Tot TV Watch

Wonder Pets: Save the Unicorn! is only a decent release in my opinion because it includes the “Save the Penguin” episode. Overall I really cannot stand the show, but I do still love penguins. Still this show is obnoxious with the baby talk, especially since this show is for preschoolers and not babies or so I have the impression. The release is not horrible for those that do like the show, however, the lack of Wonder Pets themed special features does not make it that great of a release even for fans of the show.

Wonder Pets Save the Unicorn! DVD release has four episodes with two half-episodes each. The included episodes are “Save the Unicorn/Save the Penguin,” “Save the Three Little Pigs/Save the Owl,” “Save the Swan/Save the Puppet,” and “Save the Bullfrog/Save the Poodle.”

This release has only two special features and neither are related to the Wonder Pets show. The first one is called “Rocket Ship” The Mighty Weaklings. This is a music video featuring the Mighty Weaklings and is one of those things that show as interstitals during the Nick Jr. segment on Nickelodeon. The other feature is called The Backyardigans “Ready for Anything.” This is also a music video. It just a short one from a Backyardigans episode (I think the Mission to Mars one).

Overall I do not recommend this release, but the biggest reason is I do not think this is a good show. Also, it is pretty disappointing to see it give the hope of special features, but not actually have any related to the show this is a DVD of.

Check out the other TV on DVD reviews I have blogged about here.

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Here is this week’s edition of new releases of DVDs that feature kids shows. Most are previously seen episodes from television while sometimes the releases are straight to DVD releases of episodes or movies based on kids TV shows.

The Backyardigans: Singing Sensation! - This release is the latest one with probably just three or four episodes of the show.

Bakugan Battle Brawlers Volume 4: Heroes Rise - This release has four episodes of the show.

Sid the Science Kid: The Bug Club - This was released today on Amazon, but I know it was released earlier at least at Target because I bought the other Sid the Science Kid DVD and saw this one also on the shelf on Friday. It is actually a pretty good deal because not only does it have five episodes of the show, but for a limited time it comes with a disc with episodes of other NCircle Entertainment shows, which offers another 2.5 hours of entertainment.

Sid the Science Kid: Change Happens - This was one of the ones released today on Amazon, but was in Target last Friday. It is also available with the same disc with 2.5 hours of NCircle Entertainment shows, but it is the same one in the other release, so it does not seem like as big a deal if you buy both Sid the Science Kid DVDs since the extra disc is the same in both.

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Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Big Splash is a fun Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD for kids to enjoy during the summertime. The episodes are not exactly all summer themed, but the main one is. They do at least all definitely follow the splash/water theme that the DVD’s title suggests. This DVD has four episodes (two being new and were not shown on TV before this DVD was released) and one bonus feature.

The episodes on this release are “Donald’s Ducks,” “Pluto’s Bubble Bath,” “Mickey Goes Fishing,” and “Pete’s Beach Blanket Luau.” “Donald’s Ducks” is a new episode about Mickey and Donald help 8 ducks get to the beach for winter. “Pluto’s Bubble Bath” is about Mickey and Pluto getting stuck in giant bubbles and floating away while giving Pluto a bubblebath. “Mickey Goes Fishing” is about Mickey watching a cat for Goofy and having to go catch some red gooey fish because that is all the cat will eat. “Pete’s Beach Blanket Luau” is a new episode about helping Pete set up a Luau to cool off on a hot day.

This DVD has one special feature called Fun in the Sun with Mickey and the Gang. This is a game bonus feature with three mini games in it. They are all based on helping Mickey and the gang with the luau. The games include making a tiki mask, choosing things that do not belong at the beach, and choosing the right hot or cold option. Overall a decent although rather limited bonus feature.

Check out the other TV on DVD reviews I have blogged about here.

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Here is this week’s edition of new releases of DVDs that feature kids shows. Most are previously seen episodes from television while sometimes the releases are straight to DVD releases of episodes or movies based on kids TV shows.

Green Lantern: First Flight - This release is a Green Lantern movie. It is being released as a one disc set, a special edition two disc set, and on Blu-Ray. The Blu-Ray version comes with a digital copy of the movie. I believe the special edition has some episodes of Justice League.

