In a dream come true for Clinton Township couple and creative team Carol Sweeney and Alex Greene, their "My Bedbugs," a two-season-old WTVS children's program, opens for "The King" in two shows on Thursday. It's all happening at the Jerome-Duncan Ford Theatre.
"The King," in this case, isn't an Elvis impersonator. It's the crooner King of Toddlerville -- that big purple dinosaur named Barney.
Even if you have a love-hate relationship with Barney, you're apt to love "My Bedbugs." The Emmy-nominated series features three humanoid bedbug children dressed in feety pajamas, Gooby, Woozy and Toofy; their pillow, Snoozy; and their goldfish, Ruffy -- all watched over by a wise vacuum cleaner, aptly named J. Edgar.
The series runs on WTVS-Channel 56 at 10 a.m. Monday-Friday and 8:30 a.m. Sunday. For toddlers, it's simple, musical and charming and the bedbug kids have traits they can relate to. The half-hour episodes generally teach a straightforward lesson, such as "It's good to help a friend in need"; "Having a pet requires patience and work"; and "Keep the Tooth Fairy in your imagination."
The back story of My Bedbugs inspires even the most jaded parent. For Sweeney and Greene, it was an idea that came up when their three children were very small and incubated for more than six years while they struggled with their day jobs.
"The bedbugs' names are our children's pet names," says Carole Sweeney. "Ryan was two and a half and the twins, Christopher and Kelsey were only a couple months old when we first had the concept."
It wasn't until 2001 when Carole was laid off from her auto-industry job that the couple started working on the idea in earnest. They found financial backers and then plowed all the money into creating studios, costumes, music and scripts in an industrial building in Clinton Township.
In the summer of 2004, "My Bedbugs" found a time slot between "Barney" and "Sesame Street" on Channel 56. Later, Sweeney and Greene won four Telly awards and received seven Emmy nominations for their first season. They have pitched the show to national PBS executives and are awaiting their answer.
On Thursday at Freedom Hill, the Bedbugs and their three friends will dance and sing for about half an hour, warming the audience up for Barney.
The afternoon also includes meet-and-greets with other PBS luminaries such as Arthur and Caillou, face painting, the Living Science Foundation's animals, arts and crafts and story reading.
For Metro Detroit toddlers, this is the first of the summer's three big tickets -- Veggie Tales Rockin' Tour Live is at the Fox Aug. 6 and the Wiggles at the Palace on Aug. 15.
Ellyce Field is a Metro Detroit freelance writer. You can reach her at frannyzoe@aol.com.
