Sidekicks took the obvious pairing of crotchety middle-aged man and adorable orphan and turned it on its ear.

Actually, no, its ear remained firmly unturned. Sidekicks was exactly like pairing a crotchety middle-aged man and adorable orphan. Grizzled police officer Jake Rizzo--played with suitable crotchetiness by Gil Gerard--found his carefree bachelor lifestyle interrupted when wise, old and dying Sabasan gave him the responsibility of caring for his tiny (and cute!) grandson Ernie. Rizzo wasn't thrilled at this turn of events but his compassionate heart overruled his reservations.

Luckily for Rizzo, Ernie wasn't your average snotty kid but came from an ancient and almost extinct clan of martial arts warriors known as the Electric Knights. As the last of his kind, Ernie possessed superb fighting skills and mystical powers that Rizzo could exploit for help in his police work. Did we say exploit? We meant love and nurture.

As Ernie tried to adjust to the real world, Rizzo tried to adjust to Ernie who carried great powers and responsibility on his tiny (but cute!) shoulders. Grandfather Sabasan was often seen in Ernie's flashbacks, offering sage advice and training regimens.