Warner Bros. has released another in their long line of enormously popular Wiggles DVDs -- The Wiggles: Getting Strong! - a two-episode compilation that should please the young fans of this Australian children's group. If you have young kids, you've no doubt seen The Wiggles on their daily series, shown here in the States on The Disney Channel. Combining music, dance, and broad, childish humor, along with a solid educational framework that underpins their antics, The Wiggles have become huge international moneymakers providing parents with safe, fun children's music, live stage performances, and TV programming.

The Wiggles is one of the few kids' shows I didn't mind watching with my two preschoolers. Every parent has experienced that horrible sensation of plastering a grin on their faces as their child encourages them to watch their favorite TV show - a show that drives you absolutely up the wall (um...Barney). But The Wiggles are pretty painless, because the guys performing in the group seem genuinely enthusiastic about what they're doing. A real sense of fun and excitement comes through their performances, and it's easily transferable to the young viewers.

One of the hallmarks of the group is their singing (Jeff Fatt and Anthony Field were originally in a successful pub group that charted in Australia prior to forming The Wiggles), and kids love to get up and jump around to The Wiggles' catchy little tunes. I remember quite a few of the original Wiggles songs, like Big Red Car and Where's Jeff?, but for The Wiggles: Getting Strong!, all the familiar songs have been retired, and a whole slew of new ones are here, and they're just as likeable as the old ones.

The opening episode of The Wiggles: Getting Strong! is focused on physical activity and eating healthfully. Segments include exercising in front of the TV, a game of musical pillows, ballerina exercises (and discovering what's different between the real ballerina and Captain Feathersword), a cooking section, where Anthony makes some healthful finger foods, a smelling game, distinguishing different foods, learning to distinguish rock and blues guitar riffs, folding an origami whale, discovering the uses of our fingers, using a stethoscope, and playing a ball game. The second episode of The Wiggles: Getting Strong! looks at literacy and songs that tell a story, including a game of "find the book," learning various "degrees" (such as "hungry, hungrier, and hungriest"), word association games, an "I Spy" game, learning about the trumpet, shape recognition games, and going to the library. That's a lot of activities for seventy minutes.

I haven't watched The Wiggles in a while, so I was a little disappointed that they've gone totally CGI with the sets and backgrounds of the show; I prefer a real set for such a show, because it grounds it a little more in that "TV playhouse" atmosphere. As well, I remember The Wiggles going out to real locations often, such as the beach or Sydney Harbor, but there's zero location work here, giving the show (at least for me) a closed-off, slightly claustrophobic "black box" feel. Still, I would imagine most kids won't notice the difference, and with a show as light and entertaining (and educational) as The Wiggles: Getting Strong!, frankly, who cares?

The DVD:

The Video:
The anamorphically enhanced, 1.78:1 widescreen video image for The Wiggles: Getting Strong! is eye-poppingly bright and colorful, with only a trace of jagging on some of the reds. Picture clarity is sharp.

The Audio:
The Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround Stereo audio mix is pretty impressive for the song numbers, although there's not a lot of separation during any of the other segments of the show. Subtitles and close-captioning is available.

The Extras:
First, you can choose to watch The Wiggles: Getting Strong! with the option of an American Sign Language interpreter at the bottom of the screen. Next, there's an e-storybook, Wags Mixes Some Colors that's fun (although the narrator is a little flat in her delivery). Next, we have Dorothy Speaks Warramiri, where Dorothy the Dinosaur learns some words from an Australian aborigine. Next, there's a Wiggles-less location shoot discussing water safety on boats, and finally, Soccer with Kate Gill! shows us some cool moves on the field from the Australian great. Lots of fun extras.

Final Thoughts:
Laugh if you want, but these guys are Australia's top-grossing performers (even more than Russell Crowe or Nicole Kidman), and they're like the Beatles to young pre-schoolers. The Wiggles: Getting Strong! is an activity-packed seventy minutes of engaging songs, educational activities, and mild, gentle humor from the personable Aussie performing group, The Wiggles. I recommend The Wiggles: Getting Strong!.