William's Wish Wellingtons

An apparent hit with Brit kids, this 13-part compilation of animated 5-minute episodes revolves around a young lad named William, who lucks into a pair of magic boots (the "Wellingtons") and then proceeds to engage in pretty much one exercise in instant gratification after another. Our resourceful lad waits all the way until the third episode before cheating classmates in a contest (and confessing not because he's contrite, but because he's caught); by the fifth episode, William is evading chores ("tidying [his room] was hard work, then William remembered his wish Wellingtons!"); by the eighth, he's surreptitiously feeding his spinach to his dog while whipping up some sweets for himself; and so on. While William does occasionally use his magic boots to help others (saving a beached whale, providing a mate for a lonely alien, rescuing a cat), too many of the episodes, such as the one in which kids enter a costume contest and "Pirate William" wishes for chocolate treasure and wins the same as a prize (whether through merit or footwear, we shall never know), teach children very little beyond "me, me, me." That, sadly, is a lesson in which too many of our youngsters are already well-versed. Not recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)