Saturday, December 10, 2011

Digital Digest: Webster DVDs on Shout! Select; Clifford the Big Red Dog - Big Big Collection DVD Review


Welcome back to Digital Digest for this blustery (unless you are living in a tropical climate or somewhere in the southern hemisphere, of course) and cool weekend! We're in a pre-Christmas lull on news now (and it is probably just going to get slower as the weeks go by), but we're here today just as we are each and every Saturday with your news and a review of Clifford the Big Red Dog - Big Big Collection. Let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

A few months ago, we mentioned that the fourth season of Webster was coming to stores on DVD from Shout! Factory in November, but that never materialized. But fear, no more, because Webster IS coming to DVD soon... just not in stores! On January 17, Shout! Factory will be releasing Webster - Season Four exclusively as a Shout! Select title. Hopefully, we'll have a copy of this title to review in the upcoming weeks.

That '70s Show - Season One (Blu-ray) was set to hit stores on January 10, but now that has been delayed a bit. The reason? According to TVShowsOnDVD.com, new special features are in the works for this set which will be exclusive to the Blu-ray edition. The article also mentions that the set will hopefully be released in March. So while most of us don't really enjoy delays, it sounds like we will enjoy this one!

CBS DVD is starting off 2012 the right way with even more DVD announcements. The first one is Matlock - The Seventh Season, which is, of course, the contemporary classic starring Andy Griffith. The release is scheduled for February 21, but we did notice one unusual thing in the listing. The set is listed as being a three-disc set, which is a bit low considering how many episodes are on the set. Hopefully, this is wrong, but we'll know for sure when we have the review of this set sometime in February, right here on Digital Digest.

The other announcement is a bit more surprising, and brings a very quick completion to a series that was just started on DVD. Mission: Impossible - The '89 TV Season is set for a February 28 release, just mere months after the recent release of Mission: Impossible - The '88 TV Season. With only two seasons of the series, that brings the series to completion. We'll have a review of this set in February as well, again, on Digital Digest.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (December 13) brings just one traditional sitcom to DVD, with the release of the final season of a contemporary hit series, Spin City - The Complete Sixth Season. We have received a review copy of this set, and a review is forthcoming. Image has a re-release of the series Sledge Hammer!, with Sledge Hammer! - The Complete Series. And finally, Fox has another animated sitcom on the way, with Family Guy - Volume 9.


Clifford the Big Red Dog - Big Big Collection

Blog DVD Review - Clifford the Big Red Dog - Big Big Collection (Lionsgate, $29.98)

Everyone's favorite crimson friend and beloved Scholastic character, Clifford the Big Red Dog™, stars in an all-new six-DVD collection as Lionsgate Home Entertainment releases Clifford the Big Red Dog™: Big Big Collection starring the voice of the late great John Ritter as Clifford. Arriving just in time for holiday gift-giving season, the set includes more than 50 splendid stories and nine hours of canine content at an incredible value. In addition, the DVDs contain the kid-friendly direct-play feature, allowing children to insert the DVD and watch without help from an adult. An award-winning and beloved brand, the Scholastic Media produced Clifford television series is consistently a top-rated show on PBS® where the TV series airs daily and receives more than 2,000 plays weekly. With more than 126 million books sold since its launch 49 years ago, Scholastic's Clifford the Big Red Dog is one of the top-rated preschool properties across multiple categories. The brand currently enjoys more than 96% awareness among mothers with kids ages two to five, with over 6.6 million videos and DVDs sold to date.

Now these six discs were each released previously on their own one-disc set, so there isn't actually anything new on this set if you have those DVDs. The six DVDs are: Playtime with Clifford, Happy Birthday Clifford!, Clifford's Schoolhouse, Doghouse Adventures, The New Baby on the Block, and Growing Up With Clifford. So the content from those single disc sets are the same on these discs on this set. We reviewed the last major set for this series back in 2006, that set was five-discs. Earlier this year right here on Digital Digest, we also reviewed a best of set that had six episodes that focused on Clifford and his best buddies.

