Release Info:
Original Release: October 29, 1972
DVD Release Date: October 7, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $13.99

Yet another Charlie Brown special is being released. It’s safe to say that 2008 is the year of the Charlie Brown DVD. With recent releases of It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and The Charlie Brown Holiday Collection, it only seems fitting that You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown should be Warner Home Video’s latest release. It is an election year, after all. What better way to celebrate that then with Charlie Brown and the gang?

We’re a Charlie Brown family. I don’t think any of us have ever seen You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown though. We own all of the holiday specials, so this is a nice addition to our collection. I think you’ll find that while this isn’t as spectacular as your favorite holiday special (such as Christmas or Thanksgiving), this does have a typical Peanuts formula, making it more than enjoyable for the entire family. This is probably because You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown was made back in 1972. I’ve found I much prefer the older Peanuts animated features to the newly made ones. That’s just my personal preference.

With the election so crucial this year, I believe it is important for children to understand the election process. This month, we’ve been offering plenty of presidential themed units, DVD time for president-friendly titles, such as the John Adams Chronicles, and worksheets to help our son better understand the election process during his daily homeschool (our son is autistic - which is part of why we homeschool him). You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown is just another way to teach him about elections, with the Peanuts gang there to guide our entire family through the class election for president, which Linus has entered.

Even if you don’t want your kids to watch this for its educational value, the entire family is going to enjoy watching You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown. It’s hard not to feel bad for Charlie Brown, who is constantly picked on, as he serves as Linus’ campaign manager. It’s also realistic to think that Linus could be mimicking some of the officials we’ve elected or who have wanted to be elected, as they make plenty of promises, just to get voted into office. The life lessons learned in this DVD are as important as the educational lessons. That’s why I’m so glad I got the chance to review You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown.

You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown Plot
There are actually two specials/episodes included on the You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown DVD. The first is the title special. The second is a bonus episode. Nearly all of the Peanuts DVDs have bonus episodes/specials on them. The bonus for You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown is the recently made He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown.

You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown is about 25 minutes long. The story revolves around Linus who is running for class president. Linus is working with Charlie Brown and Lucy, who are his campaign managers. While Linus’ election seems to be going great, he’s happy, enthusiastic and positive, he starts to spread the word about the Great Pumpkin. Charlie Brown believes this is political suicide and is certain that Linus is going to lose.

What it all comes down to is the vote of Linus’ opponent, Russell Anderson. Linus ends up winning it all when Russell thinks about it and realizes Linus is a better choice for president. Despite all that Great Pumpkin nonsense, Linus manages to win. He’s ready to take on the school and the principal. However, once he leaves the principal’s office, he’s changed. He’s realized that even as president, he doesn’t have any say when it comes to the faculty.

This is the first Peanuts animated feature to show Snoopy as Joe Cool. As “Joe”, Snoopy is his usual, vivacious self as he goes to school, only to be kicked out once they realize he’s a dog. This is also one of the first Peanuts specials to feature Woodstock as Snoopy’s little sidekick.

There are two very special things about He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown. First, Sparky Schultz was working on the concept for this special when he died in 2000. It was based on a comic strip he ran for Peanuts in 1995. Secondly, this is the last time Bill Melendez voiced Snoopy. Melendez died just last month. He was a great talent who provided the voice of Snoopy from the very beginning through all the specials.

In He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty is stuck at Summer School, while the rest of the gang heads to summer camp. Before leaving for camp, Linus’ little brother, Rerun, finds their grandpa, Felix’s marbles in the attic. He decides he wants to be a marble champ, just like his grandpa. At camp, a boy named Joe Agate steals all of Rerun’s marbles, by pretending to help him learn to play the game.

At home, Peppermint Patty is convinced that Charlie Brown is in love with Marcie. When the two head off to camp together, she’s certain that he is Marcie’s man. Marcie adds flames to the fire by letting her think that, but Charlie is too busy for romance. He goes to Snoopy (Joe Cool) and asks him to teach him to play marbles. Snoopy complies and he becomes so good at it, he’s able to win Rerun’s marbles back.

Peppermint Patty has decided she’s heading to camp. She comes up with a plan to interrupt the two lovebirds when she catches them red-handed. Of course, everyone is so nervous about the big tournament between Charlie Brown and Joe there really isn’t much romance going on at camp!

While not as good as most Peanuts specials, this is still fun to watch. It’s not going to be legendary like the holiday specials, but definitely is worth watching and your kids are sure to love it.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
For those who don’t already know this, You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown is newly remastered and looking better than ever. While the color palette is much brighter and cleaner than earlier releases, it isn’t 100% perfect. Considering the age of You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown this is to be expected. The sharper, clearer image on a 1.33:1 aspect ratio in standard full frames is a lot better than I imagined it would be. Fans of this special will be pleased by how good this looks!

The English Dolby Digital mono track comes through with a clear, consistent sound. While I much prefer the more dynamic, 5.1 tracks, this track isn’t bad. Everything can be heard consistently. Music and dialogue don’t overlap in a way that affects hearing. The volume doesn’t need to be toggled. The sound is actually great despite not being as dynamic as newer tracks. Mono tracks are also available in Japanese and Portuguese. Subtitles for this DVD come in the following languages: English, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The creators of this DVD and Warner Home Video have whipped up another great bonus for this DVD. While there aren’t many, what is here is worth its weight in gold. The You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown Bonus Section starts with a making of featurette for this special. If you’ve purchased other remastered DVDs for Peanuts specials recently, you’d know a making of featurette has been on every single one of them. These are amongst the most interesting of making ofs I’ve seen, which makes them worth watching.

This making of is called “The Polls Don’t Lie: The Making of You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown“. Like similar making ofs for this franchise, there are interviews with Bill Melendez (director and voice of Snoopy who died just last month), producer Lee Mendelson, animator Phil Roman, and Charles “Sparky” Schultz’s wife, Jeannie. This making of also features Scott McGuire (a Peanuts historian), Hilary Momberger (the voice of Sally Brown for this and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving), and Todd Barbie (the voice of Russell in this and Charlie Brown in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, as well as other Peanuts titles).

The cool thing about this is that You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown really isn’t dated. Elections work the same way. All of those who were interviewed for this making of feature talk about the political process and how elections work, the importance of politics, the vision for You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown and comparisons to the 1964 strip with a similar theme, that was made by Schultz. Overall, some very interesting content is available in this featurette, which lasts around 12 minutes.

The bonus episode <em>He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown</em> is also a part of the bonus features, but I’ve listed information on this above in the plot section.

