Meet the Small Potatoes

Meet the Small Potatoes is a 2013 family film written and directed by Josh Selig and starring Malcolm McDowell. It is a follow-up to Selig's television series Small Potatoes. The film serves as both a prequel to and spinoff of the show. The special premiered on Disney Jr. on February 15, 2013, using the voices and likenesses of real fans for the film's man on the street interviews.

The film is presented in the style of a mockumentary documenting the history of The Small Potatoes, a band of anthropomorphic singing potatoes. Narrative segments are interspersed with talking head interviews with the band’s friends, manager Lester Koop (McDowell), and man on the street interviews with the band’s fans (all of whom are potatoes).

The Small Potatoes’ trajectory roughly follows trends in American popular music through the second half of the 20th century: The Potatoes start as a country and western band in Idaho in the 1940s, before finding popularity first as rock and roll and then doo wop singers in the 1950s. They reach the peak of their popularity in the 1960s as a British invasion style act, followed by their experimenting with psychedelic rock after a trip to India. Through the Potatoes’ career, there is constant infighting between lead singer, Ruby, and Nate, the songwriter, on what the band’s image should be. Olaf, a fat potato, struggles with his weight, which Lester tries to help him keep under control, while Chip is the quiet, detached voice of reason.

Conflict worsens between Nate and Ruby in the 1970s. Ruby, as the frontwoman of the group, begins to style herself as a diva and attempts to reform the band’s image around herself, turning the group into a disco act. Nate, meanwhile, wants to keep the band socially relevant as a punk rock group. Tensions come to a head in the 1980s during the age of commercialization, when Ruby convinces the group to sell out by lending their names to a line of children’s toys. The toys are all poorly manufactured and fall apart, displeasing customers. The negative backlash causes the group to break up.

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