The result was an experience that often felt like a ride at a Disney theme park - great for young fans, less so for more experienced eyes, even when star Auli'i Cravalho offered a note-perfect performance as the Little Mermaid herself, Ariel.

The characters needed room to grow as the story developed, and we didn't get that story development. Instead, the production seemed to rely on viewers having already seen the animated movie.

This is a love letter to Disney fans, not an intro for new viewers. And, as such, it mostly works as a messy but charming hybrid event.

I hate to be a crab about it, but ABC's hybrid 30th-anniversary presentation of The Little Mermaid-part movie, part gussied-up concert-felt more sink than swim.