Born in '92, I grew up a bit too late to enjoy MTV when the M was still accurate. However, I've recently gained some faux-nostalgia for the channel's heyday with shows like Daria as well as falling in love with musicians highlighted on Amp, such Mr. Oizo and Aphex Twin. I was just the right age when Wonder Showzen ran in 2006 and, wow, did it make up for the MTV I missed in 80s (as far as I know)!
Mocking the aesthetic of classic children's educational shows like Sesame Street, I was amazed to find this show(zen) appeared to be more than just a "parent's worst nightmare" blend of gross-out and shock- based humor, though it had plenty of that. The wonderful kid actors on segments like "Beat Kids" tricked me, in a good way, into thinking it has just as much heart, while the puppet ones nearly fulfilled my fantasy of an Oscar the Grouch/Triumph the Comic Dog team-up.
Wonder Showzen is undoubtedly one of those programs that people will envy you for if you're just discovering it for the first time, which isn't to say the laughter ceases after just one viewing. Since doing so myself, I've followed creators John Lee and Vernon Chatman through the their stints on Superjail! and The Heart, She Holler. While all their projects have their moments, this was by far the two's most successful one to date.
Mocking the aesthetic of classic children's educational shows like Sesame Street, I was amazed to find this show(zen) appeared to be more than just a "parent's worst nightmare" blend of gross-out and shock- based humor, though it had plenty of that. The wonderful kid actors on segments like "Beat Kids" tricked me, in a good way, into thinking it has just as much heart, while the puppet ones nearly fulfilled my fantasy of an Oscar the Grouch/Triumph the Comic Dog team-up.
Wonder Showzen is undoubtedly one of those programs that people will envy you for if you're just discovering it for the first time, which isn't to say the laughter ceases after just one viewing. Since doing so myself, I've followed creators John Lee and Vernon Chatman through the their stints on Superjail! and The Heart, She Holler. While all their projects have their moments, this was by far the two's most successful one to date.