The Backyardigans – Christmas With The
Backyardigans + Merry Christmas, Olivia (Nickelodeon
DVDs)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C/C- Main Programs: C+
Nickelodeon continues its rollout of Christmas DVDs (maybe
sooner in their street date than I would want) featuring their most successful
characters with new volumes featuring The
Backyardigans and Olivia, whom
we have only encountered once before.
Here are those DVDs:
Backyardigans – High
Flying Adventures
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6928/The+Backyardigans+%E2%80%93+Hig
Olivia
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8895/Olivia+(2009/Nickelodeon/Paramount
These are some of the earliest CG animated shows to have
holiday shows and I actually liked Christmas
With The Backyardigans more than the previous volume, moving more smoothly
along than the earlier volume. The
holiday mixes well with the characters and it pleasantly entertaining. The same happens with Merry Christmas, Olivia, but what is interesting is that the
British production has its U.K.
sensibilities, yet I doubt many U.S.
viewers will catch all of them. Note
however the matter-of-fact approach you would never get in a U.S. show.
The 1.33 X 1 image on each of the DVDs are just fine for
analog video releases with good color and the animation in both cases not bad,
though Olivia has some softness that
bothered me, but it was not too bad, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo on both
are also just fine, consistently good for these Nickelodeon DVD releases, but
nothing extraordinary either. Extras are
few on each and include a Music Video and “interactive game” on Backyardigans and bonus episode on Olivia titled “Olivia’s Pirate Treasure”.
- Nicholas Sheffo