Finally, there are some trailers. There are trailers for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King, Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 6, and The Smurfs: Season One, Volume Two.

Bonus Features: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
If you have kids of any age, pick up your copy of You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown, now that it’s available. You can watch this as a family and enjoy a new chapter in the Peanuts story. With the upcoming election, this can be used as a tool to teach your children about the election process or it can just be watched for the fun of it. Either way, adults and children will love spending time together catching up on the latest adventures of Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. This DVD is highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown, Deluxe Edition, DVD Review, Warner Home Video, Charles Schultz, Snoopy, Cartoon

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 19, 2008, which means you have until October 18, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Product Description:
I Tawt I Taw A Clue!

Everyone’s favorite cat and bird duo take their hilarious hijinks around the world in these 13 action-packed episodes from the outrageous hit TV show! From Down Under to Denmark, globe-trotting Granny unravels the mysteries of disappearing treasures, bizarre events and even her own crime spree while Sylvester tries to catch some lunch - Tweety! But with Hector the Bulldog watching Tweety’s back, all Sylvester will ever get is a knuckle sandwich! It’s mysteries and mayhem with sneaky Sylvester and lovable Tweety in this two-disc collection full of crooks, comedy and fwustwated puddy tats!

Disc 1:
- The Cat Who Knew Too Much
- Platinum Wheel of Fortune
- Double Take
- A Chip Off the Old Castle
- Something Fishy Around Here
- B2 or Not B2
- Bull Running on Empty
- A Ticket to Crime

Disc 2:
- The Maltese Canary
- It Happened One Night Before Christmas
- Outback Down Under
- It’s a Plaid, Plaid, Plaid, Plaid World
- Go Fig

Technorati Tags: Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries, Season One, Tweety Bird, Cartoon, Looney Tunes, Contest, Giveaway, Comedy, LI Kids, Warner Bros, Three Copies, New DVDs, TV on DVD

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 17, 2008, which means you have until October 16, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Product Description:
The real top dogs in Washington don’t wear suits and ties – in fact – they don’t wear anything at all! In White House Pets, learn about the hundreds of REAL political animals that have called 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home for the past 200 years. White House Pets debuts on DVD October 14 from Genius Products and Animal Planet. From bears to hyenas to alligators, presidential pets have it all – they are part of the inner circle – privy to state secrets.

They are known to have influenced elections and can capture the hearts of the American people. From George Washington to George W. Bush, enjoy the captivating showcase of presidents and their lovable four-legged friends. Filled with fun the whole family can enjoy, the White House Pets DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $12.95.

Technorati Tags: White House Pets, Politics, Animals, Animal Planet, Contest, Giveaway, LI Kids, Genius, TV on DVD

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 18, 2008, which means you have until October 17, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Product Description:
Join Barney and friends in a special DVD Collection featuring 3 DVDs and an exclusive music CD, “Dino-Tunes,” available only in the DVD Set! This special package features sing-a-long songs and lessons about sharing, caring and learning. Barney’s I Love You Gift Set arrives on October 14, 2008 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment, perfect for holiday gift-giving!

Barney embodies the true meaning of love and friendship, and is a favorite friend to young children, making this collectible DVD set the perfect gift for preschoolers everywhere this Holiday season!

SET DVD SYNOPSIS:
Barney: Now I Know My ABCs
“B” is for Barney, Baby Bop and BJ! No matter how you spell it, Barney’s friends have F-U-N learning the ABC’s, colors and more! Baby Bop discovers the excitement of writing her name, and the children get everything in shape for the most colorful art show ever! Whether drawing a cat made of triangles or a train made of squares, using their imagination helps kids learn about shapes and colors. How do you spell “learning?” B-A-R-N-E-Y!

Barney Songs
Sing along with Barney, Baby Bop, BJ and their friends to 24 of their all-time favorite songs including: “Growing,” “Brushing My Teeth,” “If All the Raindrops,” “The Airplane Song” and “Hey, Look At Me! I Can Fly!”

Barney Let’s Go to the Zoo
Barney makes all sorts of new animal friends when he takes BJ and Baby Bop on a trip to the zoo! BJ makes the trip a photo safari, taking pictures of all the animals, while Baby Bop looks for a real elephant to show to her doll “Nelly the Elephant.” And there’s an unexpected guest - Scooter McNutty - who searches the zoo for an exhibit devoted to the noblest of animals: the squirrel! There’s an abundance of animal fun and facts, songs and surprises when Barney takes YOU to the zoo.

Barney’s Dino Tunes CD
A collection of Barney’s and kids’ favorite songs of all time including “ABC Song,” “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and Barney’s personal favorite – “I Love You” song. A must have for true Barney fans who enjoy singing and dancing along with their favorite Dino friend.

Technorati Tags: Barney, Gift Set, I love You, Songs, Kids, Dancing, Holiday Gift Giving, Contest, Giveaway, LI Kids, PBS, Hit Entertainment, Lionsgate, TV on DVD

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 16, 2008, which means you have until October 15, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Product Description:
“It’s a Christmas miracle” when Elmo and Abby Cadabby attempt to save everyone’s favorite holiday in Elmo’s Christmas Countdown, debuting on DVD October 14th from Genius Products and Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street.

The official countdown to Christmas is at stake after Oscar the Grouch throws the Christmas Counter-Downer and it’s magical counting blocks into the air and they get scattered all over Sesame Street! Abby Cadabby, Elmo and Stiller the Elf set out to find the blocks with the help of their friends and along the way learn the true meaning of a miracle as they attempt to save the day by restoring the countdown to Christmas.

Featuring special guest appearances from Sheryl Crow, Jamie Foxx, Charles Gibson, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Hudson, Kevin James, Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Ty Pennington, Steve Schirripa, Tony Sirico and Ben Stiller leads the Yule-time adventure as the voice of Stiller the Elf. Originally airing on the ABC Television Network in 2007 and returning to wish a “Merry Christmas to all” this holiday season, the Elmo’s Christmas Countdown DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $14.93.

Technorati Tags: Elmo, Sesame Street, Elmo’s Christmas Countdown, Cartoon, Holiday Special, Contest, Giveaway, LI Kids, Genius, PBS, TV on DVD

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon

From all I have seen, parents have either a love or hate relationship with the Doodlebops. I have heard complaints that one of the characters is a homosexual in real life. I have also heard complaints that the show does not offer real educational value. However, despite these claims, which I will address in a moment, small children absolutely adore this show and with good reason!

