'The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder' Cast Interviews: Introducing a New Generation to Cosmo and Wanda
This piece was originally published on FilmSpeak.
The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder combines live action and animation to introduce a new generation of kids to the antics of the famous fairies.
It’s been over two decades since the original beloved Nickelodeon animated show first aired, and it, like many popular properties is receiving a revamp. Streaming on Paramount+, the new The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder sees the return of Timmy Turner (Caleb Pierce), but now, he’s all grown up and headed to Princeton. His shy cousin, Viv (Audrey Grace Marshall), is moving to Dimmsdale because her dad, Ty (RJ Hatanaka), has reunited with his high school sweetheart, Rachel (Laura Bell Bundy). Viv is also getting a brand new brother, Roy (Tyler Wladis), who’s the coolest kid in school.
To make Viv’s move to Dimmsdale easier, Timmy decides to give his cousin his fairy godparents, Cosmo (Daran Norris) and Wanda (Susanne Blakeslee), but of course, much like the original show, things are never that easy. They were only supposed to be a gift strictly for Viv, but eventually her bratty step-brother Roy discovers the fairies and the two siblings decide to share Cosmo and Wanda’s magical, wish-granting abilities. Much like the long-running animated series, Viv and Roy’s wishes never seem to go exactly as planned. Over the course of the season, viewers can see hijinks that include pop songs that turn people into zombies, run-ins with pop superstars like Dustin Lumberlake (Garrett Clayton), and a return to Fairy World.
paramount
Norris and Blakeslee are the only returning members of the original cast. The new show is populated with actors who have theatrical and musical backgrounds, and the writers quickly adapted to allow these triple-threat actors to shine. Bundy has performed on Broadway, Wladis has been in regional musical productions, Hatanaka was in Shakespeare in the Park’s King Lear, and Clayton was in the hit Disney Channel Original Movie, Teen Beach Movie and NBC’s Hairspray: LIVE!. While there’s no full musical episode in season one, it’s something the cast is clearly interested in pursuing.
The actors’ theatrical backgrounds add a liveliness to the show. There’s always some concern that an animated show will lose a bit of its shine when it’s brought into the real world. The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder proves it’s possible to bring a beloved show to a new generation without losing the cartoon essence. Hatanaka and Bundy gleefully lean into the bigness of their roles as the kooky, eccentric parents. Bundy even said that at times she “felt like a bigger kid” than the actual kids on the show.
paramount
Those who grew up watching the original run of The Fairly Oddparents may now be watching this new series with kids of their own, and there are plenty of Easter eggs for the veteran fan to appreciate (the Crimson Chin poster is probably one of the best). Even the costumes and the sets feel cartoonish in the best way. While the series’ intended audience is not the now-adults who grew up with the original, as soon as that unforgettable theme song starts to play, it’s impossible not to smile and hum along.
FilmSpeak was able to chat with the case of The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder about a variety of topics, including the TV show they’d love to see rebooted, where they’d take their own Time Scooter, and what songs their characters would sing in a musical episode.
Check out the full interviews with Daran Norris, Susanne Blakeslee, Laura Bell Bundy, RJ Hatanaka, Garrett Clayton, Audrey Grace Marshall, and Tyler Wladis in the collection of videos below.
Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd, and YouTube.