Critters

In a cute and cuddly cartoon character contest, Kipper would come in second only to Pooh. Add a British bunch of fluffy and feathered creatures to the show's mix (as seen on Nick Jr.), and the adorable quotient skyrockets, as we see in Cuddly Creatures. Here, Kipper, Tiger, Jake, Pig, and Arnold are up to their pastel forepaws in rascally new friends--Jake's bird flies the coop, a tadpole and a goldfish swap swimming holes, a smart-alecky parrot pretends he's an echo, a mouse makes off with Kipper's cornflakes, then sticks around for a hide-and-seek match, and a wily hedgehog wanders about confounding would-be hunters. Best about Critters is what's not present. All is calm and quiet in Kipper's camp; there are no fits and only minor fusses, a constant in the series that's earned it a trusty following, most likely of mellowed-out little kids and their contented caregivers. --Tammy La Gorce