Red Hand Gang - This release is a two disc set of this 1970s kids television series featuring five inner city kids.

Spectacular Spider-Man: Complete First Season - This release is a two disc set of the show’s entire first season. The first season has 13 episodes. The special features are to include two featurettes called “Spider-man: Reanimated” and “Stylizing Spidey.”

Voltron: Fleet of Doom - This release is of the Voltron television special called “Fleet of Doom.”

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Kim Possible The Secret Files is sort of a put together movie of three episodes from the Kim Possible series. It has a really odd 3D version of Ron’s naked mole rat taking control of the Kimmunicator to connect the three episodes of three different missions to some extent. It is not exactly choppy, but it is not exactly a smooth actual movie. Anyways the show is a fun secret agent action show that appeals to both genders and this somewhat awkward wanna be movie of previously aired episodes does not ruin the fact that the shows are enjoyable. Plus this release has the show’s first episode “Crush” as a bonus feature.

Besides the bonus episode of Kim Possible there are also two other special features. One is Kim’s Most Wanted Wacko Bad Guys, which is sort of a game of using the right passwords to access villains’ secret files. It is not much of a game, though, as you just click Rufus and he gives away the code. You then enter it and a short video clip about the villain plays. The other bonus feature is Kim Possible Music Video with Christy Carlson Romano (voice of Kim Possible) singing “Say the Word.”

Overall this is a pretty good release for fans of the show and to introduce new fans to the show. However, it is not all that much more to it than if you just catch the show on television, which I believe is still possible quite regularly.

Check out the other TV on DVD reviews I have blogged about here.

Do not forget to comment and get an entry in our July 2009 Comment Contest and have a chance to win a TV on DVD.

Here is this week’s edition of new releases of DVDs that feature kids shows. Most are previously seen episodes from television while sometimes the releases are straight to DVD releases of episodes or movies based on kids TV shows.

The Secret Saturdays Volume 1 - This release has five episodes of the show.

SpongeBob SquarePants: To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants - This release is the equivalent of four episodes of the show on television, but it actually has eight half-episodes/stories because one episode on television usually is made up of two half-episodes. The Amazon description says it includes the never before seen “To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants” episode, but I vaguely remember typing up that that was a title to a new episode that aired on Nickelodeon recently. I am not really any good at keeping up to date with SpongeBob, so I could be wrong and not Amazon. I have heard, however, that this release has an animation art gallery as one of the special features.

Wolverine and the X-Men: Deadly Enemies - This release has a run time of 113 minutes, so I think it has 4 or 5 episodes of the show. Not much for a 26 episode season, but it is sadly the norm for the shows geared towards kids. However, this is one of those shows that tends to have a fan base of more than just kids and thus more people that get annoyed at limited releases instead of full seasons. Studios sadly have an easier time getting away with it and them still selling very well when it is just a kid fan base that does not know better and parents that take what they can get to entertain the kids.

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Star Wars Clone Wars Volume 1 contains the 20 episodes in the Star Wars Clone Wars Seasons 1 and 2. These episodes were originally shown as interstitial type episodes with run times of only about 3 minutes each. One this DVD release the episodes have been combined to play together as a movie, which works rather seemlessly since the episodes were always made to be a continuation. This animated show is not too bad, but personally I find it too much battle and too little dialogue. My brother loves it and he is a Star Wars fan, but I am not much into the whole saga anyways. What does makes this a worthy DVD release for Star Wars fans is that it also has good special features.

The special features include Bridging the Saga about the making of the animated series and how it fits into the Star Wars saga. The Video Games section of special features has a trailer to the Episode III game and Star Wars Republic Commando game along with a demo of Star Wars Republic Commando for Xbox, which I assume works if you put the disc into an Xbox (perhaps also works in a Xbox 360, but I have neither to try with). The Behind the Scenes section of special features has another Featurette about making the show and Still Galleries of Sketches & Storyboards and Posters & Artwork. The final special feature is an Episode III Teaser Trailer.

