This was requested by LEDJRuffFanReturns
What comes to mind when you hear the name Scholastic? Quite a lot actually, along with a line of children's books well engrained into our subconsciousness, to explain, Magic School Bus, I Spy, Goosebumps, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Black Lagoon Adventures, even a play book based on an episode of King of the Hill, I'm serious about that last one.
Scholastic is also notable for being one of the few book companies to break out onto television, three of the six books I mentioned got and maintained some incredible staying power, though sometimes not for the right reasons, which I may or may not find out.
The books
Horrible Histories was a series of books released from 1993 to 2013, authored by Terry Deary. This fell into the edutainment web, think of it as a mix between the educational fantasy elements of Magic School Bus and the dark comedic nature of Black Lagoon Adventures and you have a book series... I never heard of until now.
On one hand I'd be blind to how poor the show is compared to the books. On the other hand, I can go in unbiased.
Television
A television adaptation was produced in 2001 for ABC by Mike Young Productions, who I have already talked about in my Pet Alien review. This was around the same time they started to really dabble with CGI (same year Butt-Ugly Martians came out) This was the first time Mike Young and financing company Telegael ever collaborated on anything, interesting fact.
ABC was already notable for their stronghold on edutainment, having aired Schoolhouse Rock and Science Court.
So far the show is otherwise liked, it has a 7.3 on IMDb and the one single review is positive. It's bound to have gotten something right.
There's an American dub and a British dub, the latter of which is apparently the most easily accessible. On the American dub, we don't have that many interesting actors, just the usual crop, Cree Summer, Jess Harnell, Billy West, nothing special.
Since I don't like to pay money for something I'm bound to only see once, and reselling is a gamble, I'll settle for the British dub, which strangely keeps Billy West's take from the American version intact, think of it like a reversed scenario for Stressed Eric's American release, where the main character was redubbed by an American actor. Cree Summer was replaced by Jo Young, but at the very least it gives me a change of pace when it comes to shows using familiar actors.
The Show
Horrible Histories centers on Stitch and Mo, two kids who're frequently sent back to different periods in time to learn historical facts that're in line with a moral or something happening to them in their present time. First impression, this is another moral-centric show, but this show wears that on the sleeve, so it isn't as agitating as, say, Archie's Weird Mysteries.
It's, obviously, more comedic compared to Archie, and the framework of the show is otherwise consistent with the book which I never read.
For the eighth episode, Savage Stone Age, Stitch and Mo are referred to as neanderthals as an insult, and this prompts the narrator to send them back to the era to learn that neanderthals are more useful than they're led to believe. If the rest of the show is like this I can give it props for making do with a basic premise.
My criteria for that is that it makes sense by the crazy rules established in the show.
Historical facts are delivered with humor, it isn't over the top, but can be considered a bit bland in some areas, at worst overkill as we're given information in a constant stream with only the visuals to keep our interest. There's also a rabbit poop joke, but let's be grateful no one actually ate it.
Then... it's just a matter of getting to the end, where they'd apply what they learn in the present time.
Worst thing about it is potential repetition and gross out, which is usually never the best aspect of any show.
The Animation
Mike Young's shows have low-budget animation on all fronts. But in some crazy way, it gives their shows a unique feel, and not every show needs great animation when the characters and story are good enough.
Growing Up Creepie had floaty flash animation, but also had interesting stories and likable characters, even doing some trope subversion. Pet Alien popularized squash and stretch computer animation for television.
This show reminds me of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, namely their earlier seasons as well as their early introduction to flash. The movement's rather choppy and sometimes floaty, plus the art direction is kinda rough, but it gives it a little visual charm.
Overall
I don't know for sure if this bastardized the books, or this was translated too well, but as someone who's first introduction to Horrible Histories was the show... It's okay.
It's certainly not something you'd wanna show in a classroom, but it was entertaining enough, I mean I guess... I dunno... rabbit poop?
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