Kurt Warner's Good Sports Gang: Episode 1--Elliot the Invincible

When youngsters in the town of Fairfield have troubles, the Good Sports Gang--a collection of various talking game balls--is on the job. As directed by their “Coach” (live-action NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams' quarterback Kurt Warner), this debut episode centers around a clumsy, nerdy boy named Elliot. An oaf at the popular game Flobo, insulted daily by his peers, and saddled with the nickname “Elliot the Unable,” Elliot is ripe for a self-confidence makeover by the Good Sports Gang, who bolster his sense of self-worth by reminding him that God makes everyone special. Ultimately, Elliot shines as “Elliot the Invincible” when he turns his experience from his after school job at the bat factory into a solution that saves the town from mass destruction. Containing flavorless songs, a “Coach's Corner” segment (exhorting young viewers to always do what God wants by following the Playbook of Life” [i.e., the Bible]), and an introduction and behind-the-scenes tour by Warner's daughter Jesse, this computer-animated program is chockfull of Christian values, and would serve as an adequate addition for larger collections looking for low-key children's religious programming. Recommended, overall. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams)