Part of the magic of Clifford is that it puts an extraordinary spin on a normal situation. At first glance, it's a show about a girl and her dog, but the dog is the size of a house and bright red. The show is divided into two stories, usually one featuring Clifford and his friends T-Bone the yellow bulldog, Cleo the purple poodle, and Mac the blue whippet (?), and one featuring owner Emily Elizabeth and her friends Charlie, Jetta, and Vaz. Interspaced between the two stories is a segment where Emily Elizabeth reads to Clifford from the book detailing the exploits of Speckle and his friends Robbie the panda, Darnell the duck, Luna the raccoon, and Reba the bunny. The final segment after the second story is Clifford's Big Idea, where Clifford and friends are presented with a problem that is solved with the segment's "big idea" such as playing fair, showing respect, and helping others. Themes of the stories themselves include how to be a good houseguest, why it's important to avoid prejudging others, and taking responsibility for one's actions.

As I child I learned to read with the books from the "Clifford" series. Not only were the stories lesson teachers, but they were funny as well. After channel surfing one afternoon, I came across "Clifford the Big Red Dog" on PBS. I have to say that it is quite good! Yes, it is indeed a kids show, but not sticky sweet to the point that adults in the room have to leave the area. In fact, for animation buffs, this show proves that traditional pen and ink cartoons still have life, and reaches back to the days where cartoons were simply told in short ten minute episodes, and not all new animated programs have to depend on computer 3-D animation, bathroom humor, or violence to entertain. As for kids....this show can only spark an interest in them to pick up a book and read.

I love watching this cartoon with my two dogs Moe and Annie. My favorite dog is Mac because he's funny. Clifford and his friends usually hang out at the beach when Emily Elizabeth is away. Clifford and T-Bone are best friends. Meanwhile there's The Howard's next door neighbor Mr. Bleakman, Emily Elizabeth's friend Jetta, T-Bone's owner Sheriff Lewis, and Cleo's owner Mrs. Diller

Never have I been happier to see a character stand the test of time. I remember reading so many Clifford books as a child, and now I get to not only read them to my son, but see all new stories first thing in the morning on tv! Teaches valuable lessons and morals, entertains adults as well as kids...makes PBS worth watching again.