"Over the hills and far away, Teletubbies come and play!"
Where did the Teletubbies come from? No, I don't mean "over the hills and far away"; I mean who thought them up? Well, Anne Wood and Andy Davenport created the series in 1996, and have since produced well over 300 episodes for the BBC series. They were asked once what the inspiration was, and replied:
Anne Wood: Well it came from a challenge. The BBC already had successful pre-school programmes, but these were for a higher age group than Teletubbies. The BBC wanted a programme for children younger than anyone had ever dared make before.
Andy Davenport: We perceived the possibility of a different approach. Much had not been addressed before because of the reservations many people have about television for very little children. That was the inspiration - and the challenge!
It quickly became a hit in the United States, via broadcast on PBS. It has become a staple of daycares, and the show has sold a host of home videos, toys, clothing, etc. It has also, in odd ways, caused a bit of controversy in the States. There has been concern over the "hypnotic" viewing habits of the children audience, concern over why a male character carries a handbag, and concerns over teaching poor language skills (saying "Eh-oh" instead of "Hello").
This is all bunk, in my opinion. This is a show for kids, period. As co-creator Anne Wood said, "If you make something for children, the first question you must ask yourself is, 'What does the world look like to children?' Their perception of the world is very different to that of grown-ups. We spend a lot of time watching very young children: how they play; how they react to the world around them; what they say."
It has been rather effective, in my experience. I have a son, now age 4, who has been watching the 'Tubbies since before his first birthday. Watching the show has helped teach him colors, counting, singing, and a large variety of game play. The series has won a British BAFTA award, and been nominated twice for Daytime Emmy Awards. It's a good kids' show. This is all I have to say about the Teletubbies, it's history, and the goals of the show. I assume that if you're reading this, you know all about Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po...and even the Noo-Noo. You just want to know what the latest DVD is like, right?
The DVD: "Silly Songs and Funny Dances" Essentially, the DVD aims for what the title indicates: a singing/dancing musical extravaganza. It's the second home video in the Teletubby series which aims in this direction: the second VHS, "Dance With The Teletubbies", very successfully got kids stomping their feet and clapping and singing some of their favorite songs. In fact, it was a bestseller on the kid video charts.
So what does this one cover? Well, after we start with a non-musical Tubby Custard break, we join a live-action insert with a couple of young girls showing off their ballet moves. Then Laa-Laa shows us her secret dance, which is an amusing sequence, judging by my son's reaction. Afterward, the main characters show off and sing about their favorite things. Unfortunately, the songs are rather lame ("Bag, bag, BAG-bag-bag" and "Hat, hat-haaaaa-at...hat, hat- haaaaa-at", etc.) and lost my son's interest quickly. Next up was a Tinky-Winky sequence where he was introduced to mittens, followed by the entire group sitting around the table and listening to songs and singing along...whenever the Noo-Noo's clean-up work doesn't force them to shush him! Another live-action insert about a child admiring the work of a harp player is followed by Tinky-Winky and Po playing with a harp themselves. This concludes the main feature, which lasts just over an hour (it's important to know that the 100-minute running time listed on the box includes the first two supplements listed below in the "Extras" section of this review).
How does it do? Well, based on the reaction of my son, it is not nearly as successful as the "Dance With The Teletubbies" video. Mind you, he still loves these characters as much as he ever has. He plays with his TubbyToys when it pleases him; he watches the TV broadcasts and the other videos. He can sing the theme song and tell you who the characters are, and what they say, do and like. But this video did NOT hold his attention. He was restless throughout the show, acting bored. He went and got some unrelated toys during the show, and played with them on and off. Mind you, this is a child who usually stares hypnotically at the show! After the show was over, I played the "Go!" supplement (see below), and he perked right back up and got involved again.
On a subsequent showing the next day, halfway through he actually asked to watch a different video instead (Underdog, if you're interested).
The ultimate test of the success or failure of any child's video is whether the child remains interested. My child's reaction tells me that this video fails that test. Your mileage may vary, of course.
Video
Quite simply, the video presentation is dead-on perfect. Presented in its original 4:3 television format, the colors are as bright and clear as a freshly cleaned picture window. Big screen or small, standard or high-definition, it looks like you could throw open the shutter and climb through into Tubbyland. The bottom line is that the video could not possibly be better. The 'Tubbies have never looked this good on TV before.
Audio
Sound is presented in "stereo" - two-channel mono, really - which preserves the originally broadcast audio format. In other words, there is no discernable use of the individual channels, but it won't matter much to the target audience: the children. Music, dialogue, and sound effects are all easy to pick out, and the soundtrack comes through loud and clear.
A 30-Minute abridged version of the Teletubby exercise video, "Go!" (originally 70 minutes on VHS). Here, the 'Tubbies take your children through various exercises, such as stretching up, side-to-side windmills, jumping, etc. Only they don't call it these things; they are given silly names that encourage the kids to play along as if it's a big game. Honestly, my son enjoyed this segment much more than he did the main presentation. He didn't get bored; he was very involved. And, as a parent, I enjoyed it, too. I see this as a way to encourage my son to stay fit, doing calisthenics with the friendly Teletubbies.
A 3 1/2-minute "music video" called "Teletubbies Say Eh-oh!"; this is a fun extended version of the opening credits theme song. Includes the 'Tubbies at their silliest: Dipsy in an oversized hat and Po carried away by four kites!
"For Parents": a half-hour interview with the creators of the Teletubbies, Anne Wood and Andy Davenport.
Sneak previews of 4 other Teletubby videos: Baby Animals (the only other DVD), Go! (the full-length VHS version), Dance With The Teletubbies (a much more fun singing-and-dancing 'Tubby video than this one was), and Big Hug!
An "alternate language track", aimed at the Canadian audience (by virtue of the Canadian flag you activate in order to choose it), which gives you the original BBC soundtrack for the show, instead of the American dub that it defaults to.
Summary
When a child loves the characters on a home video the way my son loves the Teletubbies, it's usually a no-brainer to pick up the latest in the series. And there's no doubt that there are fun sequences on this disc. Parents, Daycares, and other caregivers who are switching over to DVD, and are faced with kids who are fans of the Teletubby gang, will no doubt lean toward picking up this disc.
Frankly, I'd recommend that you try to rent or borrow the disc before purchasing it outright. There's no need to purchase something that your sons and daughters won't enjoy, and will end up sitting on the shelf, underused. Hopefully, the folks at Ragdoll, the BBC, and Warner Brothers will translate to DVD the previously released home videos...especially the full-length "Go!" video, and the much-more-enjoyable "Dance With The Teletubbies" video. Those will be a better DVD treat than this one was.
In the meantime, many kids out there will probably enjoy this disc. But mine didn't.
