Honestly, I really like the idea behind Craig of the Creek. The idea of kids basically making their own society by the creek is really fun and imaginative, especially when there’s basically a friend group for every hobby and interest. While I’m grown now, it’s not hard to imagine if I’d seen this as a kid, it would have been fun trying to figure out which group of kids I might have hung out with. The tone is really relaxing and cute, but I love the use of unreliable narrators because in some of the best episodes, it creates really great uses of misunderstandings to create two different stories. A perfect example is“Doorway to Helen.” Craig finds his math homework done by a girl who writes in cursive and who he never meets face-to-face. She talks of the creek as always deserted, and has a special place that’s warm when she’s there, but is cold when Craig and his friends go. It’s clear to an adult watching that Helen is homeschooled, and goes to the creek while the other kids are in school, thus why it’s abandoned. But Craig and his friends believe that Helen is in another dimension. So, the story is set up where a child watching likely things the same thing, that Helen lives in another dimension, but can come back to the show years later, and realize Helen never lived in another dimension, she was just homeschooled. That sense of whimsy and innocence, coupled with the idea of playing as whoever you want to be makes Craig of the Creek really smart as a cartoon. GIF by beverlyhillsgang I don’t know how many (if any) of my followers are younger, but if you grew up on Craig of the Creek and want to watch similar shows, one good starting place is Ed, Edd,‘n’ Eddy, a Cartoon Network cartoon that ran for 6 seasons from 1999 - 2009. The show starred the Eds, three young boys with the same name, Ed, Eddward, and Eddy. Like Craig of the Creek, the Eds are imaginative and creative, building elaborate sets, props, and even entire cities. The tone is different, much more of a whacky slap-stick style that thrives of surreal humor. Adults are rarely seen in the show, making the Cul-de-Sac kids feel like their own society, free from the demands of parents and school. Most of the series takes place in the summer, with the kids going back to school only in the later seasons. The Eds are more antagonistic, as they are constantly trying to scam the other kids out of their allowances, so they frequently get their comeuppance. But it’s still entertaining to see what crazy thing the Eds will try next to get money for candy. GIF by pi-la Whereas Ed, Edd,‘n’ Eddy matches Craig of the Creek’s carefree days outside of school vibe, KND leans heavily on the society of children angle. It aired on Cartoon Network from 2002 - 2008 for 6 seasons. The comedic action adventure series stars Sector V of the Kids Next Door, a secret organization of child agents who work together to combat the tyranny of adults and the teens who side with them. The show features whimsical inventions like sticking a pepper in a jar, taping it to a hairdryer, and somehow turning it into a heat ray, or turning a bottle of mustard into a gun. If you liked the trading tree or all the side groups and the little societies they made, then KND will likely scratch that same itch, though KND only has the one gimmick as a secret organization of child super spies. Sector V has 5 main characters: Numbuh 1: Nigel Uno, Numbuh 2: Hoagie Gilligan, Numbuh 3: Cookie Sunbun, Numbuh 4: Wallaby Beetle, and Numbuh 5: Abigail Lincoln. Craig of the Creek is very diverse, and similarly, all five of the main characters are the children of immigrants. Numbuh 1 is British-American, Numbuh 2 is German-American, Numbuh 3 is Japanese-American, Numbuh 4 is Australlian-American, and Numbuh 5 is African-American. They have a number of memorable villains, including Mr. Boss, Grandma Stuffem, Captain Stickybeard, The Cat Lady, The Common Cold, Father, and the traitorous Delightful Children From Down the Lane, a group of kids who conspire with the adults and brown nose them for favoritism. Compared to the other two shows, this one has the deepest plot, as Craig of the Creek and Ed, Edd,‘n’ Eddy are more episodic, while KND has a larger story at play. It’s not as serialized as modern cartoons, but there’s still a progressing story in KND that the other two don’t have. Likewise, if you’re one of my older followers, and grew up watching Ed, Edd,‘n’ Eddy or Codename: Kids Next Door, you should give Craig of the Creek a chance, I think you’ll like it. It’s not as absurd as Ed, Edd,‘n’ Eddy, but it’s just as imaginative, and has a similar spirit to the show’s atittude toward school and parents. It doesn’t focus on one gimmick as much as KND, but it’s also kind of cool seeing all of the unique societies that use the creek as their playing grounds. All three shows are available on HBO Max if this piqued your interest in any of these shows, or you just want to relive a childhood classic.ED, EDD,‘N’ EDDY
CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR
