Wow! This is a really cute, fun, and entertaining show. I said that because I watch this on the Noggin network with my 16-month-old nephew from time to time. It's hard to say which show on the Noggin network is the best. Still it's really cute, fun, and entertaining. The things I like most about this series are the animation and the art design. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that the people at the Noggin network really know how to reach a toddler's developing mind. Now, in conclusion, if you have children, nieces, or nephews, I strongly recommend this really cute, fun, and entertaining show. I guarantee you that they will enjoy it.
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a34trgv115 January 2021After rewatching the surprisingly really good 7 Little Monsters, I figured Maggie and The Ferocious Beast would be another underrated gem from the early 2000s. What I got instead was a good solid kids show that focuses more on the characters exploring their unique world and the inhabitants within. While not out right bad, it does help remind me that most kid's shows are just good and that's perfectly okay.
Created by Michael Paraskevas and his mother, Betty, the show follows the adventures of a young girl named Maggie, her anthropomorphic pig friend, Hamilton and the Ferocious Beast himself as they play games and explore all of Nowhere Land. Each episode is divided into 3 7 minute segments and this creates the biggest problem with the show: the stories are too short. Ordinarily a kid's show would have 11 minute segments or be a full 22 minutes, but this show opts to make it's segments really short in runtime. This means that the conflict of each episode is kept really small in scale and it kinda makes me wish that they did something more. Then again, they make up for the short run time with some genuinely funny moments such as clever puns and Hamilton making a pig like sqeal every time he's surprised. Occasionally they well sing songs, which while not the best, are very well written and catchy such as Hamilton's Song and Mr. Moon Don't Be Blue. Most importantly, it teaches good lessons for kids such as learning to ask for help, teamwork and the value of friendship.
The characters also make up for the limited runtime of each segment as they all leave a lasting impression. Starting with Maggie, she's a smart and adventurous little girl who comes up with great ideas to have fun in Nowhere Land. Hamilton Hocks is the anxious but well mannered pig that makes exquisite dishes and likes to keep things neat and tidy. Then there's the Ferocious Beast, who's basically the little brother of the trio. While he can be impatient an unintentionally rude, he does have a good heart and loves having fun with Maggie and Hamilton. The other inhabitants of Nowhere Land also have unique personalities that make them instantly memorable. Nedley feels like he walked off the pages of Dr. Seuss as he typically speaks in rhymes and is very friendly. Rudy maybe small and his hat and boots are glued to his head and feet but he's very helpful and resourceful given the opportunity. The Moo Sister sing in beautiful harmony, B.B. Katz has a smooth jazz singer personality and Sidestep is a reasonable crab who gets along with Maggie and her friends very well despite being (pardon the pun) inherently crabby. The only character I don't like is Reggie, the Beast's snobbish and rude cousin. He feels like an unnecessary evil clone of the Beast and he never apologizes for his behavior. Thankfully, unlike Mitch Williams from Glitch Techs, he's only in 2 episodes which can be easily skipped over.
Visually, the show looks very colorful and vibrant. Nowhere Land feels like a beautiful mix between Alice in Wonderland and the world of Dr. Seuss with lucious landscapes, bendy trees and fantastical creatures. The character designs are very well crafted, with Maggie's frizzy orange hair making her stand out from the rest of the cast. Hamilton has a very unique design for an anthropomorphic pig as he has 3 fingers, 3 hairs on his head and is typically seen with a sweat with his initial on. The Beast looks to be the size of an elephant hand has an appealing face with 3 horns on his head. The character animation flows naturally and fluidly, and the Beast feels as big as he looks given that he's able to lift heavy objects and pull them up steep hills.
Lastly the voice acting is not too shabby as each of the actors give very distinct voices to the characters and memorable performances. Kristen Bone makes Maggie sound like the fun older sister who still a little girl at the end of the day. Michael Caruanna perfectly captures the anxiousness of Hamilton and has a wonderful singing voice. Stephen Ouimette makes the Beast sound like a man with the child like innocence of a little brother, kinda like Dan Russell does when voicing Richard in The Amazing World of Gumball. Dwayne Hill give a very memorable performance as Nedley, giving him a natural nasally tone that compliments his character. And John McGrath makes Rudy sound cute yet very determined.
