Special Agent Oso
Sean Astin is Special Agent Oso, a fuzzy, lovable, bumbling special agent-in-training who enlists the help of viewers at home to complete his assignments. Paying homage to special agent classics, the series follows Oso, a stuffed panda bear who works for U.N.I.Q.U.E. (United Network for Investigating Quite Usual Events), an international organization of endearing stuffed animals charged with helping kids accomplish everyday tasks such as cleaning their room, brushing their teeth and learning how to use the library.
Each episode consists of two 11-minute stories and four original songs that reference the classic spy genre in a kid-friendly way that parents and caregivers will also enjoy.
The beginning of each adventure finds Oso in an exotic locale attempting a daring special agent training mission – such as scaling a mountain or spacewalking to repair a satellite – under the watchful eye of senior agents, Wolfie (Phill Lewis) or Dotty (Amber Hood).
The mission goes awry when Oso's paw-shaped communication device Paw Pilot (Meghan Strange) interrupts him with a "special alert," causing Oso to lose his concentration and prompting his catchphrase, "It's all part of the plan...more or less." And with that, Oso's wristwatch flips open to reveal the mysterious voice of his boss, the never seen Mr. Dos (Gary Anthony Williams), calling with a special assignment in which Oso must help a child at home complete an everyday task. Upon receiving the special assignment, Paw Pilot, which features the face and voice of a cheerful, bubbly girl, sings Oso the "Three Special Steps" song, breaking down the necessary steps to complete the task at hand.
For example, in the premiere episode, "To Grandma with Love," when Stacey's birthday card for her grandmother accidentally falls out of her mom's purse on their way to the post office, it's up to Oso to get the card in the mail. To do so, he must first find the envelope, then put a stamp on it and finally put it in the mailbox.
With help from a wide array of gadgets and gizmos such as Shutterbug, a robot video camera lady bug; a grappling hook pen and Oso's special agent vest; customized vehicles, such as a helicopter, a bullet train, a sports car and a motorcylce; special agent outfits; and most importantly, the viewers at home, Oso must complete the special assignment before the ever present ticking clock runs out of time. Once the special assignment is complete, Oso returns to the training mission he was attempting at the beginning of the episode, using something he learned from the day's special assignment to complete the mission and earn his Digi-Medal from Mr. Dos.
For example, in the premiere episode, after learning that he must use both his hands and legs to climb up the mailbox in order to reach the mail slot, Oso returns to complete his own training mission by scaling a mountain using his new found skills. Oso then rewards viewers at home with their very own Digi-Medal, to thank them for their help in completing his mission.
The accompanying "Special Agent Oso" web site at www.playhousedisney.com, offers viewers a 360 degree experience where they can receive the Digi-Medal featured in that day's new episode, unlock and collect additional Digi-Medals by helping Oso complete new missions, equip Oso with a variety of special agent gear, gadgets and props, and customize Oso's training environments by populating them with vehicles and characters from the show.
Special Agent Oso is part of Disney Channel's daily learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block for preschoolers. Like all Playhouse Disney programming, Special Agent Oso is guided by an established curriculum that nurtures multiple areas of child development: physical, emotional, social and cognitive; thinking and creative skills as well as moral and ethical development.
Special Agent Oso is an interactive series which calls upon young viewers to use their observational skills and cognitive abilities. The stories range from cognitive skills such as how to put a puzzle together, to emotional skills like how to make a new friend at school. By following Paw Pilot's instructions, viewers learn how to organize and break down everyday tasks by using three simple steps just as Oso does.
The animation in "Special Agent Oso" is a mixture of digital-cut out, 3D Photoshop and Flash animation, with a bit of collage, papier-mâché and food (yes, food) to create texture and tangibility. For example, the sidewalks are made out of pie crusts, snow-capped mountains are made from whipped cream, and the mountains are actually images of burnt toast, all made by photographing and digitizing the item at hand. "Special Agent Oso" is a production of Walt Disney Television Animation. Ford Riley (The Land Before Time, Higglytown Heroes) is creator and executive producer. Jamie Mitchell (The Tinker Bell Movie, Little Mermaid, Hey Arnold) is director and co-executive producer.
