Literature The Television Show
The Berenstain Bears is an absolutely awful show.
Characters? I'd care, if they were more than just the generic "mom, dad, kids" dynamic. While I acknowledge certain legitimate uses for generic characters (political correctness, increased potential for Audience Surrogate), it's the fact that the main characters and the town itself take on flaws and problems just so they can learn the Aesop of the week, but then are dropped when they have no use.
I know BSB is a show that clearly doesn't utilize continuity, but at least shows like The Simpsons form their plots around their established characters and not vice versa; Lisa doesn't go from a regular girl to a whiny brat in the store because the AOTW is "You need to earn your toys with money from chores". Yet Sister does, and she's rarely whiny when the Aesop doesn't revolve around that.
Plot? Well, it's an Aesop of the week type show. Simple and likable.
Lastly, is anyone else weirded out by the fact that the main characters have no real names ("Brother" is not a name) yet everyone else does?
Geographic Flexibility is my absolute Pet Peeve Trope. I mean seriously, unless its played for laughs and lampshaded to good effect, it is the pinnacle of bad writing, pulling new locations out of your butt to facilitate a plot because you're stuck or lazy. Just once, I'd want a TV show (or frankly, any work or series) that publishes an official map of the setting (no, not like some jagged lines for mountains and some letters ala LOTR, but an extremely detailed map with accurate measurements, like a respectable political map) early on and offers some sort of prize for anyone who spots an error in the show. That would be great.
Inevitably, some of you will clamor that it is just a kids' show. Yes, it is, but that doesn't mean a kids' show can't be of high quality, nor does it disprove or put flaws in the logic of any of my complaints. That argument doesn't even claim my view is wrong, instead implying that while my point is right it doesn't matter because "it wasn't made to appeal to you" or something similar. While I acknowledge the target audience is more important than people who are years outside of the central demographic, but at some point "It's just a kids' show" is an excuse.
Literature Mama and Papa bears
You should judge Papa’s hypocrisy. You can’t expect Papa to remember his gimme habit when a baby. He was younger than sister or brother. Nor, remembering his hippie stage in the Dress code chapter book; He can’t remember his name sometimes. Papa tries to be good, and admit when he is wrong. Mama doesn’t. She is always right and never wrong. Her hypocrisy is worse since she is suppose to be good, wise, smart, moral parent. Take example from The Funky funhouse, where she scolds her cubs for gossiping when she does the same thing herself. Also, take the Big paw Thanksgiving special. She is so eager to meet a young, handsome stranger. She wants to commit adultery or leave papa. She says it in his face while predicting the future w/ a honeycomb. She doesn’t believe in ghosts and tells the villagers to use their heads when dealing with Big Paw. Yet, she believes honeycombs can predict the future. She even blows flour on her husband’s face to add to the insult of not wanting him. Also, while she is dusting the furniture and comes to his photo, she makes a sad, disgusted grimace like she is not happy in this marriage or her husband’s looks. Like she is such a great ravaging, worthy catch with her outdated outfit and hat. Papa only need to lose weight to look handsome. This is while the narrator is saying that she is even grateful for Papa Bear. It sure doesn’t look it w/ that expression on her face. She even had the nerve to flirt w/ him by buying time for Big Paw to get to higher ground making easier for Big Paw to defend himself. She doesn’t even have the nerve to tell him she is no longer attractive to her, or loves him. She truly hates him enough to want him to be killed by Big Paw or any young handsome stranger or anything or one.