Overall Maggie and The Ferocious Beast is a fun little cartoon with memorable characters, colorful animation and some genuinely funny moments. The short runtime of each segment holds it back from being really great, but it's still perfectly acceptable for children. -
GiraffeDoor6 April 2019I have fond memories of this show. I'm not sure what it is. It feels a lot like a little kids' show and I was not exactly a LITTLE kid when I saw it.
But it has an ineffable charm. Despite the title, the title characters from a menage a trois with Hamilton the anally retentive pig. His and Beast's clashing personalities were quite enjoyable with Maggie moderating as the audience surrogate. It seems to indulge a fantasy of a little girl taking a maternal relationship with a hug creature.
Nowhere land is a wonderfully inventive setting and it's quiet captivating to explore its ins and outs with the main characters plus the colorful peripheral cast.
I like the vibrant, but not garish, color pallet and the easy going whimsical story lines.
I watched it in England where they have dubbed it with British english voices but the casting and acting was enchanting. -
rgross15 September 2003I have to say that this show is my daughter's favorite and has been since she was 2 (now 4). A previous comment suggested that a "ferocious beast" might scare children, but have you SEEN the beast character? If that goofy thing can scare your kids they might as well pack it in now. I never really thought about the content much until when asking my daughter where she learned a particular phrase or fact, she so often told me she learned it on "Maggie". Politeness, behaviour, teamwork, and many other things are taught, as well as a great deal of vocabulary (by way of "what does that word mean..."). One of the best on TV right now. As much as I LOVED bugs bunny cartoons as a kid, about the most they ever taught me was not to anger a guy with a gun or mail order access to explosives. :-)
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hdoerr-021087 January 2024I watched an animated children's show called "Maggie and the Ferocious Beast" when I was a kid. While it did not become my favorite children's show, it was not the worst. I rate it as a 6 out of 10. The characters were adorable and lovable, especially the Ferocious Beast. However, the plots of the episodes were repetitive and predictably simple.
Nonetheless, the animation style was charming and colorful, keeping the show visually appealing. However, some of the sound effects and music were sometimes a little grating and overpowering. Overall, it's a decent show for young children who enjoy the colorful visuals and the adorable characters. However, it may not attract the attention of older kids or adults seeking a more complex and engaging storyline. -
mommyalexakay3 May 2007This show has been commented on already but the comment wasn't accurate as far as I'm concerned. The previous comment talked about the episode where Hamilton catches a fish and keeps it as a pet. It is hard for me to believe this person actually watched the episode. The entire episode was about how sad the fish was and how it wanted to be back in the river. Hamilton realizes this and lets it go back to its home. This episode has a great moral and is not detrimental to children. All the episodes of Maggie and the Ferocious Beast I have ever seen (and I'm pretty sure I've seen them all) have had wonderful stories and morals. My children love the characters and the show. I highly recommend it.
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eyewrite11 September 2008I honestly don't see how so many people thought this is a worthwhile children's show. My daughter refuses to watch it (she's 2) and I couldn't be happier. It's so annoying, the story lines are idiotic, the voices are cloying and awful ... If it disappeared tomorrow, I wouldn't miss it. I just don't understand why the animals whine all the time, and are so afraid all the time, and just so under-your-skin pests all the time. I can't believe there are only two of us who've posted negative reviews. The others have to be employed by the show or something. It doesn't teach anything useful, it's not entertaining or funny ... It's a waste of 24 minutes.
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kaylasydnee21 July 2008My daughter, just turned 4, has really enjoyed this show for almost a year. It is cute and funny. Maggie is a good character for children to emulate. She is a kind friend and a thinker. What is wrong with this show? The other post is a little strange. If a parent would not want their children not to see this show because t might scare them, I would feel sorry for those children, as they will have it very hard later in life. The only thing about the beast is possibly that he is called a beast. Has she ever seen a child scared by this cartoon? Strange. Well, I obviously disagree and enjoy this show. One of the reasons I like this show is because of Maggie is so likable. Another reason is that the characters are very grounded. The humor is witty and yet very approriate for children. This is why I enjoy watching with my daughter. The others characters on the cartoon are also very likable and children do learn from the cartoon. Despite the name, and although the show is creative, it is much less a program which focuses on things that children would not be able to accomplish. The scenarios usually involve how to handle social friendships and relationships.
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ThatGFFAN24 June 2017This show was my childhood. I learned many life lessons from it that other shows could never teach. There were things in this show that no other kids show had.I really can't say much more without spoiling it. I recommend this show over *almost every other kids show that is out there currently airing. Its old but gold. A show like no other that I will never forget, no matter how old I get.
