C-Bear and Jamal

A popular series on the Fox Children's Network, C-Bear and Jamal is a hip (hop) animated show that might just as easily have been titled "Bearz in the Hood." In three videos that feature three episodes each, our chief protagonists, the teddy bear C-Bear (voiced by rapper Tone Loc) and his African-American homeboy Jamal, struggle with your basic live-and-learn situations. Whether at school, at home in the hood (apparently south central Los Angeles) with his widowed father and grandparents, or just hangin' out, Jamal is learning life's lessons with the aid of his main bear (who's always wearing a pair of saggin' blues jeans, shades and a baseball cap). In "The Emperor's New Gear," for instance, Jamal gets a little too caught up in wardrobe issues and loses sight of the fact that it's the person in the clothes that really matters; while "Sleepless in South Central" finds Jamal stewing over his father's upcoming date with a very charming lady, leading to a lesson in privacy, respect and understanding the needs of others. Nicely animated, entertaining, and raising relevant issues for kids, this is recommended (and C-Bear does have some cool shades). Aud: E, I, P. (P. Van Vleck)