DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) STARRING Noel MacNeal Peter Linz Vicki Kenderes-Eibner Jim Kroupa Tyler Bunch Not Rated Studio: Columbia/Tristar Back to DVD Review Home |
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I grew up with Jim Henson. As a young child, I lived on a steady diet of “Sesame Street,” and I also remember when “The Muppet Show” was one of the greatest shows on television. Now that I have young children, I’ll watch “Sesame Street” now and then, and it’s more clear to me now that the show was its best years ago. Even today, the audience favorite stand-bys include the classic songs like “It Isn’t’ Easy Being Green” and “C is for Cookie.”
Unfortunately, Jim Henson is no longer with us. He’s been gone for more than fifteen years, but his spirit is still alive through his legacy of children’s programming. One of the warmest creation from Jim Henson Home Entertainment is “Bear in the Big Blue House.”
It started as a early morning television show, and it continues to be a hit with the kids. Columbia/Tristar has recently released nine separate DVDs of “Bear in the Big Blue House.” Each DVD has its own theme, teaching kids everything from potty training to friendship. Although it’s a television series, it’s not necessary to watch it in order.
The different DVDs include “A Bear for All Seasons,” “Dance Party!,” “Everybody’s Special,” “Party Time With Bear,” “Potty Time With Bear,” “Shapes, Sound & Colors with Bear!,” “Sleepy Time with Bear and Friends,” and “Tidy Time with Bear.” The ninth DVD is “Heroes of Woodland Valley” and features an hour-long episode with Bear and his friends as firefighters and other public servants.
“Bear in the Big Blue House” is one of those shows that you just don’t watch if you don’t have kids. If you’re an adult, there’s really no reason to see it. But if you have kids, it’s a great find on the dial. I’m pretty critical of children’s programming, especially with my own kids. Educational programming is okay, but it doesn’t all need to have a lesson.
I’m raising my kids with some nice educational programming - like “Dora the Explorer,” “Blue’s Clues” and “Sesame Street.” However, I also like to watch the traditional Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry cartoons that were such a huge part of my childhood. But “Bear in the Big Blue House” builds a nice bridge over this gap between education and entertainment.
The show always starts with Bear, who lives in a big blue house with several friends, including the young bear Ojo and the strange tree monkey Treelo. In the tradition of “Sesame Street” and “The Muppet Show,” the big blue house is loaded with a colorful supporting cast, including hyperactive otters and other furry friends.
Each episode ends with Bear having a nighttime conversation with the moon, and they always end with a song. Again, these songs are very sweet without being overdone. The DVDs are all sold separately because like other classic children’s programming such as “Captain Kangaroo,” there isn’t an ongoing plot to follow. It’s also not a huge gift set, allowing parents to pick and choose the subjects in order to teach something specific or just give kids their favorite show on DVD.
The DVDs don’t contain a ton of special features, but the target audience isn’t interested in director commentaries or behind-the-scenes featurettes, which would actually ruin the illusion of the show.
Each of the regular DVDs contain three different episodes of the “Bear in the Big Blue House” television series. “Heroes of Woodland Valley” has only the single episode because it is longer than the traditional show.
There also four sing-along songs on each disc, featuring the favorite songs from the show. This is a particularly fun feature for children considering the songs are written with simple, warm lyrics that kids can learn and sing easily. If you’re a parent, take the time to listen to these songs with your arm around your kid. And treasure it. You won’t get too many moments like this in your life.
