TV Reviews : ‘Bedtime Stories’ a Delightful New Series

Affirming and instructive without sinking into preachiness, “Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories,” a delightful new animated series premiering on Showtime tonight at 7:30, offers a welcome respite from the formula adventures and thinly veiled advertisements that are too often foisted off as children’s entertainment.

The premiere features animated versions of two books by Audrey Wood: The limited animation is well-suited to the simple look of her original illustrations, and director Arthur Leonardi generally keeps things moving visually.

“Elbert’s Bad Word,” narrated by Ringo Starr, recounts how a proper little rich boy learned a terrible word (depicted as a hairy black spider) at his parents’ garden party and got in trouble for using it.

“Weird Parents,” about a boy saddled with a very unconventional mom and dad, is even more fun. Narrator Bette Midler captures the self-dramatizing weariness only an adolescent can muster when she describes his reactions to his family’s antics. Although they’re certifiably loony, the weird parents are also generous and affectionate. The boy realizes that they won’t change, no matter how much he wants them to, and that he loves them, in spite of everything.

Duvall appears in live-action wraparounds to offer brief comments (“sometimes we have to make allowances for parents”) that could provide the bridge for a family discussion of a related problem. Parents should plan on setting their VCRs, as children will want to watch these amusing shows again--and maybe even read the original books.