'Yo Gabba Gabba' is for pre-schoolers, but it's still one of the hippest shows on TV
By T.L. Stanley
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
It's the coolest show you're not watching—unless you're 4 years old, and then you're way ahead of most of us. (That includes being hip to alt-darling bands like the Little Ones and MGMT.) Yo Gabba Gabba, an Emmy-nominated pre-school series, continues its silly dance into the zeitgeist with more famous guests—Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's house band, the Roots, shown here. (Check out their performance here.) The new season, launching Oct. 12, also brings back hip-hopper Biz Markie and Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh for regular segments of the Nick Jr. show that's geared to tots but has become a quirky favorite of teenagers and garage-band rockers who have little ones of their own now. Who can resist skits like "There's a Party in My Tummy"? It's infectious! Samberg and the others heading to the psychedelic hybrid show—it's a mix of live action, animated shorts and wacky costumed characters—join former guests like Jack Black, Tony Hawk, Elijah Wood (who did a mean Dancey Dance) and an iPod-commercial-ready lineup of bands including Shiny Toy Guns, Of Montreal and The Ting Tings. Set your TiVo and get ready to act smug when your hipster cocktail conversation turns to Lady Tigra and you don't confuse her with Lady Gaga.