Yo Gabba GabbaLand

TV Series Review

What would you do if you could make your toys come to life by saying a magic word?

Kammy Kam doesn’t have to wonder.

When she says “Yo Gabba GabbaLand,” Kammy’s colorful toys come to life and make new discoveries in their fun-filled world. Kammy’s toys come in all shapes and sizes: There’s a fluffy, green-striped guy named Brobee. Muno is a one-eyed red guy. Foofa is pink with a flower on her head. A blue, cat-like creature named Toodee enjoys playing with the Gabba friends. And a yellow robot named Plex joins the fun, too.

All of them—plus Kammy Kam, too—love to learn. They might discover the secrets of light. They might tap into their own creativity. But whatever they learn, they’re sure to include plenty of singing, dancing and being good friends.

Gabbing About Preschool Programming

As preschool programming goes, Apple TV+’s Yo Gabba GabbaLand is pretty much what you’d expect. There’s music. There’s repetition. There’s dancing. There’s repetition. There are bright colors. Oh, and did I mention there’s repetition?

Each 25-minute episode teaches kids one main subject. For example, one episode talks about change and growth. Another teaches kids about wind and air. The various segments all help reinforce the episode’s topic for the show’s young viewers.

Generally, each episode has several main segments that feature Brobee, Muno, Foofa and Toodee learning more about the main subject. Between the main segments (which typically feature Brobee, Muno, Foofa and Toodee) are smaller vignettes. For example, there’s a brief segment that highlights kids from countries such as Pakistan, Indonesia and the United States. In another, a grown-up teaches kids how to draw something or conduct a simple experiment. And there’s a storytime segment featuring a celebrity guest,  usually a music star or actor. (Some of these guests are known for more adult-centric—and problematic—entertainment, but the show’s segments are quite clean.) Interspersed throughout the episodes are short clips of kids dancing or making silly faces. The episodes conclude with Kammy Kam reviewing with her friends what they learned that day.

Parents won’t find anything too concerning in Yo Gabba GabbaLand. In dance numbers, people sometimes shake their hips or wear form-fitting costumes. Kids make silly faces in the mini segments. And bright colors can flash quickly, which may be overstimulating for younger viewers.   

Some families may also be sensitive to the show’s use of magic. Each episode begins with Kammy Kam asking viewers to say the magic words, “Yo Gabba GabbaLand.” When Kammy says these words, her toys come alive, and magical sparkles cause the toys’ world to get bigger. In the first episode of Season 1, a kid tells viewers that he likes magic wands and crystals.

Like the original Yo Gabba Gabba! series, Yo Gabba GabbaLand uses upbeat songs and quirky characters to teach young kids about the world. While its whimsical approach may be totally acceptable for some families, the references to magic might have other families looking for different preschool programs.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)