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Bear in the Big Blue House - A Bear for All Seasons
Columbia/Tri-Star // Unrated // July 8, 2003
List Price: $14.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
(For a more in-depth overview of Bear in the Big Blue House, please visit here or here .)
The Show
As one of the best children's shows on television, Bear in the Big Blue House has tackled many topics, such as health, character education, and science. It's the latter that is featured in the new collection "A Bear for All Seasons". This DVD teaches youngsters about the seasons and weather. The DVD contains three episodes:
"Fall for Fall" -- Autumn has come to the Big Blue House, and Bear (voiced by Noel McNeal) must explain to Ojo (voiced by Vicki Eibner) and Treelo (voiced by Tyler Bunch) why the leaves have fallen off of the trees. Meanwhile, Tutter (voiced by Peter Linz) is attempting to get a pumpkin into his mouse-hole in time for his Fall party.
"Summer Cooler" -- It's summer and things are getting hot for Bear. He has decided to stay cool by enjoying a game of checkers indoors. Unfortunately, he keeps losing! Tutter has created a swim-club in the kitchen sink, complete with a diving-board. Ojo and Treelo are pretending to have an under-sea adventure. The day ends with a refreshing swim in the Otter Pond.
"All Weather Bear" -- The day after a storm, Bear must explain the weather to his friends. The inhabitants of the Big Blue House decide to swim in the pond. But, they find that it's full of debris from the storm. Once they start to swim, another storm arrives.
Some episodes of Bear in the Big Blue House focus solely on existential or "touch-feely" issues, but the stories presented here are all very practical. In the first two episodes, Bear discusses the seasons and what Fall and Summer each bring with them. His explanation of falling leaves is straight-forward without being too complicated, and he offers some great suggestions for what to do on a hot, summer day. "All Weather Bear" is probably the best of the bunch, as it tackles several issues. First, Bear explains to the group how the storm made a mess of the pond. Then, once they begin to swim and a second storm approaches, Bear relays the dangers of swimming during an electrical storm. Finally, when the gang expresses disappointment that their play-time was ruined by the rain, Bear expounds on all of the good things that come from rain. These are all topics that kids can relate too, and probably want to know about, but parents may have a hard time putting into words.
Video
Coming from a television show, the episodes on the "A Bear for All Seasons" DVD are presented full-frame. As with all of the Bear releases, the shows here look fantastic. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no grain at all. There is some slight distortion at times, but this comes from the fact that the show is shot on video. Also, some slight artifacting traits are visible at times. The show uses many bright colors and they come through great here. Overall, the transfer rivals digital broadcast quality.
Audio
The primary audio track on this DVD is a Dolby 2.0 surround track. This track provides clear dialogue with no evidence of distortion or hissing. During the musical numbers, there is some subtle action from the rear speakers. The track doesn't rival a 5.1 mix, but the little ones shouldn't mind.
Extras
The only extras on the disc are sing-alongs for the songs: "In the Middle of Summer", "Good Morning", "Falling for Fall", and "Weather".
For my money, Bear in the Big Blue House is one of the best children's show on TV today. And with most anything from the Jim Henson company, the program is a high-quality affair which never speaks down to children and is never too dull for adults. "A Bear for All Seasons" is an especially good collection, as it tackles some unique subjects.
The Show
As one of the best children's shows on television, Bear in the Big Blue House has tackled many topics, such as health, character education, and science. It's the latter that is featured in the new collection "A Bear for All Seasons". This DVD teaches youngsters about the seasons and weather. The DVD contains three episodes:
"Fall for Fall" -- Autumn has come to the Big Blue House, and Bear (voiced by Noel McNeal) must explain to Ojo (voiced by Vicki Eibner) and Treelo (voiced by Tyler Bunch) why the leaves have fallen off of the trees. Meanwhile, Tutter (voiced by Peter Linz) is attempting to get a pumpkin into his mouse-hole in time for his Fall party.
"Summer Cooler" -- It's summer and things are getting hot for Bear. He has decided to stay cool by enjoying a game of checkers indoors. Unfortunately, he keeps losing! Tutter has created a swim-club in the kitchen sink, complete with a diving-board. Ojo and Treelo are pretending to have an under-sea adventure. The day ends with a refreshing swim in the Otter Pond.
"All Weather Bear" -- The day after a storm, Bear must explain the weather to his friends. The inhabitants of the Big Blue House decide to swim in the pond. But, they find that it's full of debris from the storm. Once they start to swim, another storm arrives.
Some episodes of Bear in the Big Blue House focus solely on existential or "touch-feely" issues, but the stories presented here are all very practical. In the first two episodes, Bear discusses the seasons and what Fall and Summer each bring with them. His explanation of falling leaves is straight-forward without being too complicated, and he offers some great suggestions for what to do on a hot, summer day. "All Weather Bear" is probably the best of the bunch, as it tackles several issues. First, Bear explains to the group how the storm made a mess of the pond. Then, once they begin to swim and a second storm approaches, Bear relays the dangers of swimming during an electrical storm. Finally, when the gang expresses disappointment that their play-time was ruined by the rain, Bear expounds on all of the good things that come from rain. These are all topics that kids can relate too, and probably want to know about, but parents may have a hard time putting into words.
Video
Coming from a television show, the episodes on the "A Bear for All Seasons" DVD are presented full-frame. As with all of the Bear releases, the shows here look fantastic. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no grain at all. There is some slight distortion at times, but this comes from the fact that the show is shot on video. Also, some slight artifacting traits are visible at times. The show uses many bright colors and they come through great here. Overall, the transfer rivals digital broadcast quality.
Audio
The primary audio track on this DVD is a Dolby 2.0 surround track. This track provides clear dialogue with no evidence of distortion or hissing. During the musical numbers, there is some subtle action from the rear speakers. The track doesn't rival a 5.1 mix, but the little ones shouldn't mind.
Extras
The only extras on the disc are sing-alongs for the songs: "In the Middle of Summer", "Good Morning", "Falling for Fall", and "Weather".
For my money, Bear in the Big Blue House is one of the best children's show on TV today. And with most anything from the Jim Henson company, the program is a high-quality affair which never speaks down to children and is never too dull for adults. "A Bear for All Seasons" is an especially good collection, as it tackles some unique subjects.
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