SHOWS FOR YOUNGSTERS AND THEIR PARENTS TOO : At the center of ABC’s ‘Fudge’ is the sweet but rough road to brotherhood

First, there were Judy Blume’s “Fudge” books. Then there was the prime-time TV movie: “Fudge-A-Mania,” which aired last week as part of “The ABC Family Movie” projects.

Now comes the series, natch. Fudge, whose titular star is an irrepressible 4-year-old with a much put-upon brother named Peter, airs on ABC Saturday mornings.

For more than 20 years, Blume’s books have been praised and read in volumes by children and adolescents. Blume was one of the first writers to tackle the once-taboo subjects of menstruation and masturbation in “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and in “Then Again, Maybe I Won’t,” respectively.

When Blume turned her attention to the early reader set four years ago, with her series of “Fudge” books (which also include “Fudge-A-Mania,” “Super Fudge” and “Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing”), she solidified her popularity with youngsters of all ages, capturing the ways kids feel and deal with each other--without condescending to them.

None of Blume’s 21 books had been turned into television or movie fare--until now.

“The (ABC) movie is really based on the first book,” says Mary G. de Butts, who, along with co-producer and husband Russell Marcus, is also a co-writer. “The series draws from the two sequels, as well as ideas generated here.”

At the core of “Fudge” is the relationship between 9-year-old Peter Hacher (Jake Richardson) and his little brother Fudge (Luke Tarsitano).

“It’s a very realistic relationship,” de Butts says. “And something many young people can agree with and identify with--that younger sibling coming into the house and how the younger one is treated differently.”

Marcus adds: “Rules become a little more lax, things are a little looser, the older child ends up accepting a lot of responsibility for what the younger child does.”

The series, shot in Van Nuys, is told from Peter’s point of view. “He watches his little brother basically get away with murder and he can’t understand why things are different,” says de Butts.

Luke was cast as Fudge, she says, “because Fudge is the kind of kid who will swallow a turtle. We needed a kid who had the quality of, ‘Anything can happen with this child.’ He is capable of practically anything. Luke just had that look of endless possibilities in him.”

The original movie reunited Florence Henderson and Eve Plumb from “The Brady Bunch.” Plumb, a series regular, says that “Fudge” is almost a throwback to old TV shows, with maybe a hint of her former show. “It is nice,” she emphasizes. “The parents are firm, yet gentle, and the children are respectful of them. ‘Father Knows Best’ jokes have been heard around the set.”

Plumb likes the positive running theme, where “problems get worked out. It’s nothing earth shattering, but everyday problems are solved, and that’s a nice thing. These people love each other, as saccharine as that might sound. They get annoyed with each other, but in the end, they work it out.”

What ultimately makes the show work for the creators is what made Blume’s first books so noteworthy when they were published in the early ‘70s: “It’s a slice-of-life,” Marcus points out. “This story’s about the trouble and joy of having two boys in the house.”

“Fudge” airs Saturday s at 9:30 a.m. on ABC. For ages 4 and up.