Wish Kid

1 9 9 1 (USA)
13 x 30 minute episodes

Given the massive success of the 1990 movie Home Alone, in which Macaulay Culkin starred as a child who defended his house against would-be criminals through elaborate and comical defences, one would have thought that a cartoon with Culkin the next year would use the same setup as its model.

Instead, this Saturday morning animated series from NBC had him voicing Nick McClary, a mischievous 9-year-old boy whose magical baseball glove granted him one wish a week when he punched it three times.

Nick’s African-American friend Darryl Singletary (voiced by Stuart Stone), was the only other person who knew about the magical glove and found himself invariably mixed up in the chaos that ensued following each wish.

Enmeshed in these comic complications were Nick’s baby sister Katie (voiced by Culkin’s actual younger sister Quinn), his reporter/photographer father, Mel (Andrew Sabiston), his real-estate agent mother, Adrienne (Tara Strong), and Frankie Duttweiler, the resident neighbourhood bully.

As with the old ABC nighttime sitcom Bewitched, with which this cartoon shared a certain similarity, a suspicious neighbour, Mrs Opal, witnessed the magic in disbelief as she never could verify the odd happenings to others.

Slobber was Nick’s cute dog. Each episode was introduced by Culkin in a live-action prologue.

Wish Kid was originally developed for the fledgling Fox lineup before it appeared as the last cartoon seen on NBC’s Saturday lineup. Fox reportedly had plans to rework the cartoon for a second season but dropped the idea.

Nick McClary
Macaulay Culkin
Katie McClary
Quinn Culkin
Darryl Singletary
Stuart Stone
Nick’s Dad (Mel McClary)
Andrew Sabiston
Nick’s mother (Adrienne McClary)
Tara Strong

Episodes

Episodes

Video

You May Also Like