The Ghost and Molly McGee, a review
It’s never fun when you find a show, fall in love with that show, and then learn that the show was cancelled way too soon. This is the storyline of our discovering the Disney cartoon The Ghost and Molly McGee. With just two seasons and 41 episodes, Disney did this show a great disservice by not renewing, but those 41 episodes are great and worth watching multiple times.
First off, if you ever watched Aqua Teen Hunger Force, you get a nice blast from the past when you hear Shake’s voice as Dana Snyder also voices the ghost Scratch. And FYI, if you haven’t watched ATHF, it’s not kid friendly. But, The Ghost and Molly McGee is kid friendly and actually a cartoon I want my daughter to watch.
Sure, I love watching cartoons with my daughter. As long as they aren’t glorifying being a jerk, are well written and the art is interesting, I’m usually on board to give it a go. But there are some shows I end up truly falling in love with. This is one of them.
Molly is a 13-year old girl who has a younger brother Daryl and a mother, Sharon, with Thai ancestry and a father, Pete, with Irish ancestry. They move around a lot, seemingly due to lack of money and jobs, but the show starts as the McGee’s move to a dying, rust-belt town called Brighton. Pete has landed a job working for the city and they bought a run-down house that happens to have a ghost residing in the attic. There’s the setup for the hilarity and high-jinx that ensue.
Scratch is the ghost, who is lazy and gluttonous and cantankerous, but, you guessed it, has a soft side. Molly is extremely optimistic and wants to help others and the community as a whole, which is at odds with the ghost world and their mandate to bring sorrow to this dilapidated town.
Why do I like it?
First off, it’s funny. Scratch has good one-liners, while Molly is so hyped up on hope and kindness that she isn’t oblivious, but just doesn’t let him stop her from doing anything. She always wants to do the right thing for her family, friends and community, but of course she can get over her head and hilarity ensues. The fact that she is the consummate do-gooder who has to deal with some realities along the way makes for a good role model, but the themes of many of the episodes will often veer into subjects I find beneficial for my daughter to see in the light of day.
The show doesn’t go all after school special on us. The themes aren’t so REAL as to take us out of the moment of the show, but they do try to give children a few life lessons without ever taking away from the entertainment.
My favorite episode is when Molly’s best friend Libby gets her period while on a sleepover at Molly’s house. Seeing the dynamic play out on the episode was simultaneously funny, heart-warming and educational. There are also great episodes that delve into cultural identity, divorce, climate change, and of course close-up magic.
When you put this show on for your kids you get a little more than just laugh out loud entertainment, but you also get more than your share of laughs.