Check out the other TV on DVD reviews I have blogged about here.

Do not forget to comment and get an entry in our July 2009 Comment Contest and have a chance to win a TV on DVD.

Here is this week’s edition of new releases of DVDs that feature kids shows. Most are previously seen episodes from television while sometimes the releases are straight to DVD releases of episodes or movies based on kids TV shows.

Barney - There are quite a few Barney releases coming out today. They include Barney: Book Fair, Barney: Now I Know My ABCs, Barney: Numbers! Numbers!, Barney: Red, Yellow and Blue, Barney: Let’s Play School, and Barney Lunchbox Gift Set. The lunchbox set is a Barney lunchbox with three DVDs inside.

Bob the Builder - There are also several different Bob the Builder releases for today. They include Bob the Builder: Built for Fun, Bob the Builder: Yes We Can!, Bob the Builder: Teamwork!, and Bob the Builder Lunchbox Gift Set. The lunchbox gift set includes 3 DVDs packaged inside a lunchbox.

Care Bears Lunchbox Set - This release includes 3 DVDs in a Care Bears lunchbox.

G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: Season 1.1 - This release is a four disc set. The included mini series from the first part of the show’s first season are The MASS Device, The Revenge Of Cobra: The Weather Dominator and The Pyramid Of Darkness. The bonus features include Knowing Is Half The Battle PSAs, Looking Back With Writer Ron Friedman, Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials, The original G.I. Joe 1963 Toy Fair Presentation, and Printable Script for “Jungle Trap.”

HIT Favorites: School Days - This release includes episodes of Kipper, Fireman Sam, Barney, Bob the Builder, and Thomas & Friends.

Ni Hao Kai-Lan: Kai-Lan’s Great Trip to China - This release features a double length about Kai-Lan and friends going to China to see her aunt and a panda. The DVD also has two other episodes of the show. The bonus features include a DVD game and a music video.

Thomas & Friends - There are several Thomas & Friends DVDs coming out today. They include Thomas & Friends: Percy and the Bandstand, Thomas & Friends: Calling All Engines, and Thomas & Friends Lunchbox Gift Set. The Lunchbox Gift Set is a set of three DVDs inside a Thomas & Friends lunchbox.

The Wiggles Go Bananas! - This is a jungle themed Wiggles. The songs include “The Lion Is King,” “Kangaroo Jumping,” “Tassie Devil,” “Rusty The Cowboy,” “Monkey Man,” “The Chicken Walk,” and “The Dingle Puck Goat.”

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Cory in the House All-Star Edition contains four episodes of Disney Channel’s Cory in the House live action comedy show. It is one of my favorite Disney Channel show’s, as it is based in D.C., which is my favorite city. The show is also full of laughs. While the show and the episodes on this release are great, the release is disappointing because it does not offer much worthwhile beyond the episodes.

The episodes on this release include “Never the Dwayne Shall Meet” with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson guest starring, “That’s So in the House” with Raven Symone guest starring, “Air Force One Too Many,” and “Just Desserts.” The show are among some of Cory’s crazier mishaps including accidentally giving Alaska back to Russia in “Air Force One Too Many.”

This release does have two bonus feautures called “Raven in the House” and “Rock in the House,” but neither really adds much to this release. Raven in the House is quick featurette that I think was originally aired on the Disney Channel as a sort of promo for the episode. It is mostly Raven talking about being a quest of the show and reprising her role as Cory’s sister Raven as she was in her title show, That’s So Raven. Rock in the House is also a quick featurette about a guest star, but it is far more simpler and really is mostly just a promo for the episode with just a few scenes of them doing takes, but very little of them saying anything that is not actually in the episode’s script.

Overall great for those that love the show and want to be able to watch it when it is not on television, but do not expect anything beyond the episodes because the bonus features really leave much to be desired.

Check out the other TV on DVD reviews I have blogged about here.

Do not forget to comment and get an entry in our July 2009 Comment Contest and have a chance to win a TV on DVD.

