FUNside

The Sifl and Olly Show was a TV comedy that used sock puppets, animation, and music. Musicians Liam Lynch and Matt Crocco, friends since childhood, created and performed the series. The first episode aired on MTV in 1997 and the show was canceled in 1999.

Personally I still remember that show with love. Watching it after hours on UK MTV was the best way to end the night and sober-out after abusive partying out.

But apart from my personal memories, this was an alternative look to the GenX and the satire, cynicism and stupidity of the talking socks put things in a different perceptive. I’m sure new generations of youths would have things to say alike and benefit from this sort of entertainment.

You can get active! Sign the petition to bring the show back

Signing off, here’s a little (4hour) sample to entice your appetite:

Recently I recovered a lost memory of my early childhood. Browsing though Joost I stumbled upon “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids“, and simply remembered that I was watching this in the 80’s re-runs and just hadn’t thought of it since.

Now I know that this was created in the 70’s and had as primary target group the black american kids living in the ghettos, it is described as “the educational adventures of a group of Afro-American inner city kids” after all. I didn’t mind watching it though as a kid and must admit that watching it again now was more than a pleasant experience.

I was surprised with the quality of the artwork, while Bill Cosby’s narration is smart, honest and funny. But most importantly I appreciate his effort to try to make the next generation a better one with the simple lessons presented in the series. Of course later on all the efforts of this show and sesame street were wrecked by gangsta rap but that’s another story. Oh well, what can you do…

I’d like to insist a little more on the educational spin of the series as I can’t help wondering where did all this enthusiasm on kids shows has gone. Today we’re bombarded with 3D cartoons that have the standard “good guys vs bad guys” storyline and in most cases involve monsters and aliens. Most importantly you can watch an hour of WOWing imagery and not get anything to think about afterwards. Is that the best they could come up or is it an elaborate plan to turn kids into passive viewers from the beginning?

For me, it’s shows like “Fat Albert” that lifted up the bar when I was young and had higher standards for what I chose to entertain myself later on in life… If you want a taste of “the good old days” catch a few episodes available for free at a Joost near you