Apple Of My Eye: TV’s Greatest Tykes

Over the years television has offered up many inspirational characters, to many of whom we easily relate, even respect. And it doesn’t matter if some of these characters are very young or barely able to walk – viewers we still enjoy them and perhaps learn something about themselves. Here are some of TV’s greatest ever tykes…
Tommy

RUGRATS (1991 -2004)
There aren’t many who’d need to demonstrate the skills and courage to become a respected group leader at such a young age. Tommy, despite being barely able to walk, has no problem standing on his own two feet. Sure he cries quite a lot and often finds himself at the mercy of his brat cousin Angelica, but boy does this kid show some serious potential.

The Rugrats are a mischievous bunch and like many tots, manage to get themselves into some pretty sticky situations. Every group of pals needs a leader and who else better than Tommy? He can think under pressure, make a plan and pitch it clearly and concisely, but perhaps most importantly he has the ability to fill his friends with confidence.

Take Chuckie, for example. A quivering wimp of a toddler who, without Tommy’s guidance and gentle nudges, would forever be terrified of the man on the oatmeal box. It’s tykes like Tommy that inspire, encourage and engage their peers to achieve something truly great.

Lucy

LUCKY LOUIE (2006)
Louie CK has a very refreshing approach to parenting. He always makes it very clear that he has an huge amount of affection for his kids and that they mean the world to him, but recognises how annoying they can be.
His fictional daughter Lucy, in sitcom LUCKY LOUIE, is a classically aggravating little girl who’s too darn cute to ever be really annoyed at. Lucy is disobedient, relentlessly need,y and at times far too inquisitive. She’s the axis on which Louie’s life revolves and also the biggest pain in his butt.

What’s fun about Lucy is that no matter how annoying she might be, she’s impossible to hate. She captures how frustrating parenting can be, and how tough gets when broke, but as a character she’s also the catalyst for Louie in making some profound realisations. She’s the apple of Louie’s eye, a responsibility he sometimes wishes he didn’t have, but at the end of it all she’s pretty much all he has going for himself.

Guss

RECESS (1997-2001)
There’s always that one kid at school who gets shifted from place to place and never quite settles and as a result – he/she is always an outsider when starting a new school. Guss could be regarded as one of these whimpering wieners, but has luckily landed himself a nice group of friends.

RECESS is one of those great cartoons that’s not only entertaining and funny, but also dedicated teaching kids stuff. Whether you find out a nice scientific fact or you’re gently guided down a rocky moral path, after every episode there was a lesson learned.

Each character in the show makes an important realisation and in Guss’ case, he slowly develops into the soldier his father expected him to be. Guss was brought up with a military influence and his father would constantly move around from place to place, forcing Guss to constantly start over at elementary schools. Being a soldier’s son, Guss is expected to be brave, but in reality his fragility leaves him feeling somewhat insecure and constantly worried about disappointing his well-respected father.

Guss is a top kid. He’d help anyone out, and all he lacks is courage. Watching Guss is almost like the Lion from THE WIZARD OF OZ – nice as anything, but a coward in most instances. However, having Guss in the RECESS group was important. He might have been a wimp but made some serious contributions to TJ’s schemes. His interest in the military would mean that he had a good head for scheming scheming… if only he had the heart.
Martin Prince

THE SIMPSONS (1989-present)
THE SIMPSONS has a delightful array of weiner kids, but few of them are actually intelligent. At his very cor, Martin Prince is a dweeb, but boy does that kid have smarts.

As annoying as this little geek may be, he’s certainly going places. Martin is lucky (like Millhouse) that he has some affiliation with Bart Simpson. He sure is unpopular and takes a fair few beatings for his dorky behaviour, but at least he has the enough of a noodle to gain the respect of his bullies when they need it. Martin is an easy target but he’s fortunate enough to have something to offer. Very seldom do his bullies actually need his help but every so often he’s a pretty useful little twerp to have around.

All in all, despite being irritating and generally a bit of a pain, having a clever clogs on your side is always a good thing. Martin is great if you are in a position of power. He’s grateful if you don’t wail on him and gracious when a beating is coming his way.

 
Neal Schweiber

FREAKS AND GEEKS (1999-2000)
FREAKS AND GEEKS is a superb show with a brilliant set of characters. The show follows various misfits as they work their way through the trials and tribulations of High School. One such character is Neal Schweiber, who fancies himself as a comedian and, to be fair, he is pretty entertaining.

Neal looks as if he’s skipped young adulthood and been lumbered with the features of a 40-year-old man, despite having the attitude of pre-pubescent boy. He’s a nice enough chap and a scream to watch as he tries to whoo the school’s gals.
He’s pedantic and quite the coward, but much like RECESS’s Guss he’s always got his friends back. What’s even funnier about him is that you can easily imagine he will be exactly as he is now when he grows into an adult. Neal’s sense of humour can be quite immature but his mannerisms and his morals are pretty advanced for his age. Generally he’s a really nice guy and a pretty good student too. If ever I were to get a call to watch some classic comedy with this guy, I’d be there in a heartbeat.

And one not so great tyke…

Glen Bishop

MAD MEN (2007-present)
Glen’s a creep who doesn’t understand boundaries. I can only imagine it’s a nightmare being his pal: he’s whiny and has a look about him so baron and distant, it’s almost impossible to imagine him being able to relate to any shred of human emotion.

Glen would be a pretty good shoulder to cry on if he weren’t too preoccupied with his own problems. Glen thinks he has it really hard and is the sort of kid who will relentlessly complain even when things are going pretty well. His pessimism will probably cause him to be jaded for the rest of his days, and he’ll more than likely continue to alienate almost everybody around him.

He’s pretty in tune with the reality of a lot of situations however. You might say he’s wise beyond his years, but everything for Glen is quite dark and depressing, thus making him a total downer to be around. All in all, despite being a fairly intelligent guy, Glen tends to rub people up all wrong. He’s as creepy as they come and a bit of a nightmare to have to talk to. He’s got serial killer potential and his attitude is enough to turn even the most pleasant of days sour.