Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures

infobox television
show_name = Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures
genre = Children's
Animated cartoon

runtime = Approx. 28 minutes
country = USA
network = PBS
first_aired = January 19, 2008
last_aired = present
language = English
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 12
website = http://www.betsyskindergartenadventures.com/|

Infobox TV ratings
show_name = Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures
usa_tv = TV-Y E/I

[http://www.betsyskindergartenadventures.com Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures] is a slice of life cartoon intended for young children. The show premiered on January 19, 2008 on most [http://pbskids.org/betsy/ PBS Kids] stations. The show follows a girl named Betsy as she starts out her school years. The series premiere shows Betsy facing the uncertainty of her first day of school and the adjustments she must make as she meets her new teacher and classmates, encounters unfamiliar rules and routines, and finds herself in an entirely new environment. Subsequent episodes show Betsy's excitement and sense of adventure as she adapts to the new experiences of kindergarten.

Like Caillou, Arthur, and episodes of the 2003 relaunched version of Strawberry Shortcake prior to the movie, there are no villains in this educational real life adventure story. Any misbehavior from Betsy and/or the other children are there to instruct children, not to make them "evil" or "antagonizing."

Characters

Adults

* Mrs. Carl O'Connor (voiced by Sally Struthers), the kindergarten teacher
* Mr. Carl O'Connor, the kindergarten teacher's husband
* Bus Driver Bob (voiced by Fred Willard), the loyal bus driver
* Mr. Richard Warner (voiced by Tom Bosley), the principal at Lakewood Elementary School
* Farmer Thomas Warner (voiced by Jorge Diaz), Richard Warner's brother and the owner of Warner Farms
* Betsy's mother (voiced by Bess Armstrong), a homemaker who takes care of her daughter Betsy and her baby son Kevin. She is a stay-at-home mother and does not seem to have any outside job.
* Betsy's father (voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz), an airplane pilot who speaks to Betsy in "airplane-talk." He appears to be the family's sole breadwinner.

Children

(Note: As of the end of Season One, none of the children's last names have been disclosed.)
* Betsy (voiced by Daveigh Chase), the title character of the show
* Scott (voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz), a smart boy with glasses who is very interested in science
* Billy (voiced by Nancy Cartwright), who enjoys playing in the dirt and is Betsy's friend
* Molly (voiced by Vicki Lewis), an elitist girl
* Sarah (voiced by Cree Summer), a girl who excels at nearly all sports
* Kenji (voiced by Nancy Cartwright), an intelligent boy who enjoys dancing
* Maria (voiced by Cree Summer), a quiet and artistic girl
* Kevin (voiced by Nancy Cartwright), Betsy's baby brother
* Newton (voiced by Kath Soucie), who shares similar interests to Scott and Kenji

Animals

* Gracie (voiced by Kathryn Mullen), Betsy's family's dog
* Kitty (voiced by Pam Arciero), Betsy's family's cat
* Sydney (voiced by Anthony Asbury and Dakota Fanning), the pet salamander that belongs to Mrs. O'Connor's kindergarten class

Settings

* Albright's department store where Molly hangs out and Betsy bought her mother a hair pin for $1.75; she earned that money by selling lemonade
* Warner Farms - where the principal's brother raises livestock
* Lakewood Elementary School - Betsy's school where she attends kindergarten
* Lakewood Elementary School's library where students borrow books for a week
* the school yard of Lakewood Elementary School - it has served as a place to hold Mrs. O'Connor's carnival as well as a place for the kindergarten students to play during recess
* Betsy's house - where she lives with her stay-at-home mother and her airplane pilot father
* the unnamed city where Betsy, her friends, and family live
* the museum where Betsy and her school friends went to in the first episode

External links

* [http://www.betsyskindergartenadventures.com Official Website]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458250/ Internet Movie Data Base]
* [http://www.toonarific.com/show.php?show_id=7624m Toonarific Cartoons]
* [http://pbskids.org/betsy/ PBS Kids]
* [http://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/BETSYS-KINDERGARTEN-ADVENTURES.html Common Sense Media]
* [http://parenting.ivillage.com/familyentertainment_csm/tv/0,,ckm3c262,00.html iVillage]
* [http://family.go.com/entertainment/article-csm-499690-tv-review--betsy-s-kindergarten-adventures-t/ Disney Family]
* [http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/betsys-kindergarten-adventures/cast/292119 TV Guide]