As for the episodes on this six-disc set, we don't get any first time on DVD episodes since they were released separately already. Each episode is a short episode, since the series had two short episodes per half-hour at around 11-12 minutes. There were other very short shorts like Storytime with Speckle and Clifford's Big Idea. These are in the special features. We will go over what actual episodes are on each disc here:
Disc one - Playtime with Clifford: "Tummy Trouble, "Tie-Dyed Clifford," "Cleo Gets a Cone," "Team Spirit," "Follow the Leader," "Topsy-Turvy Day," "That's Snow Lie," "Led Astray," "Stars in Your Eyes" and "Fair Weather Friend."
Disc two - Happy Birthday Clifford/Puppy Love: "The Best Party Ever," "Clifford's Big Surprise," "Potluck Party Pooper," It's My Party" and "T-Bone, Dog About Town," "Clifford's Big Heart," "Mimi's Back In Town," "The Best Gift."
Disc three - Clifford Tries hist Best/Clifford's Schoolhouse: "Dog Park," "The Big Sleepover," "And Birdy Makes Three," "Clifford's Doggie Reunion" and "Teacher's Pet," "Nobody's Perfect," "Clifford and the Beanstalk," "Get Well."
Disc four - Doghouse Adventures: "Clifford Cleans His Doghouse," "Doggie Garden," "Screaming for Ice Cream," "Jetta's Project," "Then Came Bob," "Clothes Don't Make the Dog," "Limelight Fright," "Clifford's Cookie Craving," "Guess Who's Coming to Birdwell."
Disc five - The New Baby on the Block: "Baby Makes Four," "A Job Well Read," "Who Me, Jealous?," "A Bunny in a Haystack," "Babysitter Blues," "He's Wonderful Mr. Bleakman," "Getting to Know You," and "No Baths For Cleo."
Disc six - Growing Up With Clifford: "Blanket Blues," "Food for Thought," "When I Grow Up," "Fishing Lessons," "Dog for a Day," "Nothing to Fur but Fur Itself," "Another Fine Mess" and "Vaz Goes Down the Tubes.

The packaging is simple and efficient. Lionsgate has given us a keep case with an outer box. Both the outer box and the case have the same artwork. We have Clifford on the cover art with Emily Elizabeth in a blue background. The title of the series and "Big Big Collection" is above that. The back artwork has info on each disc and a list of special features. We also have six episodic stills from the series next to each disc info. When we open the case, there is no artwork on the panels itself--so it is just plain black. The discs are on three black plastic holders that you can flip like a page in a book. Each plastic holder holds two discs, one in the front and one in the back. The discs have the same artwork as they had originally when they were released and all prominently feature Clifford, of course.

The menus are easy to navigate and are also designed well for children. It is as friendly as the previous big collection in 2006. Each disc has a different style, since these sets were released at different times. On each, we have the opening theme song playing in the background. The main menu options on most are Play All, Choose Episode, Audio Features and Big Fun Features. There are just two chapter stops per episode since it is just one mini-episode per episode. Choose Episode option gives us a screenshot and episode title and then we can choose the episode. The Big Fun Features option has a list of the extras like "Speckle Stories" that run 90 seconds each. The Speckle Stories usually run at the end of each episode on PBS, but it is an extra on this set. The Audio Features has it so we can change back and forth between 2.0 English Dolby Digital and 2.0 Spanish Dolby Digital. On some of these menus, we can hear the voice of John Ritter saying to choose the episode or the Big Idea. We also have voices of the other stars on some other discs menu options. It is cool.

The video and audio quality are both great. The video is in 1.33:1 full screen, but it still looks great. The colors are very vivid. It almost looks HD, that's how good the video looks. Some discs look better than others, because these were released at different dates originally. My DVD player upconverts to HD, so it still looks great. The audio is also fine. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, you can choose either English or Spanish. There is nothing to complain about here. No dust and debris in the video or anything. If you had the six sets previously, you know what I mean.

