You probably remember the theme song first. It had that bouncy, synth-heavy 80s energy that signaled Saturday morning had officially arrived. But if you sit down and actually watch The Littles today, you’ll realize it wasn't just another toy commercial in disguise. It was something else.
Based on the book series by John Peterson, the show followed a family of tiny, tail-bearing humans living inside the walls of the Bigg family home. They weren't mice. They weren't elves. They were a distinct species with their own culture, technology, and a very valid fear of being dissected by a scientist.
Honestly, the stakes were weirdly high for a show aimed at six-year-olds.
What Most People Forget About The Littles
Most 80s cartoons were built on a "villain of the week" formula where the bad guy was just a bumbling idiot. The Littles was different because the primary antagonist, Dr. Hunter, was genuinely unsettling. He didn't want to take over the world; he just wanted to prove the Littles existed so he could capture them. That’s a very grounded, claustrophobic kind of horror for a kid's show.
Tom and Lucy Little weren't just playing around; they were constantly navigating a world where a house cat was a literal dragon and a vacuum cleaner was a natural disaster.
The show premiered on ABC in 1983, produced by DIC Enterprises. At the time, DIC was the powerhouse behind Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff. You can see that DNA in the animation style—the slightly muted colors and the detailed backgrounds of the interior of the walls. It felt lived-in. The "Little" technology was especially cool. They used common household items in ways that would make MacGyver jealous. A thimble became a cooking pot. A postage stamp was wall art.
It taught kids about perspective. Literally.
The Henry Bigg Connection
The emotional core of the show was the relationship between Tom and Lucy and Henry Bigg. In the books, the humans didn't really know the Littles were there for a long time. The cartoon changed that immediately. Henry was the "giant" friend who knew their secret.
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This created a specific dynamic. Henry was a kid himself, often feeling powerless in the adult world, yet to the Littles, he was a guardian of god-like proportions. It’s a clever bit of writing. It allowed the audience to see themselves as both the small person needing help and the big person with the responsibility to protect others.
Why the Animation Holds Up (And Where It Doesn't)
Let’s be real. Not every episode of The Littles is a masterpiece. By the third season, things got a bit weird. They started traveling the world in a "Little-sized" plane, which sort of took away from the charm of the "secret world inside the walls" vibe.
But the early seasons? They were solid.
The voice acting was particularly strong. You had Jimmy E. Keegan as Henry and Alvy Moore (who played Mr. Kimball on Green Acres) as Grandpa Little. Grandpa was the MVP. He was grumpy, nostalgic, and constantly complaining about how the "modern" Littles were getting soft. He added a layer of history to the show. He’d talk about the "old days," implying that the Littles had been living alongside humans for centuries.
It hinted at a much larger world-building effort than you usually saw in 1983.
The Forest Littles and Other Species
One of the more interesting turns the show took was introducing the Forest Littles. This expanded the lore. It turns out, the Littles weren't just in the walls of suburban homes. There were different "tribes" adapted to different environments.
The Forest Littles were more survivalist. They didn't rely on human scraps. This introduced a bit of tension—the city mouse vs. country mouse trope, essentially. It showed that even within this tiny world, there was diversity and conflict. It wasn't just a monolith of "cute tiny people."
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The "Tail" Controversy and Design Choices
If you look at the original John Peterson illustrations by Roberta Carter Clark, the Littles look very human. The cartoon added the tails.
Why?
Probably to make them more distinct and "toy-friendly," though ironically, the toy line wasn't nearly as successful as He-Man or Transformers. The tails gave them a slightly more animalistic or "other" quality. Some purists hated it. They thought it made them look too much like rodents. But for a generation of kids, that pointed tail with the little tuft of hair on the end was the defining feature of the brand.
It also allowed for more physical comedy and "action" sequences. They could hang from rafters or use their tails for balance. It turned them into tiny gymnasts.
The Serious Themes You Probably Missed
The show tackled some surprisingly heavy topics. There was an episode about blindness. Another about the dangers of drugs (the classic 80s "Just Say No" era influence). Because the Littles were so vulnerable, the show could explore themes of bullying and prejudice in a way that felt organic.
When you are three inches tall, the world is inherently unfair.
The show didn't shy away from that. It emphasized that bravery isn't the absence of fear—especially when a flashlight beam feels like a searchlight from a prison tower.
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The Legacy of DIC's First Big Hit
The Littles was one of DIC's first major successes in the U.S. market. It paved the way for the animation boom of the late 80s. Without the success of Henry and his tiny friends, we might not have gotten the same investment in shows like The Get Along Gang or even The Real Ghostbusters.
It proved that there was a market for "soft" adventure—shows that weren't just about robots punching each other, but about relationships, secrets, and navigating a world that wasn't built for you.
How to Revisit The Littles Today
If you want to go back and watch it, it’s surprisingly accessible.
- Check Streaming Services: It frequently pops up on "retro" channels or platforms like Tubi or Pluto TV.
- The Movie: Here Come the Littles (1985) serves as a prequel. It explains how Henry first met the Littles. It’s actually a decent starting point if you want a condensed version of the lore.
- The Books: If the cartoon feels too dated, the original books by John Peterson are still fantastic. They have a slightly more "literary" feel, akin to The Borrowers or Cricket in Times Square.
The animation might jitter a bit by modern standards. The hair is very 80s. The moral lessons are sometimes laid on thick. But the core concept—that there is a whole secret civilization living just out of sight—is timeless.
It makes you look at the cracks in your baseboards a little differently.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive back into this world or share it with a new generation, don't just stop at the TV show.
- Hunt for the Books: Look for the Scholastic paperbacks from the 70s and 80s. The artwork is classic and they make for great read-aloud stories for kids who find modern TV a bit too fast-paced.
- Identify the "Fake" Littles: Be careful when buying "vintage Littles" online. Because the "tiny people" trope is common, many people misidentify The Borrowers or generic dollhouse miniatures as official merchandise. Look for the distinct tail and the specific red/blue outfits of Tom and Lucy.
- Venture into the Movie: Here Come the Littles features a much higher animation budget than the series. It’s the best way to see the characters as the designers truly intended them to look.
The world is big. Sometimes it's nice to remember that being small doesn't mean being powerless. It just means you have to be a lot smarter than the giants.