Four New Episodes Premiering This Week

Don't forget that there are four new Backyardigans episodes playing this week on Nick Jr.! Won't be home when these air? Horsing Around can be found on the The Legend of the Volcano Sisters DVD, and the rest will be available on the upcoming Movers and Shakers DVD, scheduled to be released May 29, 2007.

Monday, March 19 - Horsing Around
Pablo, the world's fastest jockey, and Uniqua, the world's best rodeo stunt rider, race through the Kentucky countryside to determine who rides horses the best, this side of the Mississippi. If they're not careful, a determined Tyrone, his donkey, and a slow and steady approach might win the day. The music genre featured in the episode is Klezmer.

Tuesday, March 20 - Movers of Arabia
Tyrone, the new Sultan of Arabia, hires movers Uniqua and Pablo to safely transport his magical treasures from a desert cave to his new royal palace. Surf music sets the action as the gang enlists the help of a Genie played by Austin who gives them three wishes.

Wednesday, March 21 - Cops and Robots
It's a robotic chase through space, as The Bad Bots, Tasha and Pablo, travel to the Floating Robot Factory to reprogram all of the world's robots to be bad. However, cops Uniqua and Tyrone are on a mission to catch The Bad Bots and bring them to justice. The music genre featured in the episode is Jug Band.

Thursday, March 22 - Save the Day
Tasha is the world's most determined fisher-lady who is oblivious to the dangers of the sea. Although harbor patrollers Uniqua, Tyrone and Pablo have repeatedly saved Tasha from sharks and sinking boats, she insists upon going to the most dangerous places to catch fish. The music genre featured in the episode is Psychedelic Soul.

Nick Jr. will rerun each episode Friday, March 23, in a two hour block.

Volcano Sisters DVD Releases Today

Right now, out of all the Backyardigans episodes, The Volcano Sisters is the favorite in our house. About once a week my kids will ask me to play our Tivo recording of it. Then they'll pile the sofa cushions up into a small mountain and sit next to each other on it, every so often crying out, "Koo-Koo-Pele!"

Occasionally, just for variety, they'll holler, "We are mad!"

Well, today the new Volcano Sisters DVD releases, so I'm looking forward to heading out to get our own copy today. Watch for my review!

In the meantime, I thought it might be interesting to share with all of you some sites that talk about Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess.

Pele - In Hawaiian mythology, Pele is a goddess of fire, lightning, dance, volcanoes and violence, a daughter of Haumea and Kane Milohai. She lives on Kīlauea.

Pele, Goddess of Fire - Her poetic name, Ka wahine `ai honua, the woman who devours the land, is both creator and destroyer.

DVD Review - Mission to Mars

Well, if you just can't wait to see next week's upcoming Backyardigan episodes premieres, you don't have to. You just need to hustle out to get this DVD. Mission to Mars has four new episodes, all of them premiering on Nick Jr. within a couple of weeks of the DVD's release.

• Mission to Mars - The Backyardigans' first episode with a guest star, Pablo, Austin and Uniqua are astronauts searching Mars for the source of a mysterious "boinga" sound. Features Alicia Keys as Mommy Martian.
  
• Samurai Pie - Master pie-making Tyrone, who makes "pie like a samurai" teaches Austin to make pie, while safeguarding Empress Tasha's Great Pie from ninjas Pablo and Uniqua.
  
• Scared of You - If you look in the TV listings you'll find this episode title Monster Party, but it's just a title change, not a different episode. Poor Austin is having his worst birthday ever when mad scientist Tasha sends him to go collect a mummy, werewolf, and vampire, but it's all just to get him out of the way while she sets up a surprise birthday party.
  
• Whodunit? - Pablo, the World's Greatest Detective, is summoned to Mystery Manor to solve the puzzle of Lady Tasha's missing jewels. The Backyardigans version of the classic English Manor mystery.
  

The Special Features section has two dance-along songs; "Hold Tight" with Pablo and "A Message, A Message" with Uniqua. Basically, these are mini-lessons in how to do the Twist and the Hop. If you have children who watch much Nick Jr. you might remember seeing these a while back, airing as ads for the Backyardigans. I'm thrilled to see them on this DVD. They make the perfect extras.

There is also a Nick Arcade Game trial, which must be played on a computer with a DVD player.

DVD Review - Cave Party

I find it interesting that, with only two episodes having the word Party in their title, Nick Jr. wound up choosing both of those episodes to title DVDs. It must be some sort of marketing thing.

Cave Party follows the Backyardigans DVD pattern. Four episodes, one of them previously unaired on Nick Jr. The episodes on this DVD are:

• Cave Party - Tasha and Austin invite Uniqua, Pablo and Tyrone to come howl at the moon with them, and in the process, invent the party.
  
