode to Winnie the Pooh post many moons ago, and I am risking retreading much of the same ground here, but that’s okay – that’s how you know I mean it! When I tell you the following quotes have lived rent-free in my head for decades, please understand that it’s the God’s honest truth:
“Rabbit, you can be my chambermaid.” “ChamberLAIN.” (I remember this one was from the Land of Milk and Honey episode which is also a highlight.)
“I’ll be captain of the winning team! And Christopher Robin, you can be captain of the other one.” (I think this was some sort of Christmas/winter episode? I don’t remember the name, but they’re playing hockey.)
“I know where there are some large veggie-tables… Veggie… barbles… some really big food.” (Again, don’t remember the episode name but they were battling bugs.)
“A banana split and a pogo stick!” (In this one it was Tigger’s birthday)
“Hark, was that a jagular?” (In this one Tigger is briefly the king of the wood)
“Marvelous magic, most mysterious, make meek me make a monster into mozzarella marmalade!” (I know this one! “A Knight to Remember”)
And my personal favorite, although I’m unsure of the episode, alas:
“It’s a long story, and even longer when I tell it.”
I could sit here quoting episodes and singing the theme song all day, but I will stop myself so I can eventually arrive at my actual point, which is…
THE ALL-TIME BEST EPISODE IS UNQUESTIONABLY “PAW AND ORDER”
“Paw and Order” is brilliant. Endlessly quotable, clever, and darned well-plotted for a children’s show, it stands above the rest as the episode that made the greatest impression on me. A friend and I rewatched it my freshman year of college and it still held up. Shall we test that theory now? Let’s!
How else would you otherwise expect the children to learn the difference between trouncing and bouncing?
Everything about it is perfection, from the bookend scenes that set the whole thing up as a theater production to the catchy songs to The Masked Bear (and his faithful steed) to Owl and Gopher on their downhome instruments. Incidentally, they have my favorite bit: “I don’t suppose you know how to untie us?” “No, but if you hum a few bars we can fake it.” Classic! Vaudevillian, even!
GREAT NEWS! POOH IS ON DISNEY+
Convinced? Excellent! I have good news: the entirety of “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” can be found on Disney+; if you have a subscription, watch it here. If you’ve never seen the series before, you may wish to start from the beginning, but as each episode is fairly standalone you don’t necessarily have to. Here, I’ll link you directly to “Paw and Order!” Enjoy.
That’s all from me for this entry of Happy Friday. Until next time – hi-yo, Eeyore!
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