*there are some good kids shows out there currently airing, but many are really bad or just show the same things 5 other shows maybe showing just with in different way. -
jhoffman-724 February 2004My daughter, age 4, and i, age 40, have a date every weekday at 11:30 for lunch with Maggie and the Ferocious Beast. I cannot say how many times my heart is warmed by the interaction of the 3 characters listed, not to mention the new, fabulous characters that have been added since the original shows. Everything is make-believe of the most wonderful kind. It takes one to a place where one would love to roam. I find my daughter and i belly laughing often. It is well written, the animation is vibrant and perfectly simple, and this is a MUST SEE. My hope is that it remains on the air for years to come; it is as worthy as Pooh. Check it out.
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zsofikam3 December 2015Where do I start with Maggie And The Ferocious Beast? Well for one thing, I grew up on it. But don't think I'm just looking at this show through the rosy glasses of nostalgia. Maggie is constantly adventurous, Hamilton is hilariously anxious and finicky, and the titular beast is funny. In all honesty, even as a kid I never understood why the show was called Maggie And The Ferocious Beast since the beast isn't the least bit ferocious. Granted, the beast is Maggie's imaginary friend and she named him and the title is quite catchy. The theme song is also very catchy (Maggie and the Ferocious Beast in Nowhere Land, come along if you can, and the plot should be familiar to anyone who has ever possessed an imagination. Maggie, Beast, and Hamilton explore a place called Nowhere Land, each day traveling to a new place on Maggie's map. Even if the nostalgia factor wasn't there, there would be so much that I would like about the show. I don't have any kids but if I did I would much rather have them emulate Maggie than say iCarly. For the past several years, I've been introducing my childhood movies/shows to the kids I nanny for.Simply put, what a great show for all ages!
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revfer15 October 2010My kids love this show! I like it, for the most part. It usually has a good lesson about working together or overcoming apprehensions. The only episode I didn't LOVE was one where I think all of them were doing something to celebrate their birthday (because they all have the same birthday) or something. Beast learned to dance a Spanish type dance, which was fine, but when he turned around with a rose in his mouth, Hamilton blushed. Why do kids shows have to have those kinds of undertones added when everything was going just fine with the relationships between the characters being perfectly platonic? Other than that, there are no overt biases or agendas, as far as I can tell. As for the other reviews that referenced kids catching creatures when the family is out because they saw Hamilton do it, or being scared of the big duck or frustrated because they see things on the show that they can't do, or it being a waste of 24 minutes, all I have to say is...seriously? If parents aren't going to explain the differences between cartoons and real life to their kids, then they aren't being parents and their kids are in for a tough life. If the kids are scared of a big duck, they need toughened up. If they get that easily frustrated, they need more adversity in life and need a parent to guide them through it rather than shield them from it. And sometimes kids need a little less intense escape from all the stimulation we give them these days, so maybe something that is a little more subtle to an adult might seem a "waste" but kids can actually learn easily from the actions they emulate from Maggie, especially, without learning being "shoved" at them.
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waterytwist5 August 2001Maggie and the Ferocious Beast is a good show for ages 3-8 and is very educational. I think that it teaches children how to face their own fears, and how to share. Maggie is the one who is always teaching the beast when he or Hamilton has done a bad thing. I just like turning on the TV and leaving my cousin there while he laughs and enjoys it. Maggie and the ferocious beast is more like an adventure and lesson at the same time.
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mines198519 March 2002I never liked this show very much. There are some children's shows that I don't mind, and there's some I even enjoy myself (although these are mostly older kids' shows.) But "Maggie and the Ferocious Beast" is one show I would not recommend. It's OK for children under two or three years old, but older children often get ideas off TV, which could easily happen if they watch Maggie. The show can indeed teach good manners, but otherwise the ideas can be unwise and even upsetting to children who don't know better. For example, in one show, Hamilton the pig caught a fish from a pond to keep as a pet. If a young child watches that, they might think it's a good idea and request to do the same thing sometime, perhaps on a family outing to a park with a pond. They could easily become upset and frustrated if they're not able to do everything on the show that the characters seem to be able to accomplish so easily. Additionally, I think some of the shows can be a bit frightening to a small child. Even the thought of a giant beast can scare some children, as well as "the big duck" on the show, which could easily give children nightmares. I would not recommend this show unless the person watching is too young to try the ideas on the show or be frightened by any of the show's characters.