OK, Mom... you’re used to watching Blaze and the Monster Machines because your kid loves it, but Nickelodeon actually has a treat in store for parents, too. (‘Tis the for treats, after all!) While you count down the days to your annual Hocus Pocus fest in October, you can experience a little piece of that magic on Monday, Sept. 18, when your little one tunes into their favorite monster-truck-fueled STEM series. How? With a cameo from none other than Mary Sanderson herself, the incomparable Kathy Najimy.
In an episode titled “Super Wheels vs. The Green Queen,” Najimy’s character — the Green Queen — can’t get enough of the color green. In fact, she turns out to be a comically over-the-top supervillain who decides to use her magic crown to turn everything she sees green.
From dogs to buildings and everything in between, nothing is safe from Najimy’s green beam. If Blaze, Watts, and Darington don’t do something soon, Axle City will be a monochromatic mess by the time the Green Queen gets finished. But can the monster-truck superheroes stop her before she turns their whole world into her beloved hue?
You be the judge! Scary Mommy has an exclusive clip from the episode proving Najimy’s Green Queen will stop at nothing — literally, not even a stop sign — to ensure she paints the town green.
While kids focus on Blaze and his buddies defeating the Green Queen, parents (especially us millennials, holla) will get a kick out of hearing Najimy’s super recognizable voice in cartoon form. If you can get your kid to break away from their Blaze bingewatching session, maybe you can convince them to watch Hocus Pocus with you so you can really steep in your nostalgia.
But even if your kid wants to play Blaze and the Monster Machines on repeat, at least it’s a show you can feel good about them watching to their heart’s content. It’s rare to find a preschool TV series that so comprehensively covers and introduces STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) concepts in every episode.
Kids get a primer in everything from the physics of how things move to solving problems through scientific inquiry and mathematics. Even the music in the show has a STEM slant, exploring things like friction, force, and trajectory. In “Super Wheels vs. The Green Queen,” you’ll see a strong emphasis on different colors, perfect for the early learner.
And, naturally, there are monster trucks, and what kid doesn’t like those?
Created by Jeff Borkin (Team Umizoomi head writer) and Ellen Martin (Bubble Guppies supervising producer), the smart series has seen Blaze, his eight-year-old driver AJ, and the rest of their turbo-charged pals through seven seasons so far.
Catch Najimy in Blaze and the Monster Machines on Nickelodeon this Monday, Sept. 18, at 11 a.m. (ET/PT).