It is true that Chad McNamara is a homosexual. However, in this instance he is not playing one on television. McNamara plays the role of Rooney Doodle and he does a good job. It should not matter that he identifies as homosexual in his personal life no more than it should matter than Anne Heche kissed Harrison Ford in a movie when she was claiming to be a lesbian. It’s acting. He acts like a character that probably has little to do with his real life. Furthermore, most kids don’t even understand what homosexuality is and even less of them can spot it in a children’s show character that is playing a part, like McNamara is here.

It’s also true that the academic value of Doodlebops is low. However, the creativity value is high. Not only that, but with all the singing and dancing kids are encouraged to get on their feet, which will be good for their health. Kids also learn some type of lesson, a la Barney that may not be educational, but is still important to learn. These lessons vary depending on the episode and range from things like sharing and being a good friend to the importance of being truthful.

I wouldn’t end up watching this all on my own, but with young children it’s an incredibly fun experience. The kids adore the show and dance and sing along with the television. The characters are harmless and good natured, not to mention amusing in many different ways. It makes for a great show for young children.

The Doodlebops: We Love our Friends Plot
There are four episodes on Doodlebops: We Love our Friends . These episodes are all listed below with brief descriptions about each one.

“All By Myself”: Jazzmin has a hard time handling her too long to-do list so she enlists Audio Murphy to help her out. Unlike Jazzmin, Audio Murphy thinks that he can get the list done all alone. It doesn’t take long for him to learn it’s better to ask for help than it is to try and tough it out alone.

“Bring-A-Sound-Arounder”: Rooney invents the Bring-a-Sound-Arounder and it’s a hit. The invention gives you the opportunity to listen to sounds that occur far away. While this invention is great, Rooney isn’t able to hear his friends that are close to him, wishing that he had time to spend with them again.

“The Chicken and the Egg”: Much to the shock of the Doodlebops they learn that the resident chicken is able to answer yes or no questions based on the color of eggs that she lays. This obviously means that the chicken is a genius so they begin to look to her for answers to every question.

“Rhymes with Orange”: Jazzmin is challenged by the Doodlebops to create rhymes for a variety of words. Everyone has a great time until Moe stumps her with the word, orange. When that happens Jazzmin is unable to rhyme anything at all! Everyone has to work together to help Jazzmin get her rhyming skills back.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Doodlebops is available at a standard 1.33:1 aspect ratio and is viewable in fullscreen mode. This is about average for a children’s show, so it’s not a problem. There are minor instances of fuzz, and slight compression errors but nothing much that the kids noticed and nothing that made viewing a problem. Overall, this was a fair visual presentation. The colors were bright and the kids loved watching it.

The audio is available in Dolby Digital Stereo with Closed Captioning. The songs are vibrant and exciting and the dialogue comes through clear and easy to hear. The levels are well balanced so volume toggling was not necessary. This was a good presentation for both audio and visual presences.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Doodlebops: We Love our Friends offers a couple of bonus features, which is nice because so many children’s DVDs leave bonuses behind. This DVD offers Direct-Play, which is similar to Disney’s Fast Play. Parents can put this DVD into the player and not have to worry about hitting play when the time comes. The DVD will start on its own. So if you happen to be in the other room you won’t have anything to worry about and the kids won’t have to fiddle with the remote.

The other special features aren’t incredibly intensive, but the kids will be sure to love them. Included in the bonuses section are four songs that the kids can sing along with and two dance along songs. These provide plenty of fun and activity for the kids after the episodes are over. While these may not be the kids of bonus features you would expect to see on a standard DVD for young kids they are absolutely perfect.

Bonus Features: 4 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Doodlebops: We Love our Friends may not be the most educational show out there, but there tends to be a lesson learned regardless of whether or not it’s an academic one. Young children love the show because it’s high energy and there is plenty of music and dancing to enjoy. The characters may be live action, but they are certainly colorful and animated. This DVD only features four episodes, but would make for a great filler for children that can’t get enough of the show when it’s on television or for parents that want to introduce their children to the show. I wouldn’t recommend this for kids over six, but the small children really do love it.

Overall Rating: 4.14 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Lionsgate, Doodlebops, All by Myself, Bring-A-Sound-Arounder, The Chicken and the Egg, Rhymes and Orange, Jazzmin, Audio Murphy, Rooney, Kids, Music, Dancing

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: June 27, 2008-July 11, 2008
Season Air Dates: April 27, 2008-Present
DVD Box Set Release Date: August 12, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $42.49
Episodes: Three episodes from the first season of Speed Racer: The Next Generation “The Fast Track I, II and III”

My nickname in high school was Speed Racer. It’s not something I cared to be called one way or another. It also wasn’t because I had exceptional driving skills. I’d be hard pressed to find any person in a power wheelchair not called Speed Racer (or who hadn’t heard someone say to them “Go, Go Speed Racer in their life) who grew up in the 1970s or 1980s. I grew up in the 80s. We all knew of and had watched the original Speed Racer cartoon from the 70s, so it seemed like a fitting nickname.

When I heard that Speed Racer: The Next Generation was being developed by Lionsgate Entertainment for NickToons, I was curious. We’ve seen some successful re-doings of shows from when I grew up such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and even the Carebears. While these shows just can’t compare to the originals, they are enjoyable as fresh, new interpretations in their ow right. This could go either way, though. Speed Racer: The Next Generation could either be a totally new, hip incarnation or it could totally bomb.

Not surprisingly, I find that I’m not overly fond of Speed Racer: The Next Generation. The animation gets on my nerves more than anything. If they wanted to go modern, they should have gone completely modern. I much prefer the older animation styles of my youth, but times are a-changing and everything is beginning to look digitized. Unfortunately, Speed Racer: The Next Generation suffers from being stuck somewhere between digitized and static animation. It gives the entire animation process a choppy feel. That is, by far, my biggest complaint.

Not far off is the story writing. Speed Racer: The Next Generation is lame. I didn’t laugh once at any of the supposed jokes. I counted down the seconds until the show was over. There are way too many unlikeable or annoying characters (Conor, Jesse, Jared, Annalise). Even Speed Jr. isn’t exactly likable. The dialogue is corny and the entire premise that Speed Racer had two children he’s never seen or met is just ridiculous. The whole premise of Speed Racer disappearing is dumb because nothing or no one could have ever made the original Speed Racer disappear and/or go off into hiding.

That being said, Speed Racer: The Next Generation lacks creativity. It seems like those who make cartoons are running out of original ideas. Instead, they have decided to take successful animated series’ from the past, recycle them and profit off of the fact that old fans of the original shows, as well as new fans, will want to check them out. In the end, the cartoon suffers because it seems like projects such as Speed Racer: The Next Generation were only made and developed to make a quick buck. With the live action Speed Racer movie just released on top of that, it seemed like the ideal time, I guess, to bring a Speed Racer cartoon back. Unfortunately, this particular cartoon lacks substance amongst other things.

The Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Fast Track Plot
There are three episodes included on the Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Fast Track DVD. These episodes are presented as one full length movie, known as The Fast Track. Like the past DVD release of Speed Racer: The Next Generation, which featured the first three episodes of the show, in Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Beginning, this DVD offers three episodes from the first season of the show.

Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Fast Track features episodes that aired from June, 27, 2008 to July 11, 2008. By this point, the creators assume you already watch Speed Racer: The Next Generation, so you know the story. It isn’t hard to watch this if you’re new to the series, but some things aren’t apparent, such as the fact that X and Speed are long lost brothers. This is because this information was already presented in earlier shows.

The Fast Track is made up of three episodes. Here is a small description of each episode. Just for reference, all three episodes were directed by John Holt and written by Ben Gruber.

“The Fast Track, Part One” - The lab technician, Joel, who is working for Zile Zazic, allows Zile to take over the virtual track during the Redwood Rally. Zile has sinister plans as he tries to mess up the race for Speed Jr. and kill him. Speed is able to figure out he’s being sabotaged and manages to survive the race. This causes Zile to fire Joel. Speed decides to investigate the matter in the virtual track, with the help of Conor and Lucy. Unfortunately, the technician has implanted a virus in the virtual track, trapping Speed, his Mach 6 and Annalise Zazic (Speed’s #1 enemy).

“The Fast Track, Part Two” - Continuing where Part One left off, Speed and Annalise are still stuck in the virtual track. The two are forced to work together as the virus eats the track, so they can survive. Conor, Lucy and X try to find a way to save them from the track, which is destroying itself. If they don’t save them in time, the two will be stuck in the track forever. When Conor accidentally loads the original Speed Racer enemy files, the Mammoth Car and the X3 set out to destroy the Mach 6 with Annalise and Speed in it.

“The Fast Track, Part Three” - After Speed and Annalise escape the track, Annalise tells Speed they can’t be friends. Zile is pleased to find out that Joel planted the virus. He re-hires him and promotes him, so he can make sure Speed dies in the virtual track. When the Mammoth Car, X3 and Jungle Conor enter the real world from the virtual track, Annalise turns to Speed for help.

The only good thing about these episodes is they flow together, like one big movie.

Storyline/Plot: 1 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 1 out of 5 stars
Acting: 1 out of 5 stars
Directing: 1 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
It’s hard for me to say the video quality was excellent because the animation style left something to be desired. Do you remember PS2 and GameCube graphics? Well, the animation on the Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Fast Track DVD has this occasional edgy look, like the animator didn’t exactly know how to smooth things out. Sometimes I feel like I’m watching a show that was drawn with video game specs. We can all admit that while the latest games look far superior to anything out there, television animation is still smoother and has the ability to look nearly flawless.

The actual image is a 4×3 full frame presentation. I guess things look okay, but then I really couldn’t get over how much I disliked the animation. There are a few visual errors, but for the most part, this looks like the quality of your standard new cartoon television show.

The sound quality for Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Fast Track works out just fine. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack comes through as you’d expect a Dolby Digital surround track would. There is no need to mess with the volume . Every annoying word comes through loud and clear. Closed Captioning is available so the hearing impaired can enjoy Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Fast Track.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are only two bonus features on the Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Fast Track DVD. The two features are actually very short featurettes. There is also a series of trailers for other Lionsgate titles. There are also trailers that play when the DVD is first started.

The first bonus feature is the featurette, “The Animation of Speed Racer: The Next Generation”. The featurette is introduced by creator and executive producer, Larry Schwartz. As you might have guessed, this looks at the animation for Speed Racer: The Next Generation. I don’t particularly like the animation for this show, so I didn’t really care too much for this feature. If you like the show, this featurette discusses things like animation development and specific designs like the virtual tracks.

The next featurette is enttied, “Sneak Peek w/ Jeff Gordon”. As you might have guessed, it includes a sneak peek at Speed Racer: The Next Generation with Jeff Gordon. Jeff talks about how he grew up watching the original series, his racing history and about how it felt to lend a voice to Speed Racer: The Next Generation. If you like Jeff Gordon, you might like this featurette or not!

Finally, there are trailers for Happily N’Ever After, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the original series DVDs, Doctor Strange, Ultimate Avengers: The Movie, and The Invincible Ironman.

Bonus Features: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
If you are one of the few people who like Speed Racer: The Next Generation or you have a child you know or think will like this series, then you may want to purchase Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Fast Track. Fans of the old Speed Racer cartoon will want to avoid this like the plague. This is nothing like the original series. In fact, the few original series characters have changed so much (in growing up) they’ve lost their personalities and charm. If you’re new to this cartoon, check it out on NickToons before buying this DVD, because chances are, you won’t like it. Not recommended.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Speed Racer, The Next Generation, The Fast Track, DVD Review, TV show, Cartoon, Racing

Release Info:
Original Release: December 9, 1965, October 27, 1966, November 20, 1973
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $33.99

It’s time for another Peanuts review. Dominick did a review for one of the DVDs released in this set, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Now it’s my turn to review the entire set. I grew up with the Peanuts. Didn’t we all? I’m pretty sure anyone who grew up from the mid-1960s onward has happy memories about watching Peanuts holiday specials while growing up. I’m a child of the 80s and I know I do.

When I had my son, one of the first movies I let him watch on VHS (this was back in the mid-90s, a little before DVD became the only thing to own) was A Charlie Brown Christmas. Since he was just a little baby, he’s been in love with Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Now that he’s 13, he still loves Peanuts and honestly, who could blame him? What’s not to like? It’s one of those cartoons that no matter how old you are you’re going to like it. Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas is pretty much an ingrained tradition in most households, ranking up there with watching It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story (which is going to be re-released this year on DVD - and I’m very excited about this) every year at Christmas.

Peanuts brings families together. I can remember gathering in front of the television with my older brother and my mom to watch the Peanuts specials. Now that I have my own family, all of us (and still my mom is with us) gather up in the living room to watch it on the big screen television. I feel something warm and tingly inside me every time I watch Peanuts holiday classics. I guess you’d call it nostalgia. It reminds me of my past, present and reminds me of how magnificent my future can be as I expand my family and allow the future children in my family to enjoy the Peanuts gang as much as I did when I was their age.

There are three primary Peanut storylines included in this box set. The first one is the newly released version of, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Next, is the ever-popular, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Finally, there is the special that started it all, A Charlie Brown Christmas. If I had to rate each special in order of my favorite from greatest to least favorite, I’d have to choose, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and then It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

It was harder than heck to pick my favorite because I love all three of these Peanuts specials. I’ve seen them hundreds of times before and I’ll continue to watch them every single year for as long as I live.

Peanuts Holiday Collection Plots
This holiday collection is comprised of three discs. Each disc has a holiday special on it, plus individual bonus features. The best thing about this is that you’ll get one extra Peanuts episode on each disc for a total of six Peanuts stories. That’s not counting the special features. While you can purchase these DVDs separately, there really is no sense in doing that when you can get this entire set altogether for a much lower price.

The first disc is for It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. As I mentioned before, Dominick did a review of this exact same DVD, when it was released a few weeks ago. This is the exact same DVD down to the quality and the bonus features as the one now being sold separately, so if you own that one, you might want to hold off on purchasing this set. You can buy the other two DVDs individually, as well.

It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown is all about Halloween. It contains one of the best Peanuts lines ever…”I got a rock.”

For those who don’t know about the rock, this is what Charlie Brown says he gets at every house he goes to trick or treating. In It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Linus believes the great pumpkin, a Halloween version of Santa Claus, is going to come to the pumpkin patch. He writes the great pumpkin a letter in anticipation of his arrival. Since the great pumpkin brings the little children toys and goodies and since Sally is in love with Linus, she is faced with the difficult task of deciding whether she will stay in the pumpkin patch with Linus or go trick or treating with the rest of the kids.

This was the second holiday special to be produced for television. It was also the first Peanuts animated television series to feature Snoopy and the Red Baron, show Lucy pulling out the football on Charlie Brown and show Charlie Brown getting invited to anything (this episode he is invited to a Halloween party). The first two things were quite popular from the Peanuts comic strip, but had never been a part of a Peanuts television special before.

The bonus episode on this DVD is called “It’s Magic, Charlie Brown”. This is a Peanuts episode I’d never seen before. In it, Snoopy finds a magic book. He decides to put on a magic show as the great Houndini. While his tricks aren’t always so great, he manages to make Charlie Brown invisible. Initially, this bothers Charlie greatly, but when he sees how he is able to benefit from being invisible he sets out to get back at Lucy for all she’s done to torture him over the years.

On the second disc is A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I absolutely love this holiday special. This was the last of the holiday specials (in this set) to be made. This one was actually made in the early 70s. You can hear how the characters voices have changed from Christmas and Great Pumpkin to this one. That is because they both used nearly all the same actors and those actors were now too old to voice for Thanksgiving.

It’s almost Thanksgiving. Charlie Brown and Sally are going to their grandparents house. When Peppermint Patty invites herself, Marcy, and Franklin to Thanksgiving at “Chuck’s” house, Charlie Brown has no choice but to host a Thanksgiving party in his backyard before going to his grandparents’ house. Luckily, Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock pitch in, but when the only food for dinner is popcorn, jellybeans, buttered toast and other things kids (and dogs) can make, the guests are disappointed in Charlie Brown.

The bonus episode on this disc is from the This Is America, Charlie Brown series. The episode is called “The Mayflower Voyagers”. This tells the tale of the Pilgrims as they travel from England to the new world on the Mayflower, their landing at Plymouth Rock, the harsh winter they had to endure and ultimately, the celebration of their first Thanksgiving. Whether your child likes history or not, they’re going to love this DVD.

The third disc in the set features A Charlie Brown Christmas. The very first Charlie Brown television special ever, A Charlie Brown Christmas has become a part of people’s lives since it first aired in 1965. This was such a huge success, it made it possible for all of the other Peanuts television specials, series, and movies to become such a success. It also made Peanuts a household name.

It’s Christmastime and Charlie Brown is depressed. At Lucy’s prodding, he agrees to direct the Christmas play. After assigning parts, Charlie Brown realizes that it won’t be a Christmas play without a Christmas tree. So, he sets out with Linus to get the best tree ever. He thinks getting a good tree will make the rest of the kids in the play start to respect him as the director. However, when he gets to the tree lot, he sees a tiny, crooked tree that reminds Charlie of himself. The little tree is an outcast.

Despite Linus’ warning, he buys the tree. While initially everyone is upset with him, the true meaning of Christmas is soon understood by the kids and everything turns out okay. This is one of the best cartoon holiday specials ever. It gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling every time I watch it.

The bonus feature for this DVD is, “It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown”. This is my least favorite episode/special in the entire set. It doesn’t really capture that Peanuts spirit the other specials do. Ultimately, this is why the primetime stations have stopped airing it during the Christmas season.

In this bonus episode, Charlie Brown has a girlfriend named Peggy Jean. She is a little red haired girl. He goes door to door trying to sell wreaths to try and buy her a pair of gloves, but ultimately has to sell off his comic book collection to do so. Peppermint Patty tries to figure out what she has to read in order to do her Christmas break book report. In the meantime, the majority of the Peanuts gang (excluding Charlie, Linus and Lucy) are in the school Christmas play. Both Patty and Sally have only one line (Patty is a sheep and forgets to say Baa and Sally is an angel who only has to say Hark but instead says Hockey Stick!), but both mess up their lines. That’s pretty much the jist of this bonus. Sadly, this is the only thing keeping this set from getting a perfect 5.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
All of the DVDs in this set have been enhanced. These specials were made in the 1960s and 70s (minus the bonus episodes, which were made at various other points). For being over 30 years old they look fantastic! All three of these DVDs have been remastered. That means a clearer, vibrantly colored picture. There are only minor instances of grain and that’s the only problem though you have to look closely to see any flaws at all. The greatest thing about these DVDs is how bright the animation is. It looks brand new and yet it isn’t. I’m so impressed. Thank you Warner Home Video!

The sound for all three specials is exceptional. One of the bonuses, “It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown” is slightly lower in volume, but the volume is consistent once you adjust it for this episode. Otherwise, everything comes through loudly and clearly with no additional volume toggling. The English Dolby Digital mono track is excellent for a mono track. Most of the sound is forward with the music clearly in the back. There are additional mono tracks in Spanish, Japanese, and Portuguese.

There are subtitles available in the following languages English, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
While all of the bonus episodes are technically bonus features, I listed them above. There are also a few other bonuses included in this set. All of these bonuses are new and are not included in any of the previous Peanuts holiday collections.

