tb4000 Review of The Life and Times of Juniper Lee

The Life and Times of Juniper Lee (2005–2007)

Seems vaguely similar to another show....

[30 May 2005]

Juniper Lee is from the mind of infamous comic book writer Judd Winick, and it shows, as the dialogue is just as smarmy and cynical as his stints in various DC comic stories. Batman is even mentioned in the pilot episode as a joke. The show focuses on teenage Juniper Lee, a girl with the ability to see demons and monsters from the "other realm", that normal humans aren't able to detect. Some are just going about their lives, while others are evil and want to wreak havoc on Earth, and it's her job to stop them. While the dialogue is clever, the show bares way too much of a resemblance to Disney's American Dragon: Jake Long, in that both leads are Asian Americans with mystical powers, both led by wise old ancestor-like grandparents, have an annoying younger sibling, and a talking dog that's added for comic relief and sarcastic comments about being a dog. If it can differentiate itself from the pack, then the show may have a shot.