Shout! Factory, Nickelodeon’s ‘Jimmy Neutron’ Complete Series Set Is A Near Complete Success

Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Nickelodeon

Another of Nickelodeon’s classic Nicktoons has finally received a proper home release. 

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius was released Tuesday on DVD in a full-series set.  It marks the first time that the series has ever received a full series release, and came through a partnership between Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory.  It is just the latest to get a proper release, too.  The companies’ partnership has also garnered full releases of Aaahhh!!! Real Monsters, The Angry Beavers, CatDog, Danny Phantom, Hey Arnold!, Rocko’s Modern Life, and The Wild Thornberrys.  Nickelodeon meanwhile released Rugrats on its own last year in a full series DVD set.  So now all that is left for release are: Rocket Power, Doug, and The Fairly Oddparents. One can only hope those classic Nicktoons will finally get a proper release sooner rather than later.  Getting back on topic though, Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon’s brand new DVD presentation of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: The Complete Series is an impressive presentation.  That is due in large part to its bonus content, which will be discussed shortly.  The set’s packaging is also important to examine, and so will be a little later.  The set’s pricing rounds out its most important elements and will also be discussed later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the presentation.  All things considered, they make the collection a must have for fans of this and any classic Nicktoon.

Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon’s brand new, first-ever release of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: The Complete Series is a strong new presentation from the companies.  It is a presentation that continues the companies’ trend of success with Nickelodeon’s classic animated series releases.  That is due in large part here to the bonus content featured in the set.  The bonus content features not only the series’ original pilot episode, but also all three hour-long “Jimmy/Timmy Power Hour” crossover episodes as part of its whole.  Audiences will be quite interested to see the difference in the show’s look in its pilot episode and its actually three-season run.  The CG animation in the pilot episode is far more raw and rough.  It is more comparable in this case to that used in ABC’s short-lived Saturday morning series, Reboot (which Shout! Factory has interestingly enough also released in full on DVD and also has as a free streaming option) than to the animation used in the series that followed.  The voice talents are all the same.  The look of the show is just so starkly different.  It makes one happy that with the show having been picked up, the animation was cleaned up and more fine tuned.

On a related note, knowing that the TV series launched in 2002 and its big screen companion piece premiered a year earlier, one has to imagine that the story in the pilot episode was the influence behind the Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius movie.  In that case and in the pilot episode, Jimmy is forced to face off against a group of gooey, green aliens who are bent on taking over Earth.  Of course in the pilot episode, the parents are not kidnapped by the aliens, unlike in the movie, but regardless, the pilot episode marks the first time that Jimmy encountered the aliens, so one has to assume that, again, the pilot episode was at least in part responsible for the creation of the movie that then led into the series.  Keeping all of this in mind, it should be clear that why the pilot episode is such an important part of this collection’s bonus content.  It not only serves to help make the series’ presentation complete but helps paint a full picture of the series’ roots and its end.

Moving on to the featured “Jimmy/Timmy Power Hour episodes,” all three episodes are there, beginning with the duo’s first introduction to one another in which they meet due to Timmy’s selfishness.  Seeing the different animation styles and universes cross here and in the other episodes is so fun.  The same can be said of the stories featured in each episode.  The expanded universe builds in each hour-long episode until Jimmy and Timmy are forced to work together in the final special in order to defeat two bad guys from their respective universes.  Each special is shown in whole, so audiences get that whole story arc here, too.  Keeping that in mind, the inclusion of these specials and the pilot episode do indeed complete the series’ presentation.  The addition of some storyboard featurettes as extra bonuses just put the proverbial cherry on the top of the bonus content presentation.

Having noted the positive of the set’s bonus content, the next point of interest to note is the set’s packaging.  The packaging is its own positive, beginning with the placement of the set’s discs.  In all, the series’ three-season run spans nine discs, with a tenth containing solely the already discussed bonus content.  The discs are each placed in their own spot on separate “plates” inside the case.  The first disc of the first season even sits on a spindle on the inside front of the case, giving it its own place in the case, too.  This is important to note in that it ensures the discs will not touch and/or scratch one another as they are moved in and out of the case.  Such an approach is nothing new for Shout! Factory.  It has taken this smart approach with every Nicktoons set that it has released to this point, so this is no surprise, but a welcome continued approach.

