Network: Disney Channel
Running Time: 30 minutes
Episode Name: The Curious Case of Mrs. Dabney
Targeted Age Group/General Show Overview: Teddy is the “responsible” member of the Duncan family. Her older brother PJ is a total scatterbrain. Her younger brother Gabe is, well, he’s just trying to navigate being 10. Her dad’s a pest control man. When asked about anything concerning his household or children, his response is always a shrug and a “I just got home.” Her mom is a great representation of today’s working mother-she tries to be hip, but also remain in control of her household. Easier said than done! And Charlie, being the baby of the family, is just adorable! The show always opens with the video diary Teddy’s creating for Charlie. She chronicles the exploits of the Duncan family, giving Charlie a glimpse of what she has to look forward to! Every episode ends with a return to Teddy and her video diary, ending with a summary of the day’s adventures and a “so, good luck, Charlie!”
Plot: Teddy’s best friend Ivy starts up a “texting” friendship with Mrs. Duncan making Teddy jealous. This causes Teddy to attempt the same thing with Ivy’s mother. She might not be able to text, but boy can she knit! In the end, Teddy realizes that perhaps her mom isn’t as uncool as she once thought. Gabe & PJ are convinced that the neighbor Mrs. Dabney has killed her husband and search for proof with the “help” of Charlie.
Personal Thoughts: Good Luck Charlie contains good hearted, clean humor and keeps all ages entertained. Even adults can relate to the plights of Mr. & Mrs. Duncan as they try to manage households, jobs, and four children. There is always one kind of crazy issue in the works, and only Charlie manages to save the day. It always makes me wish my older sibling had left me “good luck” videos in preparation for my parents!
Educational Tie Ins/Learning Activity: I think this would be a great addition to a “how-to” selection of programming. Readers/viewers could make their own video, audio, or storybook type diaries that would be theoretically passed on to someone else. The diary could be like Teddy’s, instructions on how to survive a possible future situation, or they could be instructions on how to survive a week in the jungle, how to build a paper airplane. They could also be more traditional diaries, meant to be passed down, chronicling a certain moment in time.
