Basically, it's Fairly Odd Parents in the Milo Coco style!
While we all wish that 'Fairly Odd Parents' didn't overstay its welcome, there was a time when we thought the show was more than "fairly" good. As a child, this Nickelodeon cartoon about average boy Timmy Turner and the magical adventures he has with his fairy godparents Cosmo and Wanda granted me a lot of enjoyment in its peak.
What worked about FOP was how it managed to put fantasy creatures into a contemporary setting, it was able to apply cartoon based humour to the cyclical structure of a fairy tale. The show followed its own formula, which Timmy would use wishing to improve his life. But these wishes would lead to certain consequences, that way, it would work morals into its stories. It really showed what type of wishes a child would make if they could happen in our world. It played around with tropes, as the depictions of mythological beings and wishes turned out differently than you'd expect.
Its use of gag-related humour was both sharp and funny. The show could get tongue-in-cheek with how characters referred to plot points, like how the opposite circumstances happen. The designs are formed from geometric shapes and bold outlines, they still have a distinctive flare. The animators were able to magically bring life to these ideas with snappy timing.
The characters were able to pull off these goofy lines with sincerity. Timmy was one the younger viewers could sympathise with and learn from. Both Cosmo and Wanda worked well off each other, as the dim-witted comic relief and nagging voice of reason. The other characters managed to leave an impact with their exaggerated traits, like the conspiracy nut Crocker. Who pursuits to prove the existence of fairies. Yet he reacts and fails in an over the top manner. Sure the writing could be hokey and the characters would become victims of 'flanderization', it still made up for it with a good balance of humour and morals.
But after a brief hiatus, FOP introduced the fourth wheel to the main cast. When Cosmo himself gave birth to the fairy baby, Poof (yes....really). For many fans, this was seen as the point where the show jumped the shark through a giant pair of scissors (so to speak). Something definitely felt 'odd', but we all thought what could possibly go wrong? Well, the writing was starting to become less witty and charming, often relying more on pop culture and sophomoric humour. The character's flanderization became more apparent, as they were reduced to their exaggerated traits. The supporting characters were put to the side; while more main characters were added as it went on. Now I for one don't blame Poof (as I like his character design), and I do think the second half of seasons do contain certain gems if you know where to look for them. But when Sparky was added, that's when I felt the show started to run on fumes. Did the last 2 seasons need to exist? I ask you.
If there's any point where FOP lost any dignity it still had, it would be the live-action movies. What could have been a funny/whimsical coming of age story that passes the wand to a new generation failed to utilise it's characters. The acting is ham and cheese, the production values are camp; what may have been funny in the original series does not translate to live-action. And for what, to completely contradict the ending that 'Channel Chasers' had set up. They're not the worst trilogy of films, but still, they’re not the conclusion viewers would’ve hoped for. When you put them together they leave you so disenchanted, you wonder if the show was ever good in the first place. For many fans, this made them realise that the show (for lack of a better term) lost its magic.
If 'A Fairly Odd Movie' was good (or at least decent) and the series ended right there and then; people would probably hold FOP in similar regard to 'Phineas and Ferb' and 'Futurama'. Not necessarily as one of the deepest shows or comedy gold, but the series had a charm that was all its own. But alas, it just became another children's franchise. But it no longer became what we remember it to be. Sadly, Cosmo and Wanda kept their incumbency, until it was eventually put out of its misery. Even though I still look back fondly on Timmy's earlier wishes, the reputation of them and their creator have been forever tarnished.
With the news of a live-action retelling, maybe Cosmo and Wanda's story could be told in a different timeline instead. It doesn't have to stay in Dimmsdale. But that's just wishful thinking.
Fairly Odd Parents belongs to its respected owners and creators.