No one is lazy in Lazytown!

May 2, 2005 8:31 AM

Add one part Icelandic Aerobics Champion, one part Child Broadway actress, add some synthpop music, CGI green screen work, and some latex puppets and prosthetics, and what do you have? Lazytown! Comes complete with music videos guaranteed to give you earworms.
posted by willmize (16 comments total)

I knew about the Aerobics champion, not the Broadway actress. Look at the pink hair and the bad guy and listen to the music--I thought for awhile the show was the brain child of the music group Aqua!

There is a slight stench of irony in creating a tv show to combat laziness...
posted by artifarce at 8:48 AM on May 2, 2005

I caught this show while home with my son for a few days. I found it absolutely eye-catching, fascinating and strangely addictive.
posted by bkdelong at 9:00 AM on May 2, 2005

i love it too--it's so strange (and reminds me of all the wonderful and strange shows i watched as a kid--the Krofft stuff)

I doubt it'll get kids to be more active tho--what artifarce said.
posted by amberglow at 9:04 AM on May 2, 2005

I've seen this show (baby on board) and I'm slightly bothered by the way they seem to over-sexualize that girl, and more than a slight suggestion at a relationship between her and the hero.

You'll note in the theatre production they use a grown woman to play the part.

(Note: I am definitely not the kind to go looking for things behind every door. In fact, if I noticed it, it must be pretty pronounced.)

The production value is great, it really is a top-notch show, and the music most definitely will stick with you.

Just not so sure about the portrayal of this girl...

And did anyone else think of Space Channel 5 when they first saw this?
posted by Ynoxas at 9:11 AM on May 2, 2005

The "Cooking by the Book" video seems quite appropriate given that much of its adult Stateside audience will be baked.
posted by the sobsister at 9:14 AM on May 2, 2005

how creepy
posted by amberglow at 9:25 AM on May 2, 2005

i don't really care that much for children... or aerobics... or puppets... but i have to admit this show is strangely compelling...

also, i kind of wonder how this could be at all good for a child's development, shouldn't they be watching nova or something?
posted by cusack at 9:31 AM on May 2, 2005

Euro-pop Hyperactive and slightly creepy - yet it's my son's current favorite show. I believe that the lead (Sportacus) is speaking his lines phonetically, considering how oddly he speaks them. If you watch a few episodes, the creep-factor definitely starts to ratchet up.
posted by kokogiak at 9:49 AM on May 2, 2005

My three year old loves this show and the moment she hears the music, she's up on her feet for a solid half-hour of dancing. (Unfortunately, so am I, because the Wee cannot dance alone.)

I thought I was the only one who was seeing unnerving chemistry between Stephanie and Sportacus, though. Glad I'm not alone!
posted by headspace at 10:21 AM on May 2, 2005

My kid loves this show too. It scares me.
posted by fungible at 10:48 AM on May 2, 2005

Note that Magnus Scheving, who plays Sportacus, is also the creator and producer of the show, as well as the brains behind the Icelandic Media Empire from whence it came. Overachievers, feh.
posted by ulotrichous at 10:50 AM on May 2, 2005

My quest is over. I know where to find Lazytown bananas™.
posted by lazymonster at 11:07 AM on May 2, 2005

Mad props to anything done in Reykjavik... I think that's one of the cool things about the show, as well as the rubbery aerobics champion and the earworms. Wish the show wasn't on at such an ungodly hour.
posted by rolypolyman at 11:11 AM on May 2, 2005

This "idea" is over ten years old.

It started as a pretty bad children's play called "Áfram latibær", written, directed by and starring this aerobics guy who's previous media experience was selling dubious cleaning products on the TV market of a low budget TV station here in Iceland.

Magnús's idea progressed over the years, he made cartoon likenesses of the actors portraying the parts in the play, and those were licensed to push banks, milk products and whatnot in Iceland.

Five years ago I was involved in creating a web site for Latibær, it's purpose was to promote savings accounts for kids. This guy shows up to the office, tells us about his talks with major US TV networks about making a TV show out of this concept. We of course thought the guy was completely nuts.

Without any kind of support or grants this guy singlehandedly built up a media empire. Their studios in Garðabær has built up HDTV technology and technical staff that you can find in few places in the world.

AND he can do 20 push-ups with one hand, as I experienced at one meeting.

Beat that, Walt Disney!
posted by svenni at 3:45 PM on May 2, 2005

The website</a I referred to in my previous comment. Thought it had gone offline, but there it is.
posted by svenni at 3:50 PM on May 2, 2005

oops.
posted by svenni at 4:12 PM on May 2, 2005