Twenty-two teens have just been sent to the oldest, moldiest, most beat up, run-down, bug infested summer camp in Northern Ontario where they'll be forced to endure a summer of leaky cabins, crappy food and increasingly insane challenges. Only one can win - the rest will walk the dreaded Dock of Shame. Tensions will run high, the hook-ups are SO on, and the cameras will be there to catch it all.
Are you a fan of reality TV shows? Do you think reality TV shows suck? If so, then you'd probably enjoy Total Drama Island, the animated "reality" series that mocks reality shows, but in a very entertaining way. I'm a fan of some reality shows, and avoid others like the plague. I like Survivor and The Amazing Race, and I avoid things like The Bachelor, and any of those shows where they try to get couples to cheat on each other (remember Temptation Island? Barf!). Total Drama Island probably makes the most fun of Survivor, but the show has elements of other reality shows like The Bachelor and Big Brother thrown in.
All 27 episodes of the first season are on 4 discs:
Disc 1 (2:34:14)
Not So Happy Campers Part 1 (22:02)
Not So Happy Campers Part 2 (22:02)
The Big Sleep (22:02)
Dodgebrawl (22:02)
Not Quite Famous (22:02)
The Sucky Outdoors (22:02)
Phobia Factor (22:02)
Disc 2 (2:34:14)
Up the Creek (22:02)
Paintball Deer Hunter (22:02)
If You Can't Take the Heat (22:02)
Who Can You Trust? (22:02)
Basic Straining (22:02)
X-Treme Torture (22:02)
Brunch of Disgustingness (22:02)
Disc 3 (2:34:14)
No Pain, No Game (22:02)
Search and Do Not Destroy (22:02)
Hide and Be Sneaky (22:02)
That's Off the Chain! (22:02)
Hook, Line and Screamer (22:02)
Wawanakwa Gone Wild! (22:02)
Trial By Tri-Armed Triathalon (22:02)
Disc 4 (2:12:06)
After the Dock of Shame (22:02)
Camp Castaways (22:02)
Are We There, Yeti? (22:02)
I Triple Dog Dare You (22:02)
The Very Last Episode, Really! (22:02)
TDI Rundown (21:56)
Video
Being a recent animated show, it's no surprise that this release looks great on DVD. The colors are vibrant, the animation is great, and if it weren't for some jaggies here and there, this set would have gotten a perfect score. There's a "play all" on each disc, and a chapter is placed after the opening of the show.
Audio
The release contains a standard English stereo track. Featuring some directional effects here and there, it's pretty normal for a cartoon; no complaints, no compliments. There are English subtitles for the episodes as well.
Cast Interviews (7:31)
They call these interviews, but they're actually the casting tapes.
Summary
I quite enjoyed Total Drama Island. The show was filled with every stereotype you'd expect to find on a reality show, and it mocked Survivor (one of my favorite reality shows) a lot, but all that amounted to 27 entertaining episodes. I wish the set had more extras, since the Cast Interviews were short, and didn't offer any insight into the production of the show itself.
