When I heard that Cartoon Network had a series set in a natural history museum, I had to check it out. Unnatural History is a new live-action series starring Kevin G. Schmidt, Jordan Gavaris, and Italia Ricci. Schmidt plays Henry Griffin, the son of anthropologists who has traveled to all kinds of exotic locations with his parents. To give him more stability, his parents have sent him to live with his uncle and cousin Jasper (played by Gavaris) in Washington, DC. Rounding out the gang is their Strong Female Friend (TM) Maggie, played by Ricci. The three of them attend a high school located in the fictional National Museum Complex (which is clearly modeled on the Smithsonian).
The episode I saw involved Jasper curating an exhibit in the museum (apparently, the museum lets one do this every year). His exhibit is about the Pony Express and his cousin Henry is eager to help him make it a success. Eventually, they go off on a search for some missing silver from a mine in Nevada that turns out to be contaminated with some nasty bacteria. Poor Jasper gets sick, and it’s up to Henry to save the day.
Overall, I thought the show was decent. The plot is outlandish, but fun. I know next to nothing about the Wild West, so I can’t comment on the accuracy of the underlying history, but I have to give props to the writers for basing the mystery around something other than a mummy or a supposedly cursed jewel. I also like the fact that, although Jasper is portrayed as an excellent student, the writers resisted the temptation to turn him into a pencil-necked geek with Coke-bottle glasses and a pocket protector.
The show’s major downside is that Henry is in danger of becoming a Mary Sue. Because Henry has traveled the world with his parents, he’s acquired a very diverse skill set and, when he’s forced to use one of his skills, the audience is treated to a little flashback to illustrate how he acquired it. In moderation, it’s a cool device, but the writers need to be very careful that they don’t rely on it too much, lest Henry become a perfect cardboard cutout rather than a believable character.
Codex Lochianus 