Moving kids' imaginations, one episode at a time

By Barry Garron

If you haven't heard of Imagination Movers, it's probably because you don't spend enough time hanging around with preschoolers. Ever since September, they've been on at 10 a.m. daily on the Disney Channel. With any luck, they'll be renewed for a second season sometime soon.

Imagination Movers are heroes in the eyes of the preschool set. They are bright, enthusiastic, active and musical. They easily win toddlers over with their melodies and their antics. And here's the best part. They are the kind of TV parents want their kids to watch.

To understand why, it helps to know a little bit about how the Movers came about. One of them, Scott Durbin, was an elementary teacher for 10 years. "I developed an appreciation of kids being creative," he said. About six years ago, Durbin got together with three friends, all residents of New Orleans, to create a kids program for the local public broadcasting station.

"From the first few days, we had an educational dogma and a mission statement," he said. The idea behind the series was to show young children how to use their imagination and what they know to solve problems and find answers to what they don't know. Adding to the fun are the five songs the Movers write for every episode.

"We make catchy music that fires kids' imaginations," said Rich Collins, a Mover who used to write about entertainment for a New Orleans weekly paper.

The Movers are not afraid to let their hair down; they actually enjoy it. Three of them are parents of young children and the fourth, Scott "Smitty" Smith, a firefighter, said he and his wife are doing their best to make it unanimous. "We're used to being goofy with our kids," Durbin said. "We're all just kind of big kids ourselves. We love to play. We love to be silly. If you look at us in concert, half the time we're stooped over or sitting down crosslegged or in some other way we're directly in contact and talking to and connecting with little kids.

In their early years, they played at children's hospitals and performed for small groups of kids. "It gave us a very, very strong sense for what's working and what doesn't work," Durbin said. "It allowed us to do a lot of field testing and create something that makes a connection."

The Movers were starting to make their move when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005. Three of the four members lost their homes. The office where the Movers kept their instruments, equipment, CDs and DVDs was destroyed.

Said Smith: "If there was a silver lining to it for us it was that we were getting e-mails from fans who were on the road. They told us they took with them a few belongings and our CD and DVD, which brought a sense of normalcy to their lives and was comforting during the evacuation."

The Movers repaid the compliment. After Disney ordered the show, all 26 episodes were produced in New Orleans, giving the area an important economic boost.

The Movers are optimistic that Disney will pick them up for another season and they should be. Children love the show and it's good for them. Originally designed for PBS, it's the kind of TV that any kids channel should be eager to carry. If you don't believe me, just ask a preschooler.