One of the greatest strengths of Aardman Animations is that the stop-motion tales they deliver are amusing to every age group. Watching an entry in the Wallace & Gromit franchise or an episode of Shaun the Sheep is something you can do with your whole family – from young children to grandparents – and everyone involved will gain something from the experience. The tales are fun, clever, and often very witty. Aardman now has a spinoff of a spinoff with their new (to this side of the pond) Timmy Time, and unlike other Aardman fare, it's specifically geared towards a younger crowd.
Fans of other Aardman productions may already be familiar with Timmy, the youngest sheep in the flock on Shaun the Sheep (itself a spinoff of Wallace & Gromit).
In this new series, the lamb is sent off to preschool with various other farm animals. Every episode features Timmy learning some important preschool-appropriate lessons – stuff about taking turns, being nice to others, listening to teachers, etc.
It is a concept that certainly has some merit and as a parent I can certainly say that my child likes to see things relatable to her life on television. With the bright, simplistic sets and varied other, identifiable, animals in the stories, it is easy to think that a young audience will gravitate towards Timmy Time and, perchance, learn an important thing or two. However, while the show may be imparting positive messages to youngsters and doing so in a way they will enjoy, it does little to convince an adult audience that they at all want to sit down with their offspring (or the preschoolers for whom they care) and watch with them. The episodes are short, each runs about 10 minutes, but will certainly feel longer for the adults watching.
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