Tiffany Brissette...a star of stunning class!

Tiffany Brissette

Any normal toddler of her age will only squabble over frivolous things and flirt with blissful ignorance/ mischiefs - sometimes by filling our hearts with their capricious blend of emotions...sometimes by emptying our cash cards by their casual behaviour! Not so was one Tiffany...for she captured the hearts of hundreds of TV viewers by her stunning performance in a thoroghly interesting and totally inspiring comedy serial - 'Small Wonder'! A couple of years ago, whenever possible, I eagerly saw this serial (Monday to Friday, in evening hours) in Star Plus Channel. I am always interested to watch the robo girl portrayed by Brissette in 'Small Wonder'.
The story runs around a small family with familial values, of a scientist named Ted Lawson (Dick Christie) working in a 'Robotronics' company, accompanied by her caring wife Joan Lawson, blessed with a son named Jamie (played by Jerry Supiran). His greatest invention lies in bringing out a child - like robot, played by Tiffany Brissette as Vici (VICI is the acronym for Voice Input Child Identicant). As a robot, her strange actions and extra-ordinary powers leave people around her with an astonishment and not-normal-a-feeling. The creator Lawson, prefers to not let the cat out and what ensues is a full-fledged funny drama with ludicrous events, though it essentially has some explicit family values and some implicit messages for the kids.
Though the core credit goes to Tiffany for her striking performance, the co-stars of the family were beaming with lots of spirits in rendering their roles to ensure that 'Small Wonder' will not be a run of the mill comedy serial. When Dick Christie and Marla Pennington, go well with their roles, in aptly expressing their emotions linked with trivial happenings, occasional disappointments, neighbour's envy, aping for promotion, dissatisfaction with their kid's academics and irresponsible behaviour, the toughest task gets set on the tender and slender shoulders of the tiny little Tiffany! Her composed nature and ease in portraying a robot girl coupled with her keenness in sustaining a 'not-expressing-emotions' stance, with a bit of subtelty at allowed instances, is verily praise-worthy, setting her apart from any of the contemporary performers of her age. Even as a cute little girl with curly hair, she exhibits an inner strength of being poised to live life the way it is meant to be, a sure trait of her own, which I feel as the real reason for the rare performance of this rarest talent.
Her physical motions were so precisely pre-metered that a future and feasible VICI, the one we could take home for assisting and amusing us, would truly 'behave' like 'her'! She is complete with her expression and serious in not yielding to instincts which are normal, for she is 'fully aware' that she is wearing a mask of a robot!
She has appeared even at 4, on television and in film and has auditioned in radios/albums. She has appeared in several television commercials too. A complete girl, she emerged as in later years, with her zeal to acquire multiple skills -with unique prowess in playing piano, singing and classical dancing. She was an advocate for science education making public service announcements for many science museums, including 'California Museum of Science and Industry'. A girl of this high a value and credits, became a missionary and youth counselor and vocalist at the Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, located in San Diego, in early months of 2000. Her spiritual quality was well-evident even when she was a kid, making her an intelligent performer with a quick grasp of things around her! Every parent will like to have a kid of her sort. What else is needed other than looking at her innate glories and stages of evolvement, by being with her, nurturing her and witness the whole world praising her! Am I a bit emotive? Well...out of admiration!

'Small Wonder' theme song

She's a small wonder, lovely and bright with soft curls;

She's a small wonder, a child unlike other girls.

She's a miracle and I grant you;

She'll enchant you at her sight.

She's a small wonder, and she'll make your heart beat twice;

She's fantastic, made of plastic, microchips here and there.

She's a small wonder, brings love and laughter everywhere!