As for the Big Fun Features. Each disc is different. I'll do over it by disc:
Disc one - Storytime with Speckle (1:14 each): "Speckle and the Hiding Place," "Speckle and the Wishing Star," "Speckle and the Balloon Ride" - Real-Life Doggy Friends (2:07)
Disc two - Clifford's Big Ideas (1:00 each) - "Be Kind," "Be A Good Friend," and "Believe In Yourself" - "Real-Life Doggy Friends (3:05) - Cleo's Groovy Grooming Game
Disc three - Storytime with Speckle (1:14 each): "Speckle and the Old Wagon," "Speckle and the Little Big Snack," "Speckle and the Really Good Book," and "Speckle and the Playful Yard" - Sing-Along (the main theme with words and singing or with words and without singing)
Disc four - Where Did Clifford Hide It? Game - Storytime with Speckle (1:14 each): "Speckle and the Magnificent World," "Speckle and the Great Story," and "Speckle and the Indoor Picnic."
Disc five - Storytime with Speckle (1:14 each): "Speckle and the Really Good Book," "Speckle and the Home Grown Garden," and "Speckle and the Memory Makers" - Help Baby Find Mom Game
Disc six - Storytime with Speckle (1:14 each): "Speckle and the Little Big Snack," "Speckle and the Big Job," and "Speckle and the Best Medicine" - Learn How to Draw Clifford and His Pals

This set is pretty well done even though there is no new content on here. Well it is new if you didn't have these six sets before. I never did, so it is new to me. It is as good as the previous big set from 2006, but I liked that one better. If you have not bought that set already, please buy that and then get this set so you get nearly all the Clifford episodes. The last set, the single-disc set, has episodes never before released on DVD, so that is worth buying, too. Let's hope eventually we get ALL of the episodes on DVD because John Ritter gives the voice of Clifford a new meaning and he was so good at it. He was also nominated for many Daytime Emmy's for this role. Without Christmas just around the corner, red (and green) is the way to go! Preferably big and red. Buy this big big set!

(4/5 stars)

To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:

toonzone (www.toonzone.net) - Every genre should have a really good website dedicated to it, and we like to think that we do sitcoms well. But we mostly focus on sitcoms, and in general animated series, even though we do like them and talk about them at times, are not a large focus of our website at all. But that is perfectly fine, because there is a website out there that focuses on "all animated series, all the time," and one of the greatest treasure troves for fans of animated series is toonzone.

The website is far from new to the web. In fact, it has been around since 1998--over a decade. Much like our website, they have many pages dedicated to great cartoons from every decade, whether it be Scooby Doo, Spiderman, Batman, or others. While some of these are older archived pages that are no longer updated, they still contain plenty of content to keep you occupied for a while. There is also a blog (complete with relevant and updated news), busy message boards, and even a wiki for users to peruse. And from time-to-time, you'll even find interviews with those involved with the series. There is a lot to discover on toonzone, so you should just check it out for yourself.

That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, March 11

St. Denis Medical - "Listen to Your Ladybugs" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Joyce launches a women's health initiative to unexpected results; Ron treats a patient who has all the answers; Bruce has an existential crisis.

