Love and Kindness Can Cure Any Family Ill in Season 1 of LOVELY LITTLE FARM
By Movieguide® Contributor
Apple TV’s family-friendly series, LOVELY LITTLE FARM, follows two sisters, Jill and Jacky, as they take care of their talking farm animals. Each episode focuses on a new challenge Jill and Jacky must face as they become strong, independent farmers. Viewers can access all seven episodes on Apple TV.
LOVELY LITTLE FARM stars Levi Lowden, Kassidi Roberts and Micah Balfour. It is written by Dave Ingham, Denise Cassar and Steve Turner and produced by Maddy Darrall, Billy Macqueen and Tony Cooke.
Jill wants her animals to stay in her room, but her dad says no. The new baby will arrive soon, and her sister Jacky must move in with Jill to give the baby his own room. Jill moves all the animals out of her room—only to find that they have taken up residence in the kitchen. Jacky uses the wagon she transformed into a tractor to transfer all the animals outside and into their pens. She comforts hesitant talking horse Pickle and Al the Alpaca because the pens are different than their old home. Jill and Jacky’s love and care for their animals (nicknamed “Muddy Buddies”) help them transition peacefully into the farm they create in their barn.
Not only are they excited about the new farm, but their mom is expecting a baby. Jill wants to help name her new baby brother, but Jacky wants to choose the baby’s name by herself. This parallels the birth of an animal in the barn. Pickle the Pony and Al the Alpaca take care of an egg, but one day, they realize the egg has disappeared. Jill plays detective to find Al and Pickle’s precious egg. Through her power of deduction, she and her family discover that the egg rolled right back to the farm where it belonged.
In another episode, some sheep run away from the farm because of a hole in the fence. Jill has to find them and bring them back to the barn, but her feet get stuck in the mud. Jill finds the sheep and rescues them before getting caught in a severe rainstorm. She discovers a leak in the barn roof that they must fix immediately. Jill also drops the egg and realizes that it has the hiccups. No matter what Jill does to stop the hiccups—ride around with it in a wheelbarrow or scare it—they won’t stop. Upon examination, the family discovers twins in the egg.
The main worldview is moral/biblical. Although Jill may not always want to obey her parents, she does so anyway, teaching viewers the importance of submitting to authority. The second predominant worldview is romanticism, and the overarching romantic worldview of love conquers all permeates the entire show. Their farm thrives because of their meticulous care and nurturing of their animals. This show also has a positive view of young women as Jill learns about farming through her responsibility of caring for her animals. This teaches children the importance and benefits of taking responsibility at a young age, reinforcing the idea of working “at it with all your heart as if working for the Lord and not men” (Colossians 3:23), although the show never mentions God.
The show also deals appropriately with sensitive subjects, like a mother having a baby. It simply mentions a new baby is on the way, and their mom goes to the hospital. The new babies give the show a pro-life element. Many scenes depict Barbara the Sheep taking care of her baby, which teaches kids the importance of caring for life. Together, Jill and Jacky suggest another J name to complete their family—Joshua (nicknamed Joshy). This promotes traditional family values.
The themes of togetherness and the family unit permeate the show. Episodes teach children many skills, such as how to take a picture with a camera. The family takes a photo where everyone dresses up in their favorite outfits to showcase who they are. Jill also had to learn to let Barbara the Sheep and her lamb go out into the field to graze on their own, teaching the audience that “saying goodbye is one of the hardest things to learn about being a farmer.”
LOVELY LITTLE FARM has many positive elements. This show is Y rated. There is no language, no violence, no sexual content and no nudity. There are no depictions of smoking or drinking, either rebuked or not rebuked. Some slightly questionable elements include hesitancy to obey parents, yelling and selfishness. But through the positive elements, characters always do the right thing. The lack of inappropriate elements, combined with a positive view of young women, responsibility and entrepreneurship, makes this a great family show for all to enjoy.
Other positive elements of this show include the cinematography and special effects. Producers do a great job with camera work and lighting. Every scene uses vibrant, cheerful colors, adding to an overall positive feeling. Muted colors highlight the majestic views overlooking the farm.
Additionally, the use of animatronics makes the audience fall in love with the animals just as much as Jill and Jacky do. The talking animals provide a deeper layer to the show as viewers anticipate what Pickle, Al and Quackety Duck Duck will do next. These animals also teach viewers lessons, such as sharing and independence, all while keeping kids engaged enough to watch the next episode.
Overall, Movieguide® commends LITTLE LOVELY FARM for its moral worldview, clean content and positive pro-life elements. Every family will find this show a delight and will fall in love with Jill and Jacky’s belief that love and kindness can cure any family ill.
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