Review: What's the Story, Wishbone? Documentary (2026)
Imagine if the stories told in Drunk History were by a theater group led by a little dog. And they were all sober. That was what the nineties kids had for entertainment on PBS.
The amount of nostalgia that engulfed my whole being upon seeing the name "Wishbone" is an instant refill of wholesome whimsy. Wishbone was pivotal in adding another layer of imagination through the eyes of a dog. Thirty years later, viewers get to see a glimpse of the team that brought that whimsy to the screen with the documentary, “What’s The Story, Wishbone?”.
Many decades ago, this reviewer was one of the millions of children who was riveted by a little four legged storyteller. Wishbone was a Jack Russell terrier full of pluck and confidence to not only tell the classic stories but would also live it out. Wishbone didn’t just narrate, he would embody the characters of such classical works as Robin Hood or the Odyssey. Tomes of historical significance relayed by a wagging tail and a little hat. The series lasted for 2 seasons on PBS but it left an absolute lifetime imprint upon all viewers. It was a gate to a literary world open to all children and beyond. It was the first exposure to such stories to many people.
I am pretty positive this one of the foundations for the thriving reading community among millennials today. These same milliaals who are now parents and sharing the legacy of Wishbone with their own children.
I cannot even just read the title "What's The Story, Wishbone?". I can hear the music as I sing the iconic jingle. The nostalgia is strong with this one.
Thirty years later, we get to revisit the show. We get to revisit the show that still makes our inner child grin. As adults, we get to see the immense work that went behind producing the show. The two hour documentary is packed with stories of the hectic pacing, random set of skills that people had to learn, and everything else that was needed to produce the show on tight deadlines. During that time period, there weren't that many options to showcase children's programming so it was a cutthroat competition to pitch and produce ideas. Then it was another challenge to maintain the show and keep those ratings high. It was high stress 24/7!
Of all the stories shared in the documentary, it was the manic creation of the sets that stood out. The crew had an immensely tight schedule to work against. The crew shared that a typical day would be rushing the plans to the set designers who had less than a day to create the pieces. Looking back with lenses from time where union guidelines and other safety nets are standard, this manic pace must have garnered some major make it or break it moments. The documentary does not go over any accidents or burnout but one can easily imagined that there would have been a high chance of this occurring. And yet they trudged on. There was no doubt that a lot of passion was involved but there was also a large number of crew who were rookies to the industry. The pessimistic thought is that they wouldn't have known better or there weren't many options available. From the end of the film, snippets are shared of how much they loved being part of the crew. For one thing is for sure, this was a definite once in a lifetime project and they must have sensed. It is easy to see through the interviews how everyone is bonded for life with this shared experience.
This viewer may be floating happily along the nostalgia waves but it doesn't stop questions of the practical parts of running the show. There is wild curiosity about the budget of it all. Aside from the fixed costs (i.e. salaries), how much did it cost to produce so many sets?.Not only were there new sets being constructed for every episode but an actual functional neighborhood was built within the woods. How crazy good were these skills for this? Did the show have a lucrative contract with local companies for access to raw materials? It would have been so fascinating to hear the Accountants memories of working on the show.
Shoving the cynical adult aside, this documentary was a happy escape. To see Wishbone (whose real name was Soccer...Soccer!) once more hit the feels fast. To watch the behind the scenes moment of Wishbone struggling to wear hats or doing his little dance brought immediate joyful tears. This was the power of the show. Even after all of these years, after reading the classic books myself when I got older, living out life, I will still plop down to watch a plucky little Jack Russel Terrier be Robin Hood.
An additional bonus to purchasing the documentary is to further spread the love of reading. 10% of the proceeds from the digital release will go to Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). RIF’s supports children’s literacy by providing access to books, because all kids deserve to read. For more information on the organization, check out it out here.
”What’s the Story, Wishbone?” is available for rent or purchase across all digital streaming platforms.
Or head to https://www.whatsthestorywishbone.com/ for more information on the documentary
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