Here is this week’s edition of new releases of DVDs that feature kids shows. Most are previously seen episodes from television while sometimes the releases are straight to DVD releases of episodes or movies based on kids TV shows.

Peanuts: 1960’s Collection - This release is a 2 disc set with the Peanuts episodes from the 1960s presented in remastered format. The includes specials are “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Charlie Brown’s All-Stars,” “It’s the Great Pumpkin,” “You’re in Love,” “He’s Your Dog,” and “It Was a Short Summer.” The special features include a featurette called “The Maestro of Menlo Park - Profiling Composer Vince Gauraldi.”

Power Rangers RPM Volume 1: Start Your Engines - This release is the first volume release of the latest Power Rangers series. This volume is only one disc.

Sesame Street: Bedtime With Elmo - This release is one Sesame Street episode/story on one disc. It has a run time of about 44 minutes. This episode is about Elmo and Abby trying to delay bedtime and the strategies Elmo’s dad, Louie, uses to get them to go to bed. I believe the only bonus features is Andrea Bocelli singing “Time To Say Goodnight” to Elmo.

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The latest Disney Channel Original Movie just premiered last weekend on the Disney Channel. I am on the road this summer and Disney Channel is impossible to get even in the few hotels we are staying at, so I decided to just buy it on DVD when it came out yesterday. I was not disappointed in the movie, however I was kind of disappointed in the minimal special features on the DVD release. For a movie so fresh in the minds of those that watched it last weekend it probably is not worth going out and buying it on DVD. They really should have either waited longer to release it (i.e. when it becomes aired infrequently) or at least have put an audio commentary bonus feature or perhaps even just a DVD game.

The plot is a unique princess plot that I found entertaining throughout. I am not much into fairy tale princess stories, but the more realistic ones like this and the Princess Diaries (okay that one is also a little more on the fairy tale side than this one). I thought it would perhaps be a little too much about Princess Rosalina/Rosie being a spoiled princess type person, but it is not. Actually, it is not that much about her and is way more about her and Carter (daughter of the Princess Protection Program agent) learning from each other and becoming best of friends.

Overall enjoyable movie, but again not worth buying unless you really want to watch it often. The special features only include a featurette about the cast becoming friends on set, a featurette about a real princess, and a music video of “One and the Same.” The release also comes with two best friends necklaces.

Check out the other TV on DVD reviews I have blogged about here.

Do not forget to comment and get an entry in our July 2009 Comment Contest and have a chance to win a TV on DVD.

Here is this week’s edition of new releases of DVDs that feature kids shows. Most are previously seen episodes from television while sometimes the releases are straight to DVD releases of episodes or movies based on kids TV shows.

Dinosaur King: Volcanic Panic - This release is a one disc one of the animated Dinosaur King show. This release is the third volume of the show released on DVD. It contains 5 episodes of the show. It is also supposed to have some all new bonus features, but I was not able to figure out exactly what that meant. Sorry, but it is from the Shout Factory and I do not expect the bonus features will be all that great, as most of their so-called bonus features are lame.

Hi-5: Season Two - This release is the complete second season of Hi-5. It is a three disc set. The season consists of 20 episodes. The episodes are “Outside,” “Rainy Day,” “Fantasy,” “Physical,” “Silly Day,” “Faces,” “Arms and Legs,” “Movement,” “Inside/Out,” “Games and Sports,” “Imaginary Friends,” “When I Grow Up,” “Imaginary Place,” “Daydreams,” “What If?,” “Instruments,” “Styles of Music,” “Music From Around The World,” “Music and Movement, and “Silly Music.”

Princess Protection Program - This release is of the latest Disney Channel Original Movie that just premiered last weekend on the Disney Channel. The DVD bonus features include an exclusive music video, Royal and Loyal BFFs Selena and Demi reveal their secrets, A Royal Reality, and real life princesses share their realities.

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Princess Protection Program is the latest Disney Channel Original Movie. It premieres tomorrow night, June 26, 2009, on the Disney Channel. It is technically just the United States premiere of this movie, as it has already shown in several European countries. Also, interesting is that this movie is getting a very quick DVD release with is coming out on Tuesday, June 30, 2009. Princess Protection Program sounds like an entertaining plot and I actually think this might be a great Disney Channel movie. Probably the best they have premiered so far this year, but that is not too hard, especially since I really think Hatching Pete stunk.

