Wyatt is totally bored–no one to play with, no interesting toys. Wisely, his mom suggests he explore his imagination. Wyatt is surprised to experience the tent in his room suddenly give way to a super cool fort–Wyatt’s Fort! Wyatt ventures in and is soon waylaid by a new hairy friend, Hershem, as he expands on the wonders of Wyatt’s Fort, a place of “infinite possibilities.” The fort has even given Wyatt his own catchy theme song! Hershem continues. The rule: guard the Jewel of Light from the villain. The villain: Grimhilt, a seesaw-eyed evil doer ready to kaboom the world- HAHAAAA! And what would a boys’ fort be without an intruding, yappy little pest? Emma: little sister. These, and about a dozen other crazy, colorful, Muppet-style characters, proceed to take us through story after story, generally focusing on moral lessons, teaching directly from the Bible. Too bad it’s simply referred to as “The Book of Illumination,” but because the stories are popular OT accounts of familiar people, it’s apparent where the lessons originate.
Each episode of Wyatt’s Fort is cleverly layered, seamlessly blending the children’s moral lesson, with humorous lines which elicit a cackle from older viewers. Wyatt is usually challenged with making the right decision. That’s where The Book of Illumination comes in. Getting there is the fun part as Wyatt is transported through portals and adventures in search of what he needs to save the day. Supported by biblical teaching, Wyatt learns lessons that encourage obedience to parents, loving less desirable people, and trusting God in uncertain situations. The episodes are amusingly relatable and relevant, like the one featuring dopey Desmond’s addiction to coca-bocamooka-lattes from Grimlucks, a clandestine cover for the evil Grimhilt. But Wyatt doesn’t notice because he’s found a ‘Wisen Watch’ which has entranced him, zapping his attention span and emitting Emma warnings like “Hashtag: Emergency! Run for your life!” “Plot twist.”, says Desmond’s coffee-seeking sock puppet.
Chason Laing brings us a well-produced, humorous, imaginative show with sets, props, characters, and themes that easily rival Sesame Street. Minor characters such as Hadley the Poet are also enjoyably rich. Even if he has no hands… Ultimately, Wyatt’s Fort offers the entire family an appreciated choice in children’s entertainment and Dove is happy to award Wyatt’s Fort the All Ages seal of Approval.
The Dove Take:
Chason Laing’s Wyatt’s Fort offers the whole family a Bible-based alternative to Sesame Street, as they enjoy colorful, diverse Muppet-style characters learning godly lessons in a fun and imaginative setting.