Included in the DVD box (which is actually quite attractive and well put together) is A Charlie Brown Christmas Six Song Sampler CD. The songs included on this CD are “My Little Drum”, “Linus and Lucy”, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!”, “Christmas is Coming”, “Fur Elise”, and “Greensleeves”.

All of the DVDs have a special making of featurette. These featurettes look at the vision for each of these specials and contain incredibly interesting tidbits about each special. On the It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown DVD this featurette is entitled, “We Need a Blockbuster, Charlie Brown!”. The A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving DVD has the featurette, “Popcorn & Jellybeans: Making a Thanksgiving Classic”. Finally, A Charlie Brown Christmas has the featurette, “A Christmas Miracle: The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas”. All of these featurettes are extremely interesting and a welcome addition/upgrade from past Peanuts DVD releases.

Bonus Features: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
While Charlie Brown (and the Peanuts Gang) have put out a few different holiday collections on DVD, in the last ten years, this is by far the best. The quality for Peanuts Holiday Collection is vastly improved. There is a nice variety of bonus features and everything looks and sounds great. This is a major step up from the Classic Collections released in 2000 and 2005. My advice is, if you own a holiday set already, off load it on eBay. Pick up this one to replace it and enjoy. Those who don’t own these DVDs need to buy them now. These are holiday classics the whole family can enjoy and shouldn’t live without.

Overall Rating: 4.86 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Peanuts Holiday Collection, DVD Review, Warner Home Video

Release Info:
Season Episode Air Dates: Two episodes from 1988 and one from 1989
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $10.99

I’ve probably already mentioned in a previous Chipmunks DVD release that I grew up watching the chipmunks cartoons. I loved their show. It aired from the time I was almost three until I was ten. This is pretty much the perfect age range for kids to enjoy the show. I still love the Chipmunks though, so I look forward to all of the releases that Paramount (and the various other studios with rights to the Chipmunks) put out. That’s part of why I decided to do the review for Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration.

The Chipmunks have a long and prosperous history. I’ve never really touched on it in a review, but I’d enjoy telling all of you who are reading this about it now. The Chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore were created by Russ Bagdasarian Sr. in 1958. Originally a music group, the Chipmunks have won a total of six Grammy Awards throughout the years. Bagdasarian was a singer, songwriter, actor and music producer. He went by the stage name of David Seville, which we all know is the name of the chipmunks’ fictionalized guardian. In the early days though, Bagdasarian played that role, later inventing a cartoon version of Dave for Chipmunk-based cartoon specials.

Another interesting tidbit about the Chipmunks I’m sure I shared in previous reviews is that the Chipmunks were named for the executives of the first company that signed the trio, Liberty Records. The three were named after Alvin Bennett, Simon Waronker, and Theodore Keep. While the Chipmunks are all fictional characters and while Bagdasarian spent $190 of his last $200 buying a recorder that allowed him to alter the speed of his recordings, which gave him that patented Chipmunk sound, the trio released several records, starting with the infamous “The Christmas Song”.

After Bagdasarian, who supplied the voices of all three Chipmunks, died in 1972, his son Ross Bagdasarian Jr. and Ross Jr.’s wife, Janice Karman, took over the voices of Dave and the Chipmunks. It is this duo that came up with the television show, which aired from 1983-1991. It is also these two who ultimately turned the Chipmunks into even bigger stars than they already were. it is both Bagdasarians and Janice Karman who we can thank for this DVD.

Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration Plot
The Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration DVD contains the main Thanksgiving celebration special and three episodes from the Alvin & The Chipmunks television show. Two of the episodes aired during Season Six, which ran in 1988 and one of the episodes was the first episode of Season Seven, airing in 1989.

Here is a list of the episodes/special with a description for each of them. On a side note, the DVD has a play all function, so you can play all of the episodes on this DVD at once.

“A Chipmunk Celebration” - It’s almost Thanksgiving and Dave and the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon and Theodore) are busily preparing envelopes inviting all of their family (both Chipmunks and humans) to a major Thanksgiving celebration. Alvin is ecstatic to see his family, but Simon explains it is because Alvin is certain he is going to get the lead in the school play, which is also going to be televised. Alvin just wants everyone to see him as the star he knows he is.

When the boys come home from school a few days later they are dejected. Alvin wants to get the letters back, but its too late. They’ve been sent out and Dave’s somewhat evil Grandma is already planning to arrive. Dave tries to make the boys feel better because their teacher has decided they all need to try something new. Alvin is assigned the job of costume designer, a job Theodore wanted. Theodore is assigned the job of set technician, a job Simon wanted. Simon is given the lead in the school play.

When Alvin explains he knows nothing about costuming, Theodore knows nothing about technical aspects of theater, including lighting, and Simon hasn’t acted on stage since he embarrassed himself in a performance of “The Merchant of Venice” at the age of three, they all say that they want to quit the play. Despite Dave telling them that trying new things opens doors, with the family coming to see them, Alvin’s willing to do anything to get out of working on the play, while he can.

“Food For Thought” - The boys are all set to graduate from third grade to fourth; all of them except for Theodore. When the boys graduate, they can all go to Funland as a reward. As Simon and Alvin are discussing ways to go on every single ride at Funland, Theodore breaks the bad news to them. If he fails his American history test the next day then he is going to be held back and won’t get to go to Funland. Drastic times call for drastic measures, and Alvin and Simon set out to explain America’s history to Theodore; from the first Thanksgiving through the American Revolution. Unfortunately, the only thing Theodore can seem to remember is the food the Pilgrims ate!

“Cookie Chomper III” - When Dave is late coming home, Simon takes on parental responsibilities, but even he can’t control his fear when they hear strange noises. It turns out to be a kitten. They must hide it from Dave though, who seems to be allergic to cats. When Theodore wants to name the kitten Cookie and Alvin wants to name it Chomper, Simon comes up with a compromise, Cookie Chomper the Third (III). It isn’t long before Dave learns about the kitten and Simon is sure he can cure the allergy because he believes it is psychosomatic. However, something happens that changes the lives of all four Sevilles. Rated one of the saddest episodes, I don’t recommend you let small children watch this episode alone.

“Dave’s Getting Married” - When Dave dates a woman named Marcia the Chipmunks are worried about how serious the relationship is becoming. That is until they meet Marcia for themselves. She’s perfect in nearly every way and the three decide they’d like a mother like her. When they ask Dave to schedule a trip to the beach with Marcia and hint at a marriage proposal, they are shocked to learn that Marcia has three kids, all boys; a popular smart-aleck, a brainiac, and a boy obsessed with food. When Dave and Marcia announce their plans to marry, the six boys can hardly contain their unenthusiastic attitudes, towards one another!

