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A few weeks ago, I was doing an on-air, remote satellite interview with CH's LIve@5:30 hosts Mark Hebscher and Donna Skelly. It is a weird experience; you're in a room on an upper floor in Queen's Park peering into a cold camera lens, listening to two or three people talk to you through a piece of wire and rubber in your ear. Someday this is how we will all celebrate Thanksgiving.
The topic, of course, was television, specifically May Sweeps, but Hebscher wasn't interested in talking about the finales of Survivor or American Idol. He was obsessed with a show I hadn't even heard about: Little People, Big World.
Now, you are asking yourself, how come TV Boy has to learn what's what from a Hamilton TV host? Hey, even TV critics can't keep track of all this clutter. It is a rare week in Sweeps when you get a chance to lift your head and look past the latest hype about House, Housewives or Howie Mandel.
Last weekend, however, I caught a Little People, Big World marathon on TLC (another airs this weekend, starting Saturday night at 7 p.m.). Hebscher was right: This thing is addictive.
This season, TLC has broken out of its How-To, Trading Spaces rut. Clever new "Life Lesson" shows include Honey, We're Killing The Kids, about family nutrition, and Jamie's School Lunch Project, featuring Brit chef Jamie Oliver.
Little People, Big World introduces us to the Roloffs, a family of six who live on a 34-acre farm outside Portland, Oregon. She's a stay-at-home soccer mom, he's an Internet entrepreneur. They have four busy children, including twins.
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What's the hook? Parents Matt and Amy Roloff are dwarfs, about four feet tall. Three of their four children are average height. One of their sons -- 15-year-old Zack -- is nearly two feet shorter than his twin brother Jeremy.
When I first heard about this series I thought it sounded exploitative. It's one thing to follow Ozzy Osbourne and clan around with cameras. They made millions from the exposure, both through the show and record sales. They are used to being in a circus.
SUN TV's Sunday night series Black. White. was another caution. While it is a fascinating social experiment, there is something phony and unsettling about making black people up to look white and vice versa.
Little People, Big World, however, is not a freak show. It is one of the most real and relatable shows on television. Episodes deal with everyday things. We see Zack going for his driving test. Twin brother Jeremy wants to spend more time with his girlfriend. Daughter Molly needs time out from her brothers. Matt wants to buy a pet for the ranch.
What sets this series apart, of course, is how the Roloffs also cope with the daily challenges of being four feet tall in a six-foot world. Mom Amy coaches her 8-year-old son Jacob's soccer team. The players are all her height or taller. Ordinary tasks like dishes and laundry involve step stools and hauling baskets up stairs one step at a time. As Amy says, "You just get tired of what can you get, what can you not."
Although the Roloff's 18-year marriage is tested at times, what shines through is the bond that connects this family. Matt, a big advocate for little people, is determined to see son Zack enjoy life without limits. Some of those limits are emotional as well as physical. Rarely has a TV dad worked so hard to help his son past his shyness with girls.
What is just as extraordinary is how this show tests the limits of its audience. Between Fantasy Island's Herve Villechaize and Threshold's Peter Dinklage, little people are rarely seen on television. But once you get past the fact that the Roloffs are short, they are just like the rest of us. As young Jacob says, "Kids always look at my mom and stare. She won't get bigger, so get used to it."