Two Thumbs Up (both from me) for "Handy Manny"

After quickly exhausting all the new episodes of "Wonder Pets" back in the spring, I've been too consumed with other TV to watch any children's shows. But this morning I discovered "Handy Manny" on Playhouse Disney, and I'm loving it.

Before tuning in, all I knew was that Wilmer Valderrama was somehow involved. Although I of course loved him as Fez on "That '70s Show," his celebrity party antics didn't exactly engender confidence in what he would bring to an offering for kids. But he's actually really adorable as the voice of Manny, the go-to fix-it guy in a small, friendly town. Although at first I found his husky, grown-up voice to be jarring — particularly for a children's show, which normally features clear, announcer-like voices — I quickly came to appreciate the warm, avuncular tone that he used for communicating with his pack of unruly tools.

Unruly tools, you ask? Sure! You wouldn't expect the tools on a show like this to be inanimate, would you? As described by a Disney press release, the tools are "Pat, the bumbling hammer, Turner, a grumpy screwdriver, Felipe, a very ambitious screwdriver, Dusty, the not-so-dainty hand saw, Stretch, the nearly perfect tape measure, Squeeze, a curious pair of pliers and Rusty, a fearful monkey wrench." So far, my favorites are Rusty and Felipe, both of whom feature some of that New York neurosis we can all identify with.

Overall, "Handy Manny" doesn't seem as sharp and quirky as "Wonder Pets," so there's less for an adult to enjoy. But I can definitely appreciate how appealing the show would be for kids, and that makes it a pleasure to watch. Plus, you haven't lived until you've watched a bunch of CG tools chasing escaped bunnies around a pet store.