• Race Around the World - Austin is hoping to win his first gold medal, but he keeps coming in dead last against Tyrone, Uniqua and Pablo.
  
• Eureka! - Dinosaur bone hunting scientists, Uniqua and Tasha run into dusty prospectors Pablo and Tyrone.
  
• Castaways - Pablo, Uniqua and Tyrone think they're all alone on a desert island, but Austin is just too shy to let them know he's there.
  

Race Around the World was first aired on Nick Jr. three days after this DVD was released. It is a great episode. Set to zydeco music, it had me off my chair and dancing with my girls in no time! I loved it. It is my favorite Backyardigans episode ever.

The Special Features section again had just one feature, the music video "Go, Go, Go," from Race Around the World. I loved this video! Not only was the music fun to listen to, with a catchy tune that's still running around in my head, they did a great job of putting the video together. It's based on the episode, but short clips from other episodes are included (Castaways, Surfs Up, Viking Voyage, Eureka! and Quest for the Flying Rock.) I felt this video, with the additional clips, really captured the spirit of the Backyardigans and what I love about it so much. There's a real zest for life there, an excitement and enthusiasm that's simply irresistable.

The Previews section had the same ads as last time. The Great Dinosaur Rescue from Go, Diego, Go; Dora the Explorer's Pirate Adventure, Fairytale Adventure and Dance to the Rescue; Blue's Clues/Blue's Room Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, It's Hug Day and Alphabet Power.

DVD Review - Polka Palace Party

It's finally here! I normally would have gotten this DVD from Netflix.com, but that didn't work out this time, so Tuesday morning I hopped over to Blockbuster and picked one of their two copies. The good thing about that is I have to return it tomorrow, so there isn't the temptation to put off writing this, like there would be with a copy from Netflix!

Polka Palace Party follows the Backyardigans DVD pattern. Four episodes, one of them previously unaired on Nick Jr. The episodes on this DVD are:

• Polka Palace Party - Tyrone is on his way to the Cheyenne Polka Palace with Sherman the Worman, to play his Tuba at Sherman's brother's birthday party. Along the way, he picks up Uniqua, Pablo and Austin, to make the perfect polka playing band.
  
• High Tea - When Tyrone, Pablo and Uniqua can't decide what to play they agree to let Tasha decide. They're not too thrilled when Tasha decides on a tea party, but she manages to make the experience as exciting as any of them could wish. Austin shows up at the end, as a meloncholy Ming emporer.
  
• The Heart of the Jungle - The episode that introduced to Sherman the Worman. Austin, Pablo and Tyrone are all Tarzans, helping Uniqua to return Sherman to his worman home, in the jungle.
  
• Viking Voyage - Pablo, Uniqua and Tyrone are Vikings, searching for a new land to discover. Tasha is a mermaid, determined to stop them. Is there any doubt who'll prevail?
  

High Tea was interesting, I thought. It had more the feeling of kids pretending together than any of the other episodes I've seen. I can remember playtimes like that when I was a kid, with one of us leading the others along in a game of make-believe. I liked it alot.

There was only one item in the Special Features section this time, apart from the previews, which was disappointing. Nickelodeon just can't seem to get this part of the Backyardigans' DVDs right. This time the special feature was a music video from Viking Voyage, Hold on Tight. It's a clip direct from the episode with no special editing. (Not that any was needed. It really is great all on its own.)

What I was really hoping was that they'd include one of the great music videos they show on Nick Jr. every so often, which I haven't seen used except to advertise the show. We do, however, have one more DVD scheduled for release (Cave Party, 3/17/06) and hopefully at least one more to come after that, so there is yet time for Nickelodeon to get this section right.

In the Previews section, a new Go, Diego, Go DVD, The Great Dinosaur Rescue is advertised, as well as three Dora the Explorer DVDs: Dora's Pirate Adventure, Fairytale Adventure and Dance to the Rescue. Blue's Clues/Blue's Room DVDs Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, It's Hug Day and Alphabet Power, are advertised as well.

To quote my last review, "You can play the DVD in English or French. You can Play All, which will play each of the episodes and then automatically restart through the entire thing, or choose one episode at a time, which will not automatically start again upon finishing. Leave it too long on the menu page (15 seconds) and it will automatically go into Play All."(Which has the potential to get the DVD looping over and over again. Which meant I had to stop it fast, after letting the girls watch it all the way through, to avoid the crying and pleas to let them watch it all just one more time? Please? We promise we won't cry next time it ends ...)

A great DVD, and right now, the only way to watch High Tea that I know of, if you're in the United States. An invaluable addition to your Backyardigans collection, if only for that one episode.