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The episodes and Thanksgiving special on the Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration DVD all were made in the 1980s. You can see this. The biggest problem was instances of glare (sometimes called color bleeding). While the show had been vastly updated and improved from its original 1980s run, the 1.33:1 standard full frames quality just isn’t perfect. While colors are bright, they aren’t always sharp. There were minor instances of dirt, noise and grain, but nothing too serious. For animation that dates back 20 years, this DVD looks excellent.

The English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound was nice. There was good use of the speakers and the sound was somewhat dynamic. I didn’t need to volume toggle. Once I set the volume at a normal level it was fine throughout the entire DVD. What I really had hoped for was a 5.1 surround track. Alvin & The Chipmunks is as much a musically driven soundtrack as it is a dialogue driven one. The 5.1 track would merely have provided a more robust sound. While this stereo track doesn’t sound bad and gets the job done (your kids won’t notice anything wrong with it and neither should you), I’m just picky when it comes to music on DVDs. While no subtitles are available, there is the option for Closed Captioning.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
I was disappointed when I found out that the Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration DVD did not have a single bonus feature on it. While I understand that Paramount puts out many different Chipmunks DVDs each year, a few bonuses would be much appreciated.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I absolutely love the Chipmunks in all their various incarnations, but especially during the holidays. Alvin, Simon and Theodore were some of the most heartfelt cartoon characters i watched in my youth. I am so glad that Paramount has been regularly releasing DVDs that offer episodes from the original series I grew up watching, as well as the holiday specials that accompanied the show. To say I recommend you purchase Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration would be an understatement. You and your kids can enjoy the Chipmunks together.

Overall Rating: 3.86 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Alvin & The Chipmunks, Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration, DVD Review, Sony Ross Bagdasarian, chipmunks, cartoons, 80s

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 8, 2007-Present
Season Air Dates: September 8, 2007-February 23, 2008
DVD Box Set Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $18.99
Episodes: A variety of 13 episodes (from within the first 16 episodes) from Season One of iCarly

I had to review a screener copy of iCarly when Nickelodeon sent it to us, before the premiere of the show last year. I decided to watch it with my then 12 year old son. It only took one episode for me to realize he loved it and I hated it. The show is annoying, obnoxious and somewhat pretentious. Miranda Cosgrove and her overacting gets on my nerves. Jeanette McCurdy seems to have some comedic ability that is wasted when Miranda tries to overact and Jeanette overcompensates to keep up with her. The only good actors on this show are Nathan Kress and Jerry Trainor.

When Carly and Sam are hosting their show, I seriously think they’re either trying to be game show hosts with their fake smiles and over-exuberant attitudes or they’re just fakey fake actresses. It’s the worst part of iCarly, and considering that’s the main point of the show, it makes me dislike this show. It isn’t necessarily that the writing is bad. Heck, I like Dan Schneider. I have ever since he was on Head of the Class and its clear he’s also the same dude who wrote a Nick show I loved All That. iCarly has the same kind of humor, but the actors ruin the show.

Of course, kids won’t mind. They really don’t pay that much attention to acting. Most of them like over the top acting anyway. My son is now 13. He loves iCarly. It is hilarious to him and if its on television, he always makes me watch it. When it comes down to it, iCarly is one of his favorite shows. I can’t say it’s all negative either because it feeds the needs of technology junkies and makes kids aware of their ability to use technology in this high tech world.

I also mentioned before that Nathan Kress, who plays Freddie, the boy who lives across the hall from Carly and has a crush on her, is entertaining. He seems quite natural in his part. He also knows a lot about technology and often explains things to the characters about what he plans to do technology-wise. He also happens to be the only person on the show with a parental figure that is visible, even if his mom is a bit of a nut bag.

Carly’s brother, Spencer (Jerry Trainor) is also amusing though sometimes his stupidity can get to be a little over the top. With Carly’s dad out of town (I believe they said he’s in the military) it is Spencer’s job to raise Carly. Because Spencer is an artist, the two live a very Bohemian existence. Spencer isn’t the best role model, but he does love Carly and I guess that’s the most important thing.

The iCarly: Season One, Volume One Plot
The iCarly: Season One, Volume One DVD is made up of 13 episodes from Season One of iCarly. The show airs on Nickelodeon on both Friday and Saturday evenings though sometimes episodes air at other times throughout the week. Your best bet is to check your television guide to see when the show will be airing.

With the first season of iCarly over as of July, it is time for a new season to begin. This DVD came out just in time for that to happen. The first episode of the second season of iCarly is set to premiere on September 27, 2008. There will be several episodes of the season airing, leading up to the premiere of season two’s “iGo to Japan” episode at 9:00 PM EST. The reruns start at around 6:00 PM EST.

Here is a list of all of the episodes included on the iCarly: Season One, Volume One DVD with a description of each episode.

Disc One

“iPilot” - You meet Carly (Miranda Cosgrove), a girl who lives alone with her older brother, Spencer (Jerry Trainor) who is an artist. Carly is best friends with a troublemaker named Sam (Jeanette McCurdy). When Carly takes the blame for something Sam did to their teacher, Ms. Briggs (Mindy Sterling), she’s punished by having to tape the school play auditions. In between auditions, Freddie (Nathan Kress), who lives across the hall from Carly and has a major crush on her, accidentally tapes the two making fun of Ms. Briggs and when he goes to upload the video of the auditions, he accidentally uploads Sam and Carly. With soaring popularity, the two decide their made for hosting an internet show which they name iCarly.

“iWant More Viewers” -The girls decide they want more viewers because they keep having the same number of viewers each week. To try and do this, Sam and Carly hold up signs on a popular Seattle TV show, Seattle Beat. In the meantime, Freddie and Spencer try to put up highway billboards to draw more attention to the show.

“iHatch Chicks” - Carly and Sam decide to hatch baby chicks for their science experiment. Unfortunately, when the chicks get loose, its a mad dash to figure out where they are in the apartment in hopes that no harm comes to them.

“iDream of Dance” -This episode is all about dancing. The iCarly team is amused when a Scottish dancer visits Ms. Briggs’ class. This gives Carly the idea to have a dance competition. While encouraging their viewers to send dance clips in to iCarly, the three of them have fun watching them, but then when they end up falling asleep their dance filled dreams are very weird.

“iLike Jake” - Carly has a crush on a boy named Jake Krandale. Of course, Freddie isn’t thrilled about this, but then again…it’s Freddie! Carly finds out that Jake sings, so she invites him to come sing on the iCarly show. The only problem is, Jake just isn’t as good as he claims to be. While the kids are having fun on their show (or not) Spencer busies himself by making a sculpture in his own image.

