Apple TV+'s cartoons haven't won me over with constant misfire after misfire thanks to shows like Frog & Toad and El Deafo. With Harriet The Spy, I was hoping to finally catch a break and enjoy a cartoon about a little kid doing some espionage in New York. Unfortunately, not only was that not the show I was getting, but the show I got wasn't even a well made one to begin with. From the atrocious writing to the stiff visuals, this show makes another bad case to sign up for this relatively new streaming service.
Based on the children's book by Louise Fitzhugh and developed by Will McRobb, the show follows the escapades of an 11 year old girl who snoops in on people's business and writes them down in her notebook in her quest to be a famous writer one day. If you're thinking "that sounds really creepy," CONGRATULATIONS! You just pointed out exactly what's wrong with this show! The very set up of the show is all wrong because it does a very bad job justifying being a nosey Nancy! Each episode has Harriet snooping on random people in New York and jots down their everyday activities. And when she's not snooping, she's narrating her experience with truck loads of exposition dumps. This show has clearly never heard of "show, don't tell" as it explains every action, reaction, gag, and foreshadow like it thinks the target audience is infantile. Worst still is it's painfully unfunny with lousy puns, dull visual gags, and eye roll worthy subversions. Wanting to be a famous writer is admirable, but if it's at the expense of people's privacy, you already fail as a writer!
Here's a tip from an amateur writer: when writing your main protagonist, don't give them the same traits as a villain if you want to get the audience to relate and root for them. That's exactly how you get characters like Harriet M. Welsch! I've never wanted to see a child get a good sound spanking more than this stupid, nosey, little girl! She's not only selfish, stubborn, and incompetent, but she's also a major creep! I mean, what else do you call someone who watches a woman get out of bed fron inside their bedroom? Or a guy making bird cages from his sky light? Or even try to take a picture of a girl's closet from the window?! The fact that she's an 11 year old kid doesn't negate the fact that she doing exactly what stalkers and kidnappers do all the time! And no, no one else in the show is much better. Janie and Sport (don't ask -.-) are parrots for Harriet to talk to, her parents clearly enable and defend her stalker tendencies, as does her nanny, Ole Golly, and the school teachers are all once again a bunch of sad, pathetic curmudgeons who hate their jobs. I hate this trope so, SO MUCH! Oh, and to put a cherry on top of this abominable sundae, Marion is the typical spoiled brat who the entire student body worships the ground she walks on when in reality they wouldn't even bother spitting in her direction because her attitude STINKS!
The best I can say about the show is that it has a solid voice cast. Jonah Hill's sister, Beanie Feldstein, try as she might, never really sold me that she was an 11 year old girl. A high schooler, mayber, but everytime Harriet opened her mouth, she never sounded like a child. Jane Lynch did a really good job playing the snarky yet smart and easy going Ole Golly. Kimberly Brooks did a good job making Janie sound like a sassy preteen. Charlie Schlatter made for a very convincing soft spoken awakward teen. The only problem with that, though, is Sport is supposed to be 11, not 16. Lacey Chabert did good work putting on a snooty, pretentious girl voice for Marion. Grey DeLisle was a real treat to hear as Harriet's Mom, as was Crispin Freeman as Harriet's Dad. This really is a mixed bag of a cast where some vocal performances were good and others just weren't selling it.
Visually, this is some stiff and uninteresting animation. Apple collaberated with Titmouse, The Jim Henson Company, Postworks New York, and Wellsville Pictures to bring the visuals to life and the results are disappointing to say the least. The characters have appealing designs with round heads, colorful hair, and appropriate attire. The backgrounds are also well crafted making New York look like a children's book illustration of what it looked like back in the 60s. The animation direction itself is where it tanks as they characters movements are very stiff and restricted. The visuals are also directed to be as basic as possible so that the narration is given greater importance. Then there's the pointless daydream sequences Harriet has which are out of place and visually dull. While the designs and backgrounds are well done, I can't say the same about the animation.
This show isn't even worth the notebook it was scribbled on! Harriet The Spy is another horrible show from Apple TV+ with atrocious writing, unlikable characters, stiff animation, and a mediocre performance from the leading voice actress. Sure it's got some solid voice work from the veteran voice actors, but this is still a huge waste of time. If you want a good show about a kid being a spy, watch Spy Kids. If you want a good show about a girl exploring her surroundings and is NOT a creep, watch Hilda. I haven't read the book this show is based on, but if you had and were left cold by the show, you have my sympathy. This show turned me off from Harriet The Spy as an IP. Thanks alot -.-
