Flash Forward's Squirrelio plush toy

October 25, 11:49 AMChildren's Toys ExaminerAnna M. Lewis

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Charlie & Squirrelio on Flash Forward
ABC/Flash Forward

One of this year’s new hit shows, Flash Forward, features a new plush toy with it’s own cartoon show: Tim-Tim and Squirrelio. Not since the 1960s with Mrs. Beasley on Family Affair have we seen a toy on a TV show created specifically for a show.

Flash Forward
In the new ABC show Flash Forward, we first get a glimpse of the Tim-Tim cartoon the morning of the ill-fated Flash Forward moment. Charlie, the daughter of main characters Mark and Olivia Benford, is seen watching the Tim-Tim and Squirrelio cartoon in the kitchen while holding her Squirrelio plush toy. Throughout the remainder of the first episode, Charlie continues to hold on to Squirrelio, seemlingly, as a source of comfort. Personally, I didn’t start watching Flash Forward until the second episode where Charlie is seen again clutching Squirrelio in the school play yard. In a scuffle with a little boy, who just happens to be wearing a Tim-Tim and Squirrelio t-shirt, the boy tries to take Squirrelio from Olivia and rips off the plush toy’s tail. Must be a my heightened sense of noticing toys in shows or something, but at that moment, I was hooked.

In the interview below with co-showrunners/executive producers, Marc Guggenheim and David S. Goyer, they share some secret insight on the Tim-Tim and Squirrelio show. The flash animation cartoon show and plush toy were created just for the show Flash Forward. The cartoon will continue to play in the background in scenes with Charlie and other characters through the season.

Goyer explains, “It will, in tricky ways, connect back to the story this season. If you don’t pay attention, you’re not missing anything. But if you do pay attention, you might gain a little something extra.” Pretty cool, right? Got my attention. And, Guggenheim adds, “All the voices in the cartoon are voiced by actors on the show.”

Flash Forward update on October 21: It was just announced that Marc Guggenheim will be leaving the show and leave total control to David S. Goyer.

Tim-Tim and Squirrelio sightings:

• Episode 1: The morning before the Global Backout, Charlie watches a Tim-Tim and Squirrelio cartoon in the kitchen. Charlie jumps when “the beast” pops up from behind a hill.
• Episode 2: In the beginning of the episode, Charlie is at school and argues with her classmates. A boy wearing a Tim-Tim and Squirrelio t-shirt grabs Squirrelio from Charlie's hand, ripping off its tail. Later at the hospital, Charlie’ mom "operated" on Squirrello – sewing his tail back on.
• Episode 3: The Squirrelio cartoon show appears. In that episode, Squirrelio and a girl with red pigtails, wearing big round glasses, are in a snowstorm. The girl says they have to get out because she's freezing.
• Episode 4: Tim-Tim and Squirrelio advertisements randomly appear, even one on the side of a bus.

Flash Forward general theory: One theme that I’m noticing being discussed about Flash Forward is it’s comparison to Alice In Wonderland. Squirrelio is suggested as the Cheshire cat. Hmmm.