Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Animation
Likes: The Wonder Pets, Noggin
Dislikes: Most kids shows
Hates: Not getting extras

The Story So Far... The Wonder Pets, made up of Linny the guinea pig, Tuck the turtle and Ming Ming the duckling, are a trio of classroom pets who respond to baby animals' distress calls, using teamwork to save the day. The animated Nickelodeon series, aired on Nick Jr. and Noggin, has had several DVD releases, and DVDTalk has reviews of four of them available here.

The Show
While "Dora the Explorer" clings to its formula after so many years, the people behind "The Wonder Pets" have proven to be the creative minds the show indicates, changing and expanding the concept, while not abandoning the core of the series. This keeps the show fresh and enjoyable, especially for the adults in the room, who are far more susceptible to the repetition in kids TV.

This disc starts with a double-length episode about what the Pets do when the kids go home for the summer. Taking advantage of the time off, the trio head out on a vacation from rescuing and, after saving a lion cube falling off a train, join a circus. Naturally, it's not long before they are doing what they do best, but first Linny has to deal with Tuck and Ming Ming doing their own thing, tempted by their new-found fame. These longer episodes tend to be where the show explores the group dynamic, so they have a slightly more serious, emotional tone, but in the end, it's still about the music and working together.

This episode is the first appearance of the CircusBoat, a modification of the Wonder Pets' vehicle. It's another example of the changes in the show, along with the adaptations of the title sequences, which have become more customized to the episode's story. Thus we get not only the CircusBoat, but the VegasBoat, the SaddleBoat and the SpaceBoat. The show is great at taking musical themes and building episodes around them, like the Vegas-themed "Save the Rat Pack," where they help out Blue Eyes, Sammy and Deano, a trio of entertaining rodents; the Western "Save the Armadillo," and the klezmer music-backed "Save the Fiddler Crab," where they aid a Fiddler Crab on the roof, one of the more clever episodes they've done. The cleverness of the show shines in "Save the Visitor," where they meet an alien, and experience an encounter of the musical third kind.

Along with the more recent episodes, this disc has a "classic" episode, where the Pets take their rescue efforts in a new, less sentient direction, as they decide to save a tree in the middle of the city. It made for a unique story, matched by the urban-inspired music, as the threesome rap during their efforts to clean up to help the tree. Despite not saving an animal, there are plenty of furry friends on hand, as the Pets get some help on their mission. The second half isn't quite as entertaining, as they head to Africa to help an elephant who got his trunk stuck in the mud.

The DVD
Packed in a standard keepcase, the disc has a static full-frame main menu, with options to watch all the episodes, select shows and check out the special features. There are no subtitles or audio options, but there is closed captioning.

The Quality
The full-frame transfers on the newer episodes look terrific, with a crisp image that;s loaded with vivid color and a high level of detail. There are no obvious issues with dirt, damage or digital artifacts. "Save the Tree/Save the Elephant," the oldest of the four episodes, isn't quite as impressive, but it doesn't look bad either.

The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio is good, presenting clear dialogue and strong music, but there's nothing available as far as dynamic sound goes, but it is a kids TV series after all. Everything sounds clear from the center-focused sound.

The Extras
Aside from some commercials for other Nickelodeon DVDs, there's just one extra, which is a video of the city rap the Wonder Pets perform during "Save the Tree." It's a slightly different edit than what's in the episode, but for the most part, it's just a chapter stop.

The Bottom Line
Yet again, the creators behind "The Wonder Pets" show why it's one of the best kids series on TV, keeping things fresh, yet not losing the magic or introducing a Cousin Oliver. The DVD is of nice quality also, but it's lacking in extras, as is usually the case with Nickelodeon DVDs. It's hard to recommend purchasing just four episodes, but if you're going to buy a kids DVD, this is one to consider.

Follow him on Twitter

*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.