Saturday, December 10, 2011
Digital Digest: Webster DVDs on Shout! Select; Clifford the Big Red Dog - Big Big Collection DVD Review
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)
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That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, November 3
The Simpsons - "Treehouse of Horror XXXV" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Giant monsters created by political rage threaten to tear the town apart; a Victorian Mr. Burns is jump-scared on Thanksgiving by the ghosts of his abused workers; Homer bonds with a pair of extra-terrestrial jeans.
Universal Basic Guys - "Poconos" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Mark, Tammy, Hank and Darren discover a magical board game; David seeks a solution to his writer's block.
Bob's Burgers - "Don't Stop Be-Cheesin" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Louise trains Tina to be the last student standing during a cheese throwing battle against the other eighth graders; Bob and Teddy teach Linda how to successfully eavesdrop on customers' conversations.
Krapopolis - "Krapocalypse" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Tyrannis is stuck in a time loop trying to save the city.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 28)
Sunday, November 3
- Lauren Lapkus (Crashing/Clipped/Are You There, Chelsea?) - Catch Lauren on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 2:59am on Bravo.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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