As a fan of Winnie the Pooh, 'The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh' was always one of my favourite shows as a child. Not all childhood favourites have held up, but 'The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh' is one of the strongest examples of those that have.
While the original three 60s-70s short films ('Honey Tree', 'Blustery Day' and 'Tigger Too') and the 1977 'The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh' are just a little better, 'The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh' is one of the Winnie the Pooh franchise's high points. "Things that Go Piglet in the Night" has a real creepiness without being too scary, while "The Masked Offender" is hilarious as well as affectionate.
The animation in both episodes is very bright, well drawn and colourful, everything looking lush, detailed and smooth, with a darker style in "Things that Go Piglet in the Night". The music is playfully jaunty and beautifully orchestrated, enhancing scarier moments with hauntingly urgent and eerie scoring, sadder moments with poignant and particularly lush and emotional scoring and the more playful moments with a jaunty touch. The theme tune is very rousing and one of the catchiest theme songs of any animated show of the late 80s.
Writing has a perfect mix of whimsy, drollness, wit, charm and childhood innocence. The childhood innocence and drollness is particularly striking in "The Masked Offender", while "Things that Go Piglet in the Night" is creepier and moodier. Highlights in the writing is the funny "Did you hear that" exchange in "Things that Go Piglet in the Night" between Pooh and Rabbit, and "thought they were all gonna crash didn't ya?" followed by the slamming of the door and the stuff breaking.
Both stories are simple but lovingly and charmingly told, with the background sounds but also with the demonic voices, the yells as Eeyore tries to swing which creeped me out as a child and Eeyore's shadow adding so much to the atmosphere. "The Masked Offender" is affectionate (everybody can find themselves in Tigger in being inspired by a character and wanting to be it) and hilarious, with Tigger's attempts to help having disastrous but hilarious consequences and it was lovely to see him face a real danger and beating it valiantly after being humiliated.
All the characters are wonderful, pessimistic but also funny and like-a-true-friend Eeyore, adorable Piglet and often hysterically funny Tigger being particularly noteworthy. The voice acting is excellent with not a weak link.
Overall, two great episode, one creepy and moody, the other affectionate and hilarious. 10/10 Bethany Cox
While the original three 60s-70s short films ('Honey Tree', 'Blustery Day' and 'Tigger Too') and the 1977 'The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh' are just a little better, 'The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh' is one of the Winnie the Pooh franchise's high points. "Things that Go Piglet in the Night" has a real creepiness without being too scary, while "The Masked Offender" is hilarious as well as affectionate.
The animation in both episodes is very bright, well drawn and colourful, everything looking lush, detailed and smooth, with a darker style in "Things that Go Piglet in the Night". The music is playfully jaunty and beautifully orchestrated, enhancing scarier moments with hauntingly urgent and eerie scoring, sadder moments with poignant and particularly lush and emotional scoring and the more playful moments with a jaunty touch. The theme tune is very rousing and one of the catchiest theme songs of any animated show of the late 80s.
Writing has a perfect mix of whimsy, drollness, wit, charm and childhood innocence. The childhood innocence and drollness is particularly striking in "The Masked Offender", while "Things that Go Piglet in the Night" is creepier and moodier. Highlights in the writing is the funny "Did you hear that" exchange in "Things that Go Piglet in the Night" between Pooh and Rabbit, and "thought they were all gonna crash didn't ya?" followed by the slamming of the door and the stuff breaking.
Both stories are simple but lovingly and charmingly told, with the background sounds but also with the demonic voices, the yells as Eeyore tries to swing which creeped me out as a child and Eeyore's shadow adding so much to the atmosphere. "The Masked Offender" is affectionate (everybody can find themselves in Tigger in being inspired by a character and wanting to be it) and hilarious, with Tigger's attempts to help having disastrous but hilarious consequences and it was lovely to see him face a real danger and beating it valiantly after being humiliated.
All the characters are wonderful, pessimistic but also funny and like-a-true-friend Eeyore, adorable Piglet and often hysterically funny Tigger being particularly noteworthy. The voice acting is excellent with not a weak link.
Overall, two great episode, one creepy and moody, the other affectionate and hilarious. 10/10 Bethany Cox
