Watch Wayside

Wayside is a Canadian animated children's television series created by Louis Sachar based on his Sideways Stories From Wayside School book series. Produced by Nelvana, it aired for three seasons from 2005 to 2008. The show follows the wacky and absurd adventures of the students of Wayside School, a thirty-story school where each floor has its own eccentric classroom and teacher.

The main character of the series is Todd (Katie Leigh), a new student at Wayside School who finds himself in the unenviable position of being the only student in Miss Mush's (Alicyn Packard) 30th-floor class. Miss Mush is the cook of the school and often serves up questionable concoctions that have unusual side effects on the students. However, Todd quickly makes friends with the other students in the school, each with their own unique eccentricities.

Todd's best friend is Maurecia (Alicyn Packard), a tough and sarcastic girl who has a crush on him. Maurecia is a standout character of the show, and her no-nonsense attitude and take-no-prisoners approach to life make her a fan favorite. Together with their classmates, including Calvin (Paul Greenberg), best known for his wild hairstyle, and Dana (Linda Ballantyne), a girl who can grow her own pigtails at will, they get into all sorts of crazy situations that usually involve solving problems in unconventional and unexpected ways.

One of the show's strengths is the way it plays up its absurdity. Each episode features a new and ridiculous scenario, such as when the entire school is shrunken down to the size of a peanut, or when the students are turned into chickens by a substitute teacher. The teachers in Wayside School are just as bizarre as the students, with weird and wonderful abilities like Mrs. Jewls (Denise Oliver), who can fire laser beams from her eyes, or Mr. Kidswatter (Terry McGurrin), who is convinced that he is a superhero.

The animation style of Wayside is unique and charming. The show has a distinct pencil-drawn look that sets it apart from other animated shows of the time. The characters are all brightly colored and exaggerated in their features, which makes them stand out even more against the muted backgrounds. The show also makes good use of visual humor, with sight gags scattered throughout the episode that range from subtle to outrageous.

Wayside also has a catchy theme song that will stick in your head long after you finish watching an episode. The theme song is infectiously upbeat and sets the tone for the lighthearted and wacky tone of the show. The show's soundtrack is also notable for incorporating different musical styles, from jazz to hip hop, which help to give the show its playful energy.

Overall, Wayside is a fantastically fun and offbeat animated series for kids of all ages. With its colorful characters, absurd scenarios, and whimsical animation style, it's a show that will keep you laughing from start to finish. Although it aired more than a decade ago, it still holds up well and is well worth watching. It's a testament to the power of childhood imagination and the joy that comes from a truly unique and original show.

Wayside is a series that ran for 2 seasons (39 episodes) between September 7, 2007 and on Nelvana