Adding to the interest of the set’s packaging is the presentation of a printed episode guide on the inside of the case’s wrap.  Audiences get a full episode guide aligned with each disc.  This is an aesthetic element, yes, but still important.  It is important because having that guide will allow viewers to more quickly and easily decide which episodes they want to watch and simply go right to the associated discs.  Again, this is nothing overly new to Shout! Factory’s Nicktoons presentations.  It is just as welcome here as in every other case and makes the set’s presentation that much more appealing.  It is just one more of the set’s most important elements.  Rounding out the set’s most important elements is its pricing.

The average price point for The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: The Complete Series is $56.63.  That number was reached by averaging prices listed through Amazon, Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Books-A-Million, and Shout! Factory. While the set was not listed through Walmart, this critic was lucky enough to find the set in store at Walmart at a price of $39.99, the least expensive of all of the listings.  Target and Barnes & Noble each list the set at a price far exceeding the noted average at $64.99 while Books-A-Million’s price of $64.98 is right there with Target and Barnes & Noble Booksellers.  From there, the price decreases to $52.87 through Walmart and $51.98 through Shout! Factory.  Looking at all of this, Walmart’s pricing is clearly the best.  If audiences can find it in store at their local Walmart store, they will benefit greatly.  Otherwise, the noted prices for a three-season set is honestly outrageous.  Add in that only a day prior to this review’s posting, Target listed the set at $47.99, it makes one wonder what caused such a dramatic change in price at that retailer.  That aside, at least a price that barely tops $40 at Walmart is relatively affordable as long as audiences can find it in store like this critic did.  It is a price that is well worth paying for what truly is a complete series presentation for another great classic Nicktoon series.

Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory’s brand new DVD presentation of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: The Complete Series is a mostly successful presentation.  The presentation succeeds in part through its bonus content.  The bonus content is composed of the series’ pilot episode, all three of its hour-long “Jimmy/Timmy Power Hour crossover specials” and a handful of featurettes.  The pilot episode and specials complete the full episode presentation in the set’s discs.  The packaging builds on the appeal established through the set’s bonus content to make the whole all the more positive.  The set’s pricing is a little problematic to say the least, save for its pricing at Walmart (pending availability even though it was not listed online through Walmart).  Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of the set’s presentation.  All things considered, they make the collection a mostly successful new offering that Nicktoons fans will – again – mostly appreciate.

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: The Complete Series is available now. More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory is available along with the company’s latest news at:

Website: https://www.shoutfactory.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShoutFactory

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PBS Kids’ New ‘Ready Jet Go!’ DVD Is “Rocking” Fun For The Whole Family

Courtesy: PBS/PBS Distribution

PBS Distribution will release another new collection of Ready Jet Go! Episodes next month on DVD.  The new collection, Chasing The Sun, is set for release April 9.  While audiences wait for the DVD’s release, they have another collection of episodes from the hit series in the form of Ready Jet Go!: Space Rocks.  Released this past January, the DVD features four episodes from the series’ first season that will both entertain and educate audiences of all ages.  Those episodes are themselves are just one of a group of reasons for any family to own this DVD.  The episodes’ secondary content plays its own critical role in the DVD’s presentation.  It will be discussed a little later.  When the DVD’s primary and secondary content is coupled with the DVD’s average price point, the whole of the single-disc presentation makes the collection a (space) rocking – yes, that awful pun was intentional – collection that the whole family will enjoy.