“iWanna Stay with Spencer” - When Carly’s grandfather decides he wants to take Carly to live with him in Yakima, Spencer is crushed. Grandpa seems to think that Spencer isn’t responsible enough to care for a young teen. He’s practically a kid himself. When both Spencer and Carly try to prove Spencer is able to care for her, everything backfires and it looks like Carly will be leaving her friends and school for good.

“iNevel” - When an 11 year old web critic, Nevel, reviews iCarly he decides he wants to interview Carly personally. After forcing a kiss on Carly and getting food in the face from her, Nevel reacts by giving the web show a bad review. Spencer, on the other hand, keeps himself busy by trying to make a sculpture out of butter.

Disc Two

“iScream on Halloween” - It’s Halloween, so the iCarly crew decide to host the show from a haunted apartment. When creepy things start to happen they believe the place really is haunted. Back at home, when Spencer forgets to buy Halloween candy, he faces the wraith of angry children.

“iSpy a Mean Teacher” -Ms. Briggs is the target of yet another iCarly episode. Freddie and Carly decide to spy on and secretly record Ms. Briggs. However, when they hide in her closet to make sure they don’t get caught, they learn Ms. Briggs’ secret. She’s obsessed with Randy Jackson (judge of American Idol)!

“iWant to Date Freddie” - When Freddie appears on iCarly, he ends up getting a date with Valerie, a girl who seems to really like him. When Valerie decides she wants her own web show, just like Carly, Freddie quits iCarly and decides to work with her on her new show.

“iWant a World Record” - While the iCarly crew attempts to set a world record for the longest webcast ever, Spencer busies himself by creating a sculpture out of trash he finds stored away.

“iRue the Day” - Spencer saves Tom Higgenson’s life, so to repay him, the Plain White T’s agree to perform on the iCarly show. However, with Nevel at it again, Sam, Freddie and Carly have to make sure the show remains on the web.

“iPromise Not to Tell” -Carly gets a B+ on a test and is mad at herself. Sad that her friend is upset, Sam finds out the school network’s password and goes in to change her grade. However, Carly feels guilty about it and has a change of heart.

Note: The following scores are provided from a kid’s perspective not an adult.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
One thing that I really can’t complain too much about is how nice iCarly looks. Despite being transferred in full frames at a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, the show looks excellent. Besides, this format is fairly standard for a television show transfer. Since iCarly is such a new show (it began airing in 2007) expect higher quality than something made further back. This looks as good, if not a little better, than the quality seen when the show airs on Nickelodeon. Colors are vibrant, bright and realistic. Skintones look natural. The contrast is sharp, with very few, if any noticeable visual errors. Overall, an excellent video presentation.

The audio quality for iCarly is Dolby Digital Stereo sound. While usually I’d bemoan about how much I prefer a 5.1 surround track, for a teen show, especially a dialogue driven one, I don’t really mind the stereo mix. The sound is primarily carried through the center and front speakers. While it could be more dynamic, the music, dialogue and occasional sound effects come through clearly. The sound is even with no need to change the volume mid-episode. While it could have been much better, this track does just fine as is.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The iCarly: Season One, Volume One DVD has a few different bonus features. These are sure to please the rabid iCarly fans out there. Nickelodeon isn’t usually that big into bonus features, so this is a nice addition for the kids.

The first bonus feature is the music video for the iCarly theme song, “Leave It All to Me”. I often talk about how it seems like Disney and Nickelodeon have all of their stars singing their theme songs (or other songs) for their shows. Usually, this isn’t always the best recording, but I actually think that Miranda Cosgrove is a pretty good singer. It makes up for the her over dramatic acting. This song is really catchy and it’s going to be quite popular with the younger crowds, especially since it also features Drake Bell of Drake and Josh fame.

Next up is the making of the video “Leave It All to Me”. This shows how the video was achieved. Most of it was done in front of a green screen. The video features Miranda, Nathan, Jeanette, Jerry and Drake Bell. All of them weigh in on a variety of topics relating to the video. For instance, they’re asked what the meaning of the song is and what a green screen is, to give the audience a little more perspective into the making of the video.

Finally, there is a Behind-the-Scenes Extras section. This features a series of small clips, each with a theme relating to the show and its actors.

The Behind-the-Scenes Extras section includes the following:

“The Scoop” - Miranda, Jeanette, and Freddie give the scoop on what the show is about and who their characters are. I believe this aired on Nickelodeon prior to the release of the show.

“Larger Sized Cameras” - Jerry lets the audience in on an inside joke about Miranda. She’s obsessed about knowing whether they’ll be using the handheld, iCarly web show cameras or the larger TV cameras before shooting begins.

“The Green Room” - Nathan, Jerry and Miranda show off the green room (a lounge style area on set where actors can go to relax when not shooting scenes) and goof off in the process.

“Good Advice” - Josh Peck comes to the iCarly set to give Miranda some advice about having her own show.

“Hand Jive” - Jeanette and Miranda show off a hand jive they invented. Nathan has also learned it, but Jerry hasn’t. He’s content just making fun of them for inventing it!

“Nathan’s Gear” - Nathan takes the audience on a tour to see all of the technology based gear he must use as Freddie.

“Dancin” - This looks at the episode where Miranda and the rest of the cast have to dance.

“Nathan’s Wart” - For the Halloween episode, Nathan has to wear a prosthetic wart. He manages to get Jeanette to touch it, even though she’s afraid of it.

“I Scream You Scream” - This looks at the plot of the Halloween show.

“Theme Song” - This looks at the recording of the theme song with Miranda and Drake.

Overall, this is a great set of bonuses. I actually enjoyed these more than I do the show.

Bonus Features: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
While I don’t really like iCarly and doubt I ever will, if your son or daughter is anything like my child then he/she is going to love this series. Ultimately, sometimes television is all about the kids. While I wouldn’t recommend this for a young crowd (6 and under), because some of the humor borders on disrespect, I do think that teens and tweens are sure to get a good laugh out of this series.

The one thing that makes iCarly so important for teens/tweens of this generation is the technology aspect and with kids able to upload their videos to the official iCarly website with the chance to possibly air on the show, what kid wouldn’t want to watch this? Parents, buy this right away. Everyone else, avoid this. It most likely won’t appeal to your non-juvenile senses.

Overall Rating: 4.43 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: iCarly, Season One, Volume One, DVD Review, TV show, Nickelodeon, Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy, teen, comedy