"Bunnytown," Nov. 10, Disney Channel

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Life is bright and learning is fun in "Bunnytown," the colorful setting of a new series for children premiering on cable's Disney Channel Saturday, Nov. 10, 11-11:30 a.m. EST. Produced in Britain by two former associates of master puppeteer Jim Henson, the program is aimed primarily at preschoolers.

"Bunnytown" mixes original music from around the world in a wide variety of styles, including klezmer, country and ragtime, with silly, sometimes slapstick, comedy. A few helpful lessons are subtly interwoven as well.

The show has its own house band, made up of musically inclined puppets. Their costumes are designed to reflect the styles of such 1970s singing groups as Earth, Wind and Fire or Sly and the Family Stone.

Among the comedy skits featured in the premiere episode are a clown race, with commentary by a frenetic sports reporter named Pinky Pinkerton; the story of a sleepy but fussy king who needs all his favorite possessions around him before he can take his nap; and the adventures of a crew of bunny pirates with a weakness for pancakes. A bunny picnic to which three of them all bring the same food offers a chance to reinforce basic arithmetic.

The inhabitants of Bunnytown are fuzzy, energetic creatures whose fur comes in many hues. Each has a single buck tooth, suitable for eating carrots as well as pancakes.

The bunnies can follow a series of cheerfully decorated tunnels that connect their world to "Peopletown." There they can observe the live-action antics of, among others, the British Laurel-and-Hardy-style team of Red and Fred. During the pilot program, these two wrestle with an oversized newspaper to pleasantly humorous effect.

The producers have retained the services of an educational consultant to advise them on the show's curriculum. Their goal is to take skills that the targeted youngsters will recently have developed -- identifying the sounds different animals make, for instance -- and present them in a recognizable yet offbeat way.

Lighthearted, wholesome and instructive, "Bunnytown" is a good place for families to spend some time together.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops