Word Party is an animated series targeted at toddlers and preschoolers by The Jim Henson Company—specifically, The Henson Digital Puppetry Studio (who were also responsible for Sid the Science Kid and Dinosaur Train). This interactive series stars four baby animals - Bailey the elephant, Kip the wallaby, Lulu the panda and Franny the cheetah, along with a myriad of exotic toys and a friendly off-screen narrator (Patina Miller). The viewers takes on the role as a "big kid", whom the babies looks up to and "learns" new words from.
Most of the plot centers on the babies' playtime, which will proceed until the babies come across something that they do not know the word to, be it an emotion, an occupation, a color or an animal. The big kids are then required (with the help of Word Wally, a proportionately large robotic TV on wheels) to teach the babies the required word. Upon completion, the babies break into a party and the show ends.
The novelty of the series, however, relies on its fully interactive segments. On supported devices, an icon will pop up at set intervals that when tapped or clicked, interrupts the show and launches a flash card minigame that teaches the words relevant in the episode to the viewers.
The series had 26 episodes and premiered worldwide on Netflix on July 8, 2016, with 14 episodes. The remaining 12 premiered on 21st October 2016.
This series provides examples of:
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: The baby animals are wearing diapers. Lulu and Tilly also wear bows on their heads.
- Accidental Injury Guilt: In "Ouch!", Kip teaches Bailey how to hop like a wallaby. Bailey mimics him, only to trip and injure his shoulder. Kip is distraught and feels guilty for asking Bailey to jump like that (though this is played with in that he didn't cause it himself).
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: So, Kip and Franny are the colors expected from a wallaby and cheetah respectively. But then you get blue elephants and purple pandas (Bailey and Lulu respectively).
- Artistic License – Biology: In the episode Bailey's Garden, a sunflower planted from a seed grows into a full plant in a matter of minutes, without fertilizer or watering to boot.
- Assuming the Audience's Age: The babies and narrator address you as the big kid.
- The Baby of the Bunch: Tilly, as of her debut in Season 4. Lulu was originally qualified as this as she can have difficulty trying to fully express her feelings, and she can get frustrated when the other babies don't understand her.
- In Tilly's case, she is soft-spoken and doesn't talk very much, though words can't always describe what she wants to express.
- Beeping Computers: The episode "Kip Comes to His Senses" has Kip's new toy, the Bopping Beetle, that technically plays sounds that could give CrazyBus a run for its money.
- Bows for Cuteness: Lulu and Tilly are both babies who wear bows on their heads.
- Edutainment Show: Teaches basic vocabulary and social skills.
- Expository Theme Tune: The theme song pretty much nails the basic premise of the show.We're the babies/you're the big kid/teach us every word you know/ready, set, let's go!.
- Fake Interactivity: Actually averted on supported devices. If you watch the show on an Android (Lollipop or newer) or iOS (iOS 6 or newer)-based device, an icon will occasionally pop up. When tapped, the icon will suspend the show and launch a flashcard type minigame. However, other parts of the show (as well as watching the show on devices that do not support the interactivity functions of Netflix) play it straight.
- Free-Range Children: Well, not so free range since they do ask you if they can go outside. But where they go once they're outside is completely beyond your control.
- Gender-Equal Ensemble: Lulu and Franny are girls. Bailey and Kip are boys.
- Keet: Kip. Whenever he tries to guess what the others are feeling, or what someone else is trying to tell him, he has trouble finding out what it is, with him comically and humorously failing.
- Kids Prefer Boxes: An empty box appears in the episode "To the Moon!". The babies are quick to turn it into imaginary vehicles.
- Narrator: The show has one to guide the audience and the babies.
- The Nicknamer: Lulu has nicknames for all the other kids. "Wanny" for Franny, "Kippy" for Kip, and "Bail-Bail" for Bailey.
- No Antagonist: The conflicts in the series come from Slice of Life situations.
- No Fourth Wall: The babies and narrator can converse directly with the viewers, who are addressed as the "big kid".
- Prone to Tears: Lulu.
- Quarter Hour Short: All the episodes are just 11–12-minute increments.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: The babies themselves. They are absolutely adorable!
- Sixth Ranger: Tilly the tortoise, who hatched when Season 4 began.
- Slice of Life: Most of the conflicts that takes place are down to earth despite the presence of really advanced robotics—for example, not knowing what a vegetable is called, or the friendship between two characters becoming strained due to petty disagreements.
- Sliding Scale of Anthropomorphism: The babies in the series fall under Funny Animals.
- Sugar Bowl: Conflict is largely petty or nonexistent in the show.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Lulu and Penny Ling, 2 purple girl pandas who are extremely sensitive.
- Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: How can you tell that Franny and Lulu are girls aside from their name and voice pitch? They both have eyelashes.
- There Are No Adults: There are no adults in the show unless you count the Narrator.
- Title Theme Tune: Word Party! The party just begun! There's a word for what we're gonna have, and that word is fun!
- Toilet Training Plot: "Hey, Have You Heard? It's the Word Potty!" revolves around Franny learning to use the potty.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Franny and Lulu, respectively, with Franny being more adventurous and daring while Lulu being coy and timid.
- White Void Room: Certain scenes are rendered as this, particularly during the opening theme sequence.