Dom Robinson reviews

Distributed by
PT Video

For the second time PT Video have released a Cult Kids Classics DVD which gathers together six classic TV kids shows from the 70s, 80s and 90s that they own the rights to.

I prefer the "Complete Series" DVDs, but this provides an excellent selection of entertainment that will keep many youngsters (and adult who enjoyed them at the time) glued to the screen. I've already gone into detail about Dangermouse (with a brief mention for Count Duckula in the same review, given that the DVD contained an episode), Chorlton and the Wheelies, Sweep Superdog and Jamie and the Magic Torch in their respective reviews which can be found at the bottom of this page.

The one that remains to get it's own disc is, again, my favourite of the pile - Rainbow where "Zippy is Tongue-Tied" according to the title of the show and he certainly is when trying to remember a poem... badly! Why's he tongue-tied? It's not a major secret, but the reason is quickly forgotten when there's a performance to be endured... er.., enjoyed from Rod, Jane and Freddy! It was never the same after the cast was sacked and the concept changed to something that was anything *but* Rainbow.

Only the first Dangermouse episode has seen the light of day on DVD before and the complete list is as follows: Dangermouse - The Wild, Wild Goose Chase (1983) and 150 Million Years Lost (1983), Jamie and the Magic Torch - A Marrow Escape (1978) and The Ghost of Spiny Mountain (1979), Chorlton and the Wheelies - Chorlton and the Spinning Spell (1979), Count Duckula - Venice a Duck Not a Duck (1993), the aforementioned Rainbow episode from 1985 and also a 1985 episode of Superdog from The Sooty Show.

Last time I said that I'd like to see full DVDs of Jamie and the Magic Torch, Rainbow and Button Moon released though. Well, the first one's here and the others won't be far behind.

You can rescue Penfold
if you have a DVD-ROM drive in your PC.

When it comes to the audio-visual quality, the more recent programmes fare better than earlier ones, but even those for where the print has many a scratch on it, it's nothing you don't expect and certainly doesn't put you off for those who were big fans. I was unable to determine the average bitrate.

The only extra is a game which comes in four parts and is actually quite difficult so isn't for kids. One sees you as Dangermouse driving fast down a road and it's too fast to evade the bombs in your path. Another is a shooting gallery with Count Duckula with rather iffy collision detection. Add to this a jumping peg game from Chorlton and the Wheelies and a Lunar Lander-style game from Jamie and the Magic Torch and if you do complete each of them you'll gain the four items needed to silence Baron Silas Greenback.

There are 9 chapters to the disc, with two given to the Rainbow ep and the second one mysteriously kicking in 30 seconds before its end, no subtitles and the static menu has sound for each respective show when you highlight the cursor over it before watching it.

A tenner is a bargain for the content on here, but a lot of the series are getting their own DVD release to themselves, so take your choice whether to get a collection of various shows or programme-specific discs.

FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS
OVERALL

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2001.

The following is a list of all the PT Video, Freemantle Home Entertainment and Telstar Video Children's DVDs reviewed online to date :