DVD Review - The Snow Fort

Got this from Netflix.com and my kids love it! They didn't want to watch anything else for several days.

Just like It's Great to Be a Ghost, The Snow Fort has four episodes.

• The Snow Fort - While Ski Patrol members Tasha and Uniqua try to rescue them, Mounties Pablo and Tyrone defend the snow fort against what they think is the girls' attempt to steal the giant snowball.
  
• The Yeti - Tasha, Uniqua and Tyrone track Yeti Pablo.
  
• Knights are Brave and Strong - Queen Tasha sends Uniqua to deliver an important message to King Austin. Pablo and Tyrone join in her quest to become a knight.
  
• Secret Mission - Description

There weren't as many Special Features as before, but they are much better. There are two music videos, Ski Patrol to the Rescue and The Yeti Stomp, and a Previews section which advertises miscellaneous Dora the Explorer, Blue's Room and My Little Pony videos. The music videos are not just clipped straight from the episode where the characters are singing. They show several bits from the episode, tied together by an overarching theme. The Ski Patrol video shows the girls skiing, interspersed with clips from the episode; The Yeti Stomp video focuses on Pablo, with occasional shots of the other three characters that are in that episode.

You can play the DVD in English or French. You can Play All, which will play each of the episodes and then automatically restart through the entire thing, or choose one episode at a time, which will not automatically start again upon finishing. Leave it too long on the menu page (15 seconds) and it will automatically go into Play All.

This is very good video, a must have if you are looking to build up a Backyardigans collection and an excellent choice if you only want one Backyardigans DVD. If I had to choose between this and It's Great to Be a Ghost, I'd choose The Snow Fort.

Backyardigan's DVD Review - It's Great to Be a Ghost

Well, we've finally had a chance to see the new Backyardigans DVD, It's Great To Be A Ghost. Best of all, we got to see Monster Detectives, which, at this date, hasn't yet played on Nick, Jr. So, if you're wondering whether to plonk down the cash for this DVD, here's my review to help you make up your mind!

This DVD gives you four episodes. You can choose to play them all, or play just one. In the order they play, they are:

• It's Great to be a Ghost - Did you ever play at being scared when you were little, until you actually worked yourself up into being scared? In this episode, the Backyardigans pretend to be ghosts, but it's all fun and games - for a while.
• Monster Detectives - When Uniqua's ball is stolen by the Soccer Monster (Pablo), it's up to Tyrone, the Monster Detective, to help her get it back. (Interestingly, this episode is the only Backyardigans episode we've ever seen that has actually frightened my daughter. She runs out of the room and hides when it's playing.)
• The Key to the Nile - When Egypt suffers a drought it's up to self-centered Princess Tasha to find the key to restoring the Nile. But will she ever remember to thank the faithful servants who are doing all the real work?
• Pirate Treasure - Two sets of pirates (you can tell they're pirates by the way they say, "Arrr!") are looking for the same treasure on a desert island.

Each episode starts with the same opening musical number you see on television, and ends with a closing credits sequence that I thought was a little lengthy, but that my daughters didn't seem to mind at all.

I was disappointed by the Special Features. The first two special features require reading skills, which makes things difficult for parents if their children can't read. Since the Backyardigans' target audience age is 2 to 5 that's probably going to be most of us who are considering buying this DVD.

• Meet the Backyardigans - This feature presents each of the Backyardigans, one at a time. They do not move, but are presented as stiff drawings (I was reminded of paper dolls) bouncing around against the show's backyard play area. At the bottom of the screen is a description of the pictured character. There is background music (the music from the opening sequence), but no voiceover reading of the description.
  
• How to Be a Backyardigan - As with the first special feature, this one requires an ability to read or a parent with the patience to read and reread ad infinitum. Pictures of the various Backyardigans doing things from the shows are shown, with written instructions on how to be like that character. Example: Picture of Pablo playing drums. Written next to it is, Be a MUSICIAN How to be a musician like Austin: Bang your drums, Play the tuba, Say, "Let's polka!" You use the remote to move on to the next character.
• "A Pirate Says Arrr" Music Video - By far the best of the special features. Scenes from the episode are arranged pleasingly. My only quibble is that it isn't the full song from the episode and it ends a little abruptly. My girls loved it though, and asked me to replay it several times.
  
• Previews - Ads for other DVDs being released in fall 2005: Dora's Dance to the Rescue, Pirate Adventure, and Fairytale Adventure; Blue's Room Alphabet Power, Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, and It's Hug Day; My Little Pony - A Very Minty Christmas.
  

Overall, I would recommend this DVD, especially if your child can read. My girls loved it and would have watched it all day if I'd let them.