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Creating a good kid’s show is hard, especially when it’s designed for a younger audience. They have to be entertaining and educational for children, but the best ones are also fun to parents. It’s a difficult middle ground that one Netflix show handles wonderfully. And thankfully for parents looking for something new to watch Ask the StoryBots is back for Season 2.
The series originally premiered on Netflix in 2016, but the StoryBots had a following long before the streaming service acquired the series. Created for elementary-aged children three to eight years old, the StoryBots were originally created in 2012 by JibJab studio. The franchise now involves educational books, games, classroom activities, and most recently Netflix’s show. But all tales in this franchise follow the same basic format. The StoryBots are a group of curious creatures who live in a world beneath our screens. Each installment follows these little characters as they learn about colors, shapes, animals, and being nice to one another. Netflix’s series tweaks its format slightly, centering each episode on a different question the StoryBots have to answer.
It’s a cute premise that makes technology seem friendly during a time that’s dominated by technological advances. But what makes Ask the StoryBots such a remarkable children’s show that it’s been nominated for a Peabody, an Annie Award, a British Academy Children’s Award, and has won a Daytime Emmy is its versatility.
Ask the StoryBots has a little something for all members of its audience. Though it’s educational, it also has a surprising amount of jokes that are laugh out loud funny to both children and adults. Though it has several celebrity guest stars like Wanda Sykes, David Cross, and Snoop Dog, it never overtly depends on its celebrity power or even its gorgeous, ever-changing animation. Ask the StoryBots knows that it’s a sweet little show about a group of friends learning, and it never over-extends or under delivers on this premise.
There aren’t many kids’ shows that can be described as a visual feast, but Ask the StoryBots is one of them. If you’re looking for a new child-friendly stream that won’t make you want to pull your hair out, its eight-episode second season needs to be added to your queue.
