Poof Being In Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder Would Be A Mistake

The live-action reboot, The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder is releasing soon, and hopefully, it does not fall into one of the many trappings the original had: the character of Poof. The series is set to release on Paramount+, and seems to be made specifically for younger audiences. Although the new series already seems to have some issues, Fairly Odder adding Poof would be a massive mistake.

The Fairly OddParents follows Timmy Turner, an average kid who no one understands, as he navigates life with his two wish-granting fairies, Cosmo and Wanda. The original animated series ran from 2001 to 2017 and was a massive success for Nickelodeon. Unsurprisingly, Paramount+ wants to add to its show library by reviving some of these popular classics, which is why Fairly Odder was recently announced. The reboot follows an older Timmy Turner as he hands off Cosmo and Wanda to his younger cousin and her stepbrother. Although the characters and some other specifics are different, the basic premise of the series seems to be the same as the original.

Most fans of The Fairly OddParents agree that there is a steep decline in quality during the latter half of the show. They point to things like the change in animation style, comedy, and (most importantly) constant introduction of new characters. Similar to other long-running Nicktoons like Rugrats, the OddParents formula starts to get stale a few seasons in, and in order to solve this problem, the later seasons constantly add new main characters in an attempt to spice up the show. The fruits of this practice are characters like Sparky the fairy dog, Chloe Carmichael, and the baby fairy who started it all, Poof. The introduction of Poof in season 6 is what fans most often point to as the beginning of the end for the show, so carrying Poof over to the reboot will probably bring over many of these same problems.

The main issue fans have with Poof is that he is not a character, but a plot device. Many episodes revolve around Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda having to resolve whatever mess Poof has created. Poof is what causes the Flanderization seen throughout the series, a term named after Simpsons character Ned Flanders that is used to describe the phenomenon of characters transforming from complex and three-dimensional into flat and one-note. These issues can be clearly seen in the later seasons of the show, where sometimes Poof is completely absent unless they have an explicit purpose in the episode’s plot. He also signals a change in the show’s humor, going from clever setups and punchlines to cute and random humor. Poof is nearly pointless in the original series, only designed to revive the show and sell toys, and adding this failed defibrillator of a character to Fairly Odder would only be doing the show a disservice.

Although some fans of the original series don’t want Poof to appear, there is a slight chance he will. The trailer for Fairly Odder shows a neon purple sign reading “Poof,” a clear reference to the purple baby. Fairly OddParents creator Butch Hartman is also producing the series, and he may want to see the characters he created make still be utilized. However, due to the lack of a Poof appearance, it is very unlikely that he will appear in the reboot. Due to Poof’s effect on the show’s quality, it is a good thing that they will not be making an appearance in The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder.

The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder premiers March 31 on Paramount+.

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