PSA
The Littles was an animated series on ABC produced by DIC that ran from 1983-1985. It's about a boy named Henry Bigg who knows little human-ish creatures called The Littles. It was based off books. One day I will probably do a post about the series, but this time I'm going into an episode that was because, it was the 1980's, about drugs. (Don't do 'em).
Our Show: The Littles
What is it trying to tell the audience? : The Affects of Drugs/ Prescription Drug abuse/ Addiction
The episode we are looking at this time is "Prescription for Disaster" which aired on November 12, 1983. When the Littles would re-air on other channels like Toon Disney, this episode was skipped, because it was too powerful. (That's our reason at least) It was the first season of the show. Explaining the show a little, there are these little humanoid creatures that try to keep hiding from the humans, like us, and only one human they allow to interact with them, that's Henry. Also for this episode, Henry won't be in it. (Things are going great) The main Little characters are a boy named Tom, and his sister Lucy, their grandpa named Grandpa, and older cousin Dinky. This episode focuses more on them having a story and no Henry, but there will be some human characters, coming up.
Grandpa, Dinky, Tom, and Lucy are going to some cousins' house for a get together supper. That's when the one cousin, Mimi, decides to show her room and pet mouse, which is funny because there was an episode before the one before this one, that had them running from rats. Anyway, they hear a noise and Mimi tells them the important part of this plot: There's a girl named Angela and her mother named Emily, both humans. They look sad because of the drugs. I'm ripping that line from the episode, Mimi says it because of the drugs. Episode is not hiding it , at least.
I like Pills with my coffee grrrr!/ Copyright Wildbrain
Emily was taking medication for something unexplained for months now and it seems to gotten to the point where it now causes her to be withdrawn, lacking of energy, ignoring Angela except when she gets all angry and yells at Angela. Emily then goes and gets more of her pills. There's also a subplot of Dinky eating all these pies like a madman which leads into what will be the other part of our drug themed episode here. Emily gets her pills and drops them on the floor, one of them falls down the vent, breaks open the powder hitting one of the pies, and yes that means Dinky ends up accidently getting some drugs. (Remember kids, always check your pie for drug powder before eating them)
This causes Dinky to hallucinate and freak out. Since he's a Little and about a few inches high the drug takes quick effect. Grandpa figures out that he's on drugs and follows behind Dinky when he tries to run away from the danger he's thinking is around.
The drugs have caused him to see your soul/ Copyright Wildbrain
Interestingly, and there will be more on this later, the episode having a message isn't being used to go out of its normal structure of what one would expect for an episode of this show. Grandpa usually ends up being the character who has to wrangle Dinky for an assortment of reasons. For the other part, Tom and Lucy do take interest in human matters and sometimes have the instinct to help.
Going back to Angela trying to tell her mother she's worried about her but the mom says she's fine before she passes out on the bed. (That's fine) Angela decides she should take some of the pills too and maybe that'd help. Lucy, Mimi, and Tom decide to help stop her before she makes the very bad decision.
Dinky's plot gets harrowing because he thinks Grandpa is a monster and they end up a baked goods factory and all this happening could have gotten either one of them or both of them killed. The Little kids try to hide the pill jar but it spills and Angela is coming. Lucy ends up trapped inside the jar. Again, still staying in the hallmark of the show where characters have to be rescued.
Grandpa is able to get Dinky to safety and out of his drug filled rampage. Now the two of them are there to help the others with getting Lucy back. I'm also glad Angela is being slow with the drugs showing her worry about even doing the act. The pet mouse is used as a distraction so the Littles can get Lucy, then they try to hide the pills, but they have to run away from Angela before she finds them.
They still have to help her before she takes the pills so they have a plan B. Yes, being found out is still a risk worse than stopping a girl from taking dangerous pills. Anyway, they dress up as pill bottles and pills to get to the mother whom they wake up and make her think she's in a drug induced nightmare. Emily staggers to the bathroom thinking that another pill would help stop her from being pill induced. (That's not the smartest plan) The Littles warn her that Angela is danger. She washes her face and notices that they're gone and that her pills are missing. She runs to her daughter's room and stops the girl from taking them.
Emily realizes that's not been doing the best recently and apologizes to her daughter. Angela asks her why doesn't she stop taking them, the mom throws them away and she promises that she'll stop, but it will take some work she says and asks if Angela will help her. Then the episode ends with a goofy Dinky on the mouse thing.
Does this episode work as a PSA? What I found interesting about this episode is how not ham-fisted it was. Like I've seen and written about media that gets it's message out and tries really hard to make it feel forced. Here, it's simple yet effective in it's own way. It also still keeps into what the show normally does. To answer the question, yeah, I think so. It's interestingly toned down for an 80's episode about drugs, while still showing some effect on how it hurts people and those around them. The pills getting to Dinky is also a good way to show not being careful , even if not addicted, with medication can end up harming someone else, if they end up taking it or a young kid being unaware eats it. The episode also takes the approach of focusing on legal prescribed drug abuse instead of random illegal drugs, that is a topic that should be brought up and showed how it can become addicting and a type of crutch. It was also a good touch to show the mom saying she's going to work to get over her problem and ask for help instead of being like "I'm better now." It works as a resolution to a self contained episode of a mostly self contained show.
That's it for now, tune in next time when we wonder