PBS Distribution’s new Ready Jet Go! DVD, Space Rocks is a collection that space enthusiasts of all ages will enjoy.  That is due in part to the episodes featured in the DVD and their primary content.  All four of the episodes featured in this latest RJG compilation are lifted from the series’ debut season, and are presented in exactly the same chronological order in which they were originally aired on television.  This is good in itself in that it means nothing is left out as audiences watch.  Instead of jumping around from one point to another, audiences can feel as if they are watching it on television instead of on DVD.  It’s a minor aesthetic element, sure, but in the bigger picture, that element goes a long way toward the DVD’s presentation.

The actual primary content presented in the episodes is just as important to note of the episodes as their sequencing.  Audiences of all ages will enjoy the lessons about the changing forms of space rocks in “Asteroids, Meteors and Meteorites” and the lessons about the compositions of meteorites and comets in the episodes.  Older audiences will enjoy the lessons because, honestly, plenty of adults forget the specifics of the noted topics very easily.  So for adults, the lessons would be learned for the first time again while for younger viewers, the lessons will be just as fresh, learning them for the first time ever.  As if this is not enough, the lessons tie into one another from the first to the last.  First is the lesson about the different terms used to classify space rocks as they make their way toward and onto Earth.  From there, audiences learn how to determine an average Earth rock from a space rock in terms of its composition and characteristics.  Immediately after that episode, audiences are taught about the composition of comets, which themselves are space rocks.  From there, Jet and his friends create their own asteroid patrol, a smaller version of what NASA already does.  They are then introduced to what the said scientists do every single day.  Again, older audiences will enjoy learning facts that they likely forgot over the years while younger viewers will enjoy just as much, learning those same lessons for the first time.  It makes for an enjoyable time for the whole family.  That is more than enough reason for audiences to check out this DVD, but most definitely not the only reason.  The secondary lessons incorporated into the episodes add even more reason for audiences to view the DVD.

Audiences learn how to make their own homemade comet in the secondary lesson in “Comet Fever.”  “Mindy’s Meteorite Stand” uses the lesson of how to tell the difference in an Earth and space rock as its primary AND secondary lesson.  The use of the magnets plays into the traits that determine if a rock is from space or Earth.  This is the starting point for families and even teachers to do their own lesson about how to spot Earth rocks and space rocks.  “Asteroid Patrol” helps viewers of all ages learn where to look for asteroids in the sky and what to look for.  Simply put, the lessons presented in each episode are just as valuable as the primary content because they take the information presented in the primary lessons and use them to continue that learning first hand.  When the two lessons are coupled, they give audiences more than enough to appreciate.  Keeping that in mind, the DVD’s average price point proves to be money well-spent.

The average price point of Ready Jet Go!: Space Rocks is $5.17.  That price is obtained by averaging prices from PBS’ online store, from Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Books-A-Million.  The least expensive listing at the time of this review is at Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart at $4.79.  The most expensive listing is at Books-A-Million and PBS’ online store.  Whether one purchases the DVD at the low end or high, neither price is very high.  Purchasing the DVD will not break any family’s budget, and will be enjoyed plenty of times at that one-time price.  Considering all that the DVD offers, that makes the disc’s average price point quite affordable.  Keeping everything in mind here, the DVD in whole proves itself a positive addition to any family’s home DVD library.

PBS Distribution’s most recent Ready Jet Go! DVD, Space Rocks is another enjoyable new offering from Craig Bartlett’s (Hey Arnold!, Dinosaur Train) hit science-based educational series.  That is thanks in part to the episodes featured in the DVD and their primary content, which will entertain and educate audiences of all ages.  The secondary content serves as a solid starting point for educators and families alike to try their own related experiments and experiences.  The disc’s average price point is money well-spent, considering all that the primary and secondary has to offer audiences.  Each item is important in its own way to the whole of Ready Jet Go!: Space Rocks.  All things considered, they make the DVD another out of this world hit for the whole family.  More information on Ready Jet Go!: Space Rocks is available online along with lots of games, activities and printables at:

 

 

 

Website: http://pbskids.org/readyjetgo

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialReadyJetGo

 

 

 

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‘The Railway Children’ “Steams Ahead” Of The Competition In Phil’s Picks’ 2018 Top 10 New Family DVDs/BDs List

Courtesy: Film Movement

This critic, for those who might not know, is a parent and is married.  It makes finding time to go through everything needed difficult at times.  It also means trying to find ways to keep a child entertained quite often.  Keeping a child entertained includes finding DVDs and Blu-rays that will entertain and educate at the same time.

