Courtesy: PBS Distribution/PBS/PBS Kids
PBS Kids is set to release another new collection of episodes from its series Peg + Cat next month. Whether familiar with the series or not, audiences of all ages will enjoy the aptly-titled Peg + Cat: Peg Rocks. There is just as much to enjoy about this DVD, the series’ third compilation, as its predecessors. And it all starts with the writing behind the DVD’s episodes. The show’s writers put stars Peg and Cat into even more original situations that lead to easily accessible lessons on counting and problem solving. Along the way, there are subtle lessons on various musical styles, too. There are even playful tributes to the likes of The Spice Girls and The Beatles as well as opera and classical music. Credit where credit’s cue. The fact that the writers would go so far as to incorporate those subtle “lessons” in these episodes shows a branching out of sorts. When considered with the rudimentary lessons on counting and problem solving, it serves to show even more solidly why the writing in these episodes is so important to the DVD’s enjoyment. While the writing behind the episodes is key to their enjoyment, just as important to the whole is the run time of each episode. Each episode runs just over ten minutes. This is much the same as Peg + Cat’s previous pair of DVDs. Much the same can be said of the DVD’s bonus material. The DVD’s bonus material is the same as on the series’ previous compilations. That means that no parent or child will feel like they are missing out on anything. Together with the look of the episodes and the writing that serves as the DVD’s cornerstone, all three elements together make Peg + Cat: Peg Rocks just as enjoyable as its predecessors and one more welcome addition to the library of any family and/or educator.
Peg + Cat’s latest full-length collection of episodes is yet another wonderful addition to the library of any family and/or educator. The central reason for this is the work of the series’ writers. As with the show’s previous compilations, the episodes culled for this collection put Peg and her feline friend Cat into even more original situations that are by themselves entertaining. As entertaining as they are, that entertainment aspect also makes for original ways to teach the show’s continued rudimentary math and problem solving lessons. Throughout each of the episodes, Peg and Cat deal with a variety of musical mishaps. From having to keep her band together in the disc’s opening episode “The Big Gig Problem” to helping Cat impress Peg’s girl group The Pentagirls in “The Girl Group Problem” to helping her grandmother make a memorable birthday present for his birthday in “The Groovy Sixties Problem,” the episodes culled for this collection offer more than their share of entertainment and educational value for young viewers. Audiences will enjoy watching Peg and Cat take their band from an eleven member outfit in the beginning of “The Big Gig Problem” to a much bigger group even after members of the band leave for various reasons throughout the episode. Parents and educators alike will enjoy the playful jab at the music industry’s use of lip syncing (especially in pop music) as Cat has to sing over Peg in his attempts to impress Peg’s group The Pentagirls. They will enjoy just as much the tribute to the golden era of American music in “The Groovy Sixties Problem” as Peg has to work with Cat and her grandmother to come up with a memorable birthday present for his birthday. The rudimentary math lessons and lessons centered on problem solving skills add even more to the episodes’ enjoyment. These episodes show in their own way just why the writing behind the episodes collected for Peg + Cat: Peg Rocks is so important to its enjoyment. The other episodes featured on the DVD show this just as much, not to devalue them by any means. What’s more, the writing in question that combines so much entertainment and educational content is just part of what makes the writing so important. The emphasis on music appreciation and education in these episodes is just as important.
The general writing used in the episodes featured on Peg + Cat: Peg Rocks by itself presents plenty of reason for audiences to enjoy each episode. On another level, the episodes’ emphasis on music appreciation and education makes them just as enjoyable if not more so. Parents and educators especially will appreciate and enjoy the spoof of The Spice Girls in “The Girl Group Problem” and the episode’s associated playful jab at the pop world’s use of lip syncing. “The Groovy Sixties Problem” pays tribute to American music’s golden age, going so far as to pay tribute to both The Beatles and Bob Dylan along the way. Other episodes such as “The Magic Uke” and the two-part “I Do What I Can: The Musical” pay tribute to the world of classical music and opera. The fact that the series’ writers touched on so many different musical genres throughout these episodes means that parents and educators alike have been given a wonderful starting point on discussions about said genres. With any luck, it could even lead to the beginning of an appreciation for any or all of the genres in question in the process. So for that reason, the writers behind Peg + Cat are even more deserving of their credit, showing yet again just how important the writing behind these episodes proves to be to the overall enjoyment of the DVD.
The writing that went into the episodes featured on PBS Kids’ new Peg + Cat DVD is clearly the cornerstone of its enjoyment. Whether in terms of the situations into which Peg and Cat are placed in each episode, or in terms of episodes’ emphasis on music appreciation and education, the writing behind these episodes is clearly the cornerstone of the DVD’s enjoyment. As enjoyable as the writing makes each episode, the episodes’ run times are just as important to the presentation’s overall enjoyment. The DVD’s total run time is eighty-five minutes. With seven episodes—one of which is a two-part episode—this puts the run time of each episode at just over ten minutes. Taking into consideration the series’ target audience, that is just enough time to keep said viewers’ attention. Coupled with the work of the show’s writers, that run time feels like it passes without incident. This makes the presentation in whole all the more enjoyable. It still is not all that audiences will appreciate about this DVD, either. Last but not least worth noting of Peg + Cat: Peg Rocks’ enjoyment is its collection of bonus material.
PBS Kids has included with its new Peg + Cat compilation the same bonus material that was included with both of the series’ previous releases. To some, this might not seem to be a positive. But for those parents and educators that might not already have the previously released DVDs in question, it is very much a positive. Rather than switching up the bonus material from disc to disc, PBS Kids has opted to keep the bonus material the same, much as with its compilations from Arthur and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood just to name a couple. It means that no child or grown-up will feel like they have been ripped off and essentially keeps all viewers on the same level for lack of better wording. The bonus material in question includes: instructions on how to make a Cat sock beanie, four flip books, a “Pirates + Peaches” board game, and instructions on how to create homemade Peg + Cat stick puppets. These are all activities that children can do with their parents and/or teachers. In other words, they are activities that can be done in the classroom or the living room. It is the final element of Peg + Cat: Peg Rocks that makes the DVD another welcome addition to the personal DVD library of any educator and/or family. Together with the writing that went into each episode and the episodes’ run time, all three elements combine to show once and for all why any family and/or educator will enjoy this third addition to Peg + Cat’s DVD collection.
Peg + Cat: Peg Rocks boasts plenty of positives for viewers of all ages. The episodes’ writing presents even more new situations that lend themselves to even more basic math lessons. The writing also promotes music appreciation and education. The episodes’ run times make them just as enjoyable and accessible to viewers of any age. The addition of bonus material featured on previous Peg + Cat DVDs keeps audiences on the same level at least to that extent. So no one will feel left out when taking part in the presented activities. By themselves, all three elements do their own part in making this DVD enjoyable. Together, they make Peg + Cat: Peg Rocks yet another wonderful addition to the show’s series of home releases that is just as enjoyable and valuable in the living room as in the classroom. The DVD will be available on DVD Tuesday, March 3rd. It will retail for MSRP of $12.99. It can be ordered online via PBS’ online store at http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=56262336&cp=&sr=1&kw=peg++cat&origkw=Peg+%2B+Cat&parentPage=search. More information on this DVD and other Peg + Cat DVDs is available online along with more Peg + Cat episodes and games at:
Website: http://pbskids.org/peg
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PegPlusCatTV
To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.
philspicks 