TV REVIEWS : ‘Double, Double, Toil and Trouble’ Warm Fare for Kids

“Double, Double, Toil and Trouble” (at 8 tonight on ABC, Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42) is a caldron of warm fuzzy fare about witches, spells and moonstones, strictly for little Halloweensters and fans of “Full House” twin phenoms Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

The 7-year-old twins, more comfortable here than in their last TV-movie outing, play perky, altruistic tykes who spend Halloween saving their parents from financial ruin. They do it by foiling witchy Aunt Agatha (Cloris Leachman) and rescuing sweet Aunt Sophia (Leachman again) from Agatha’s evil spell, all before the last stroke of midnight.

Assistance is rendered by a homeless rogue with a heart of gold (Meshach Taylor), a little person who works as a birthday clown (Phil Fondacaro) and a cowardly gravedigger (Wayne Robson).

Chills and thrills are purposely mild--the twins show nary a quiver of fear no matter what their peril, and Leachman eschews witchy warts and beaky nose for a certain spectral glamour. The dialogue is meant to tickle funny bones and sometimes succeeds: “What’s an ‘ilk’? “ one twin asks. “It’s kind of like Bullwinkle,” her sister replies.

In the end, Agatha gets her comeuppance and there are hugs all around. Cute is the operative word. The film was directed by Stuart Margolin and written by Jurgen Wolff.