Thankfully, that part of doing this job is not too difficult, as companies, such as Public Media Distribution, Film Movement and Shout! Factory Kids have offered again this year, plenty of options.  Those options include, and are not limited to two new (and seemingly the last) Transformers Rescue Bots DVDs, two more fun-filled collections of episodes from Nature Cat and more new material from Wild Kratts and Dinosaur Train.

Of course that new material is just some of the fun new fare offered for families this year.  Film Movement’s release of The Railway Children live is a welcome new take on a stage presentation that also honors its literary source material, and Nickelodeon’s long-awaited Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie is a bit of a disappointment, but still worth at least one watch thanks to some major writing problems.

The top spot in this year’s Top 10 new Family DVDs/BDs list goes to the noted stage adaptation of The Railway Children.  This adaptation honors its source material while also presenting a one-of-its kind stage presentation that is unlike almost anything that American audiences have ever seen from stage plays.

The number two and three spots on this year’s list go to Public Media Distribution’s two new Nature Cat DVDs, Onward & Pondward and Winter Dance Party.  Each DVD’s episodes follow a specific theme while also teaching lessons that are directly linked with the themes.

Also included in this year’s list, as noted already are the new Wild Kratts  DVDs and those from Transformers Rescue Bots along with the new Hey Arnold! movie, just to name a handful of titles.  As always, the top 10 pics are the best while the five that follow are honorable mention titles.  Without any further ado, here is Phil’s Picks 2018 Top 10 New Family DVDs & BDs list.

PHIL’S PICKS 2018 TOP 10 NEW FAMILY DVDs & BLU-RAYs

1. The Railway Children
2. Nature Cat: Onward & Pondward
3. Nature Cat: Winter Dance Party
4. Transformers Rescue Bots: Outdoor Adventures
5. Transformers Rescue Bots; Team Rescue Bots
6. Dinosaur Train: Making New Friends
7. Wild Kratts: Adventures on the African Savannah
8. Wild Kratts: Mdagascar Madness
9. Littlest Pet Shop: Best Pet Friends
10. Ready Jet Go!: Jet’s First Halloween
11. Super Why: The Adventures of Little Bo Peep & Her Sheep
12. Arthur: D.W. and the Beastly Birthday
13. Hotel Transylvania 3
14. Disney Pixar Short Films: Volume 3
15. Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie

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Out Of The Vault Returns Is Another Treasure For Classic Nicktoons Fans

Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Nickelodeon

It is official.   The vault is open again.  No, not that vault.  Not that warehouse from which the people at Disney pull the same movies over and over again every few years or so either.   It’s Nickelodeon’s classic Nicktoons vault.  Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory have teamed up once again to release yet another collection of classic Nicktoons cartoons for all of the 90s Nicktoons Nostalgics and their kids.  The collection, Out of the Vault Returns is available in stores nationwide today.  Just as with previous OOTV (as it will be known from here on out) collections, this single-disc compilation features ten more episodes from some of Nickelodeon’s most beloved Nicktoons series.  That is just one important and notable element of this collection.  The writing within the episodes is just as important as the episodes themselves.  The work of each show’s cast rounds out the compilation’s positives.  Each element proves important in its own right to the whole of Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon’s new Nicktoons collection.  Altogether they make this set another collection that any Nicktoons Nostalgic will want to add to his or her own home DVD library.

Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon’s latest collection of classic Nicktoons episodes is yet another piece that any Nicktoons Nostalgic will want to add to his or her own home DVD library.  The main reason for this is the list of episodes collected for the disc’s presentation.  There is a total of nineteen shorts over the course of the DVD’s roughly two hundred twenty minutes.  For the most part the episodes are equally divided among the five featured series.  Each series is represented with four episodes save for Rocko’s Modern Life.  That series is represented by three episodes.  Even with that slight discrepancy it still doesn’t take anything away from the DVD’s overall presentation.  Audiences will love the inclusion of “You Only Scare Twice” from Aaahh!!! Real Monsters which spoofs the old James Bond spy flicks, and “Harold The Butcher” from Hey Arnold!  That episode is one of Hey Arnold!’s best episodes hands down.  It sees local bully Harold show his softer side as he discovers his calling.  It is one of those episodes that clearly exhibits the heart that made Hey Arnold! so great and still does so today.  Just as great is “Fatal Contraption” from Rocko’s Modern Life.  This episode is actually one of the series’ more controversial episodes believe it or not.  As if that isn’t enough, “Meat Dog’s Friends” will have audiences laughing just as much as Dog discovers where meat comes from.  He turns vegetarian but only for a short time.  That is because of a dream that he has that unnerves him even more.  There are just as many laughs from Dag and Norbert in the featured episodes from The Angry Beavers.  Whether for the noted episodes or any of the other included episodes, it can be said that the episodes in whole make for plenty of reason for any Nicktoons Nostalgic to add this new DVD to their own home DVD libraries.

The episodes that are featured in Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon’s new OOTV are in themselves plenty of reason for any Nicktoons Nostalgic to add this latest compilation to his or her own home DVD library.  The writing within the episodes is just as important as the episodes themselves.  This is especially exemplified in Hey Arnold!’s “Harold The Butcher.”  Harold discovers his calling in this episode.  But that is just one part of what makes this episode so great.  He discovers his calling after having been caught shoplifting a ham, which as his rabbi exclaims (yes, rabbi) is not even kosher for Jews.  That brings up another important element of the episode’s writing.  That the writers would tackle religion so openly in a popular, mainstream children’s series is brave to say the very least.  It isn’t the only time that they did either.  What’s more it showed that Hey Arnold!  was so strong not just thanks to its episodes centered on Arnold but on the series’ supporting cast, too.  That’s rare in television.  It’s just one example of what makes the episodes’ writing so impressive.  Aaahh!!! Real Monsters spoofs Hollywood’s classic James Bond movies in “You Only Scare Twice.”  Right from the title, which spoofs the classic 1967 Bond flick You Only Live Twice the spoof is on.  The episode sees Oblena, Ickis, and Krumm chasing a secret agent in an attempt to scare him all while he hunts down an evil villain.  The chase comes from the trio being forced to make up a scare that they were supposed to have done previously.  Simply put it’s just a fun, turn off your brain episode that adults will enjoy just as much as their kids.  “Wacky Delly,” from Rocko’s Modern Life, is another important example of the importance of the episodes’ writing.  This episode sees the Fatheads’ son in his attempt to get out of his contract with a major TV network.  He employs the help of Rocko and company in order to create a series so bad that he can get out of his contract, hoping that the network execs will hate the creation that badly.  Of course the plan backfires on him at least to a point.  Those that might not be familiar with Rocko’s Modern Life will be interested to know that this episode is actually linked to series creator Joe Murray and his own frustrations.  It is just one more example of the importance of the writing within the episodes featured in this latest collection.  It is hardly the last notable example of the episodes’ writing, too.  The joking commentary about the fanatical view of some vegetarians in CatDog’s episode “Meat Dog’s Friends” will have any viewer laughing hysterically with its biting commentary.  And the full-on zany approach of the writers behind The Angry Beavers provides its own share of entertainment, too.  All things considered the writing exhibited in this collection’s featured episodes goes well beyond exhibiting what makes the episodes’ writing just as important as the episodes themselves.  Both elements come together to strengthen the collection even more.  Even as important as the episodes and their writing is to the overall presentation of this latest OOTV collection, the noted elements are not the collection’s only important elements.  The work of the series’ various cast members is just as important as the episodes and their writing.

