Hopper called the series "A toddler version of Sex and the City or Mad Men", criticizing its lack of educational value: "Unlike most children's programming, Caillou makes almost no attempt to educate its young audience. There are no veiled math problems, spelling lessons or morality tales; it's just calm, non-threatening, bright-coloured people navigating everyday tasks." These criticisms of the show's titular character have been echoed on online platforms. On a segment of the late-night talk show "Last Week Tonight", host John Oliver hyperbolically exclaimed a vulgar message toward Caillou in a comedic comparison.