#1SW: The Buzz on Maggie

In a world of...bugs, one young woman will do whatever it takes to...become a rock star. Sorry, I ran out of creative intros. But I'd rather not waste sleep on this one.
It's "The Buzz on Maggie".


Maggie wants to be a rock star. And because of that I want to say this:
Maggie is just like every other teenage female character on a Disney Channel show.
She has a dream; She wants to live said dream; She'll do anything for that dream; She's happy, sweet, cocky and confident; and gets into trouble every other day in the process. Plus she probably did that bumper where one says "Hi, I'm [actor name] from [show name]. And you're watching Disney Channel", and then grabs a glow-stick and draws the (previous) Disney Channel logo.
That's the cliche here. In this case, Maggie wants to be a rock star, yet I've rarely seen her sing a note, I've rarely seen her play (or even hold) a guitar outside the opening credits, and I've never seen seen her doing anything remotely rock-star-ish on this show. (Note to the producers of any upcoming television show: if you want your show to feature a main character wanting to go into the music business, have them do something that has anything to do with music).

The other characters are stuck in Maggie's crap: older brother Aldrin (nice name for a jerk, by the way), little brother Pupert (sweet as he is annoying), parents Chauncey and Freida, and her best friend Rayna (a girl that really doesn't have to put up with this). By the way, do you guys notice that everyone in Stickyfeet is wearing white gloves? That's a homage to the Mikey Mouse cartoons. Also, this series was animated with Adobe Flash, the first Disney cartoon to do so; for those who care to know.

"The Buzz on Maggie" is created by Dave Polsky, premiering on Disney Channel on June 17, 2005, and ending June 3, 2006, with the pink slip being handed out a month prior in August, by some dude named Sean Szeles, who said on his blog that "Apparently good animation, art direction, and characters don't mean anything to Disney. The Buzz on Maggie is no more." This series is the second animated series on the network to be cancelled after one season, with the first being Dave the Barbarian.

Hey, I'm a sucker for Disney Channel animated series; I enjoy them. They're much better and well-produced than their factory of live-action programs. So if I can enjoy Kim Possible, The Proud Family, Dave the Barbarian and Lilo and Stitch then maybe I can enjoy this show. Too bad I didn't enjoy this one as much as I had enjoyed them.

The humor is there, and I like some of the insect-theme references the producers make, and I like the characters too (yes, Maggie, too.) What I don't enjoy is the fact that Maggie is so shallow and self-centered. No one likes these types of people, unless they have a certain amount of humility within them to be likable, and their actor (with voice or live-action) can pull it off. I do like Maggie, but it's that trait I can wish to get rid of.

Also I really don't like the element of showing gross things being shown up close. I hate that it's become a trend in animation these days, with half of the population going this route for a cheap laugh. It's good when done a few times; No one likes it being done to death. I'm talking to you, Seth McFarlane. Plus, this is a sad show; a reeeaaally sad show. Characters get hurt, Maggie doesn't have a lot for herself, and Pupert get beat up a lot. I don't like shows where characters get beat up and embarrassed a lot for quick laughs, but it's what we're used to these days, so I guess it what I'm used to, for better or worse.

Besides being animated, which I love because it can take stories much more places than live-action shows, I really like the idea of the series taking place in a town full of insects, instead of humans; it freshens the landscape up, and gives some great ideas to throw in. And some of the insect-themed names and media are kinda clever. So I'm very happy to have rediscovered this show and enjoy it while I can. I'd call this a "timekiller", a TV show you watch if you're feeling bored or if you're waiting for something to watch or happen, and need something to pass the time. There are many of them out there, depending on who you are and what your tastes are. The Buzz on Maggie (and the previous shows I've reviewed for this segment) are some for me.

Favorite Character: Pupert (He's not that annoying to me. I find him very enjoyable half the time. More than everyone else.)
Favorite (Half-)Episode: The Spelling Bees (a nice lampooning of The Beatles, except they spell instead of sing.)

You can find most episodes on YouTube (but don't tell anyone; Disney will slap a copyright suit on the person who uploaded them. The only time It'll care about its programs is when it removes them from YT or Dailymotion or whatever.


And there it is, The Buzz on Maggie, the sixth addition of the 1 Season Wonder segment, added to the list of 1 Season Wonders and even though it isn't great, It didn't deserve to get cancelled.

Tune in tomorrow when I give you guys another 1SW you'll be really excited to see, so excited, instead of "Yes!", you'll scream "Bajabbers!"
See you then!