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Oso, Special Agent Oso

Barry Garron - March 20, 2009

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Parents of preschoolers, be forewarned. A new catchphrase will soon find its way into your child’s speech. The phrase is “It’s all part of the plan.” And you heard it here first.

The phrase is used often by Special Agent Oso, a slightly-inept panda bear sent on secret agent-style missions in the newest series on “Playhouse Disney,” a programming block aimed at providing fun and childhood development skills to preschoolers. It has its official TV premiere at 8 am (ET/PT) April 4 but tech-savvy tots can catch it as early as March 21 on PlayhouseDisney.com and via Disney Channel on Demand on March 28.

The series gives a youthful twist to James Bond adventures, from the spy gadgetry Oso uses to the names of the episodes (“Gold Feather,” “Live and Let Ride,” “A View to a Book,” “Carousel Royale,” and so on).

In each episode, Oso races the clock to accomplish a special assignment, some of which include mailing a letter, cleaning his room and learning how to use the library. The series, like all Playhouse Disney programs, encourages discovery and imagination. Each mission is broken down to three simple steps.

Oso, being Oso, still has his challenges. Always optimistic, though, he dismisses each fumble and accident, saying “It’s all part of the plan.”

If you think you’ve heard Oso’s voice before, you probably have. The special-agent panda is voiced by Sean Astin, Academy Award nominee best-known for his role as Samwise Gamgee in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Photo Credit: Disney Channel


Also from Playhouse Disney comes two more phrases that might enter your preschooler’s vocabulary: “My Favorite Snack” and “Jungle Room.”

These are the titles of two new songs that make their premiere March 21 on Imagination Movers, another child-friendly show in the programming block. The show starts at 10 a.m. (ET/PT).

The Imagination Movers is a colorful and energetic group from New Orleans with a mission to make problem-solving skills fun and engaging. You could call them America’s answer to the Wiggles but they have a style and sound that is all their own.

The new songs will be introduced in the “Treasure of the Warehouse” episode, in which the Movers follow directions from an old treasure map and find the treasure.

Photo Credit: Steven Teagle/Disney Channel

 

Barry Garron is a freelance writer and TV critic who has covered the industry for more than 25 years for The Hollywood Reporter and The Kansas City Star. You can contact him at tv.critic@yahoo.com.