Princess Protection Program is about Princess Rosalinda (played by Demi Lovato) entering the Princess Protection Program (a witness protection like program for royalty) and being placed in Louisiana after her country is invaded by an evil dictator. She is placed with Mason and his daughter, Carter (played by Selena Gomez). Carter, a tomboy, helps Rosie (name she goes by in the Princess Protection Program) become a normal American teenage girl while Rosie helps Carter discover her inner princess.

The special weekend premiere of this movie is hosted by Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. The weekend with include some sneak peak stuff on Friday that includes looks at an upcoming hour long Hannah Montana special, the “Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana” crossover event, and Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie. Saturday viewers are asked to count how many times princess is said during the movie and then unlock new episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place and Sonny with a Chance on Disney Channel’s website. Sunday there is a sneak peak of the upcoming Disney movie The Princess and the Frog.

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Stanley: Spring Fever is a collection of four episodes of the Playhouse Disney show, Stanley. This show is a great one that teaches about animals with story lines of the curious preschooler, Stanley, and his friends that are typical of preschool curiosity. The educational aspect of the show also includes the alphabet to some extent, as they always say the alphabet in order to get to the letter page of the animal they are looking up in the Great Big Book of Everything.

The episodes on this DVD are “Searching for Spring,” “Save the Bluebird,” “Caterpillar Countdown,” and “Baby Pictures.” The first is an interesting about it Stanley and his friends anxious for it to be spring and learning about the myth of Groundhog Day. I also found the third one interesting about Elsie finding caterpillars boring, but finding them interesting when she learns they eventually turn into butterflies. The last one is my favorite, though, as it is about growing up. Stanley is afraid he will be a grown up soon, but learns that different animals grow up at different rates and he still has plenty of years to be a kid.

This release includes a few bonus features. One is a Make Your Very Own Great Big Book of Everything activity in which you choose animals based on their pictures, sounds, and then put the book together in alphabetical order. The other special feature is The Great Big Book of Everything that tells a little about the 10 animals you put in the book in the first activity. The last special feature is a “Stanley’s Theme” music video performed by the Baha Men.

Overall this is a good release considering the show is rarely on Playhouse Disney these days. It is somewhat limited in content, as the episodes are really just half-episodes. The good special features make up for that to some extent, though.

Check out the other TV on DVD reviews I have blogged about here.

Do not forget to comment and get an entry in our June 2009 Comment Contest and have a chance to win a TV on DVD.

Here is this week’s edition of new releases of DVDs that feature kids shows. Most are previously seen episodes from television while sometimes the releases are straight to DVD releases of episodes or movies based on kids TV shows.

Barney: Let’s Pretend - This release is of the Let’s Pretend Barney episode. I think it might have been released on DVD before and definitely was released on VHS years ago. I think this might be the episode BJ is introduced in.

Bob the Builder: Bob’s Top Team - This release has a run time of about 45 minutes. In this release Bob works on finishing his workshop, building a new school, and a visitor center.

Doodlebops: Get on the Bus - This release includes four episodes of the Doodlebops.

Fireman Sam: Saves the Day - The episodes included in this release are “Beast Of Pontypandy,” “Fit For Nothing,” “Neighbourhood Watch Out,” “The Case Of The Liquorice Shoelaces” and “Firefighter Of Tomorrow.” I think this has been released in the UK before, but this is the first time it is being released in the US region.

Thomas & Friends: Track Stars - This Thomas & Friends release includes six episodes, three read alongs, six sing alongs, DVD-ROM games, character gallery, and two DVD games. The stories part has a run time of about 50 minutes.

Tom and Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collection - This release is a two disc set. This release consists of the 34 Tom and Jerry shorts worked on by Chuck Jones. It includes two documentaries called “Tom and Jerry…and Chuck” and “Chuck Jones: Memories of a Childhood.”