Night Court - "A Little Night Court Music" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
At the behest of producer Sy Hoffman, Dan and Abby work together to turn Dan's memoir into a musical; Wyatt tries to help Julianne stay cool when her ex-lover turns up at the courthouse.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 10)

Tuesday, March 11

  • Joel McHale (Animal Control/The Great Indoors/Community) - Catch Joel on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Kaitlin Olson (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/The Mick) - Kaitlin stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Gillian Jacobs (Love/Community) - Gillian is a guest on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Don Johnson (Kenan) - Don talks Doctor Odyssey on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Melissa Peterman (Happy's Place/Young Sheldon/Baby Daddy/Working Class/Reba) - Melissa is joining Drew and Ross to hit the headlines and talk about her new sitcom Happy's Place on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Nico Santos (The Z Suite/Superstore) - Nico talks about his hilarious new sitcom, The Z Suite, streaming now on Tubi, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show/Cosby) - Phylicia tells Sherri about her new Broadway play Purpose on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) - Eric talks about MGM+'s Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Nik Dodani (Murphy Brown/Atypical) - Nik is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two

11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

03/11 - The Neighborhood Renewed for Final Season; Max's The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast
03/10 - Netflix Renews Running Point for Season 2; Apple TV+ Trailer for The Studio
03/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 10, 2025)
03/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Tracy Morgan to Star in NBC Pilot from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock; Nobody Wants This Returning for Second Season
03/07 - Trailer for Apple TV+ Comedy Government Cheese; Remembering Saved by the Bell and TV Producer Peter Engel
03/06 - The CW Spring Premiere Dates; Henry Winkler Heads to HISTORY Channel
03/05 - Hacks Brings Out the Stars in Season 4; NBC Orders Pilot with Tracy Morgan
03/04 - Apple TV+ Side Quest Launches March 26; Krysten Ritter Joins Dexter: Resurrection
03/03 - HBO's The Rehearsal Returns April 20; Sharon Horgan Signs Deal for HBO Comedy Series
03/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 3, 2025)
03/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Premiere Date for Mid-Century Modern Set; Roseanne Remastered in High Definition
02/28 - Remembering John Lawlor, Michelle Trachtenberg, Lynne Marie Stewart, Alice Hirson, Isaac Ruiz Jr., and Others We Lost in February
02/27 - Fox Orders Season 2 of Doc; Law & Order: Organized Crime Moves to Peacock in April
02/26 - Peacock's Poker Face Season 2 Premieres This Spring; Bert Kreischer Returns with His Fourth Netflix Special
02/25 - Hulu Sitcom Mid-Century Modern Premiere Date; NBC Renews Happy's Place for Season 2
02/24 - Fox Renews Jay Pharoah Game Show; Leighton Meester to Guest Star on Nobody Wants This
02/23 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 24, 2025)
02/22 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Jury Duty Returning for New Season on Prime Video; New Spinoff of 9-1-1 in the Works
02/21 - CBS Renews 9 Additional Series for 2025-26; Hulu Picks Up Paradise for Season 2
02/20 - 31st Annual SAG Awards Pre-Show Hosts; Hulu's Ellen Pompeo Series Trailer Released
02/19 - Hulu's Am I Being Unreasonable? Returns for Season 2; Apple TV+ New CG Animated Comedy Series
02/18 - Cartoon Network's Iyanu Debuts April 5; Chelsea Handler: The Feeling Premieres March 25 on Netflix
02/17 - Netflix Renews XO, Kitty for Season 3; The Pitt to Return on Max
02/16 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 17, 2025)
02/15 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Sets Cast for Potential Backdoor Spinoff of The Neighborhood; Martha Stewart to Co-Host New NBC Cooking Competition
02/14 - FX's Dying for Sex Premieres in April on Hulu; BET+ Announces Lil Kev, Adult Animated Comedy
02/13 - Antenna TV and Rewind TV Celebrate Valentine's Day; The Handmaid's Tale Returns for Final Season
02/12 - Official Trailer for Hulu's Deli Boys; Doctor Odyssey Returns with a 2-Part Event
02/11 - Trailer for Shoresy Season 4; More Stars for SNL50: The Anniversary Special
02/10 - First Ever SNL Episode This Saturday on NBC; FX Renews English Teacher for Season 2
02/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 10, 2025)
02/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: English Teacher Renewed at FX; MeTV Toons to Launch House of Hanna-Barbera Programming Block