Dom Robinson reviews

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Cert:

Cat.no: KK 41003

Running time: 111 minutes

Year: 1975

Pressing: 2001

Region(s): 2, PAL

Chapters: 13

Sound: Mono

Languages: English

Subtitles: None

Fullscreen: 4:3

16:9-Enhanced: No

Macrovision: Yes

Disc Format: DVD 9

Price: £9.99

Extras: None

Producer:

Michael Cole

Writer:

Michael Cole

Music:

Derek Griffiths

Narrators:

John Le Mesurier & Maggie Henderson

Nostalgia at the ready! Bod is here!

Put all other DVDs aside and make way for the release of the year as the children's TV show with the most memorable theme tune hits a quarter-century. Maybe I missed something in the sexual reproduction part of my school Biology lessons but is Bod male or female? I thought Bod was male but appears to wear a dress of some kind.

All that needs to be said now is: Frank the Postman, Aunt Flo, Farmer Barlimow and PC Copper, to complete the picture!

This DVD combines all 13 into one release including :

• Bod's Dream: Bod goes sleepwalking and falls down a hole, taking almost everyone else with him, as he finds a big bowl of strawberries and cream.
• Bod and the Apple: Bod throws an apple up in the air, but it doesn't come down. Everyone else arrives to wait with him.
• Bod on the Beach: No prizes for guessing which location the gang head down to this time, but why do the professional types still insist on wearing their working gear on the beach?

Also included is Alberto the Frog & His Amazing Animal Band in the five sections that appear at the end of the same number of Bod episodes, although they can be selected individually. This is the famous point where we have to guess what type of mmmmmmilkshake Alberto will have today. I think it's strawberry, myself. For the completists, it's followed up with a game of "Bod Snap".

In one of these sections, Alberto comes across a field of miserable cows. That's nothing compared to how miserable some are feeling as foot-and-mouth rages up and down the country!

As you'd expect, those sections, when accessed separately, are labelled from 1 to 5, but what happens for the one marked "?" You'll have to see the DVD to find out.

The episodes included are :

1. Bod's Dream 2. Bod in the Park 3. Bod and the Rain 4. Bod and the Breakfast 5. Bod and the Apple 6. Bod on the Beach 7. Bod and the Dog

8. Bod and the Cake 9. Bod and the Kite 10. Bod and the Birds 11. Bod and the Grasshopper 12. Bod's Present 13. Bod and the Cherry Tree

As you'd expect, the programme is shot in standard 4:3. Artifacts and print dropouts are non-existant during Alberto the Frog's section as they were shot separately, but the Bod episodes themselves are looking a tad the worse for wear. Still, I don't care. I've been waiting for Bod for ages! The average bitrate is an excellent and steady 8.42Mb/s.

The sound is clear with funky theme tunes for each of the characters, all of which are reproduced on the main menu in the background after Bod "arrives".

Alas there are no extras or subtitles, but the chaptering is fine with one for each of the 13 episodes, plus the extra aforementioned selection to go to the start of each of Alberto's scenes.

It's worth noting that the original Bod video releases contained no "milkshake" parts as those were under licence from another company, so I'm very pleased to see the programmes complete and uncut!

FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS	0
OVERALL

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2001.

The following is a list of all the Kult Kidz DVDs reviewed online to date :