The episodes presented in Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory’s latest OOTV collection and their writing are both integral in their own way to the collection’s overall presentation.  As important as they are to the presentation, the work of the series’ various casts is just as important to the episodes’ collective presentation.  Justin Shenkarow (Disney’s Recess, Where On Earth Is Carmen San Diego?, Life With Louie) is wonderful as Harold Berman in Hey Arnold!  The same can be said of Francesca Marie Smith (A Bug’s Life, The Prince of Egypt, Disney’s Recess) as Helga Pataki.  Her laughing-gas induced call to Arnold in “Helga Blabs It All” will have viewers laughing nonstop as will her attempt to recover the answering machine tape containing her profession to Arnold after her revelation of what she’d done.  It’s the kind of reaction that can only be pulled off in a cartoon series, and a timeless classic at that.  Jim Cummings (The Lion King, Shrek, The Hunchback of Notre Dame)  is just as great as the voice of Cat in CatDog as he realizes here meat comes from and his subsequent reaction in his own twisted dream.  On a related note,  Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants, WordGirl, Miles From Tomorrowland) is just as great as Cat’s canine counterpart Dog when the duo has a big fish story of its own to tell in “The Old CatDog and the Sea.”  Going back to the episodes’ writing for a moment, this episode’s title is another example of the importance of the episodes’ writing.  That is because the title is a playful take on the take of author Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Old Man and The Sea.  Younger viewers today likely won’t know much of the book or its famed author.  But older audiences will.  To that extent, it makes the writing once again all the more enjoyable.  Getting back on track voice actress Christine Cavanaugh (R.I.P. 2014) proves once again to be just as entertaining as ever as she and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters co-stars Charles Adler (Tiny Toon Adventures, Aladdin, Cow & Chicken) and David Eccles (Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, Duckman) have to stop humans from discovering the monster school in the junkyard in “Less Talk, More Monsters.”  The trio will keep audiences entertained throughout as Oblina, Ickis, and Krumm try to protect their school from the humans.  It’s yet another way in which the work of the different series’ voice actors proves important to the overall presentation of Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory’s new OOTV collection.  Together with the episodes and their writing all three elements come together to make this collection one more great addition to any Nicktoons Nostalgic’s home DVD library.

Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory’s new Out of the Vault collection is yet another enjoyable addition to any Nicktoons Nostalgic’s home DVD library.  That is thanks in large part to its presented episodes.  The episodes represent each of the five presented series in a relatively balanced fashion.  And for those that were not able to get their hands on any of the series’ stand alone season sets or full-series runs it is especially great because of its cost effectiveness.  The writing behind each of the series’ episodes is just as important to the collection.  That is because it runs the gamut from the wildly outrageous (as in the Angry Beavers episodes) to the more substantive such as in the presented Hey Arnold! episodes and everything in between including the spooky and silly in the presented Aaahh!!! Real Monsters episodes.  The work of each series’ voice cast is just as important to the collection’s presentation as the episodes and their writing.  That is because the casts’ interpretation of each script is the finishing touch to each episode.  It is their work that brings the episodes and their scripts to life and in turn makes them entertaining.  Each element shows in its own way to be important to the presentation of Out of the Vault Again.   Altogether all three elements show clearly why this latest collection of classic Nicktoons episodes is another enjoyable piece for any Nicktoons Nostalgic.  It is available now in stores and online.  More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory is available online at:

 

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShoutFactory

 

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Out Of The Vault Christmas Will Put Any Nicktoons Nostalgic In The Holiday Spirit

Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon debuted its re-branded classic Nicktoons programming block this week. “The Splat,” formerly “The 90s Are All That” debuted Monday on Nickelodeon’s TeenNick network. Not everybody has been overly happy that it was put out on one of Nickelodeon’s digital networks instead of the main network. That is because TeenNick is essentially a premium network. While those arguing against the decision by Nickelodeon’s heads to keep that classic programming on a premium network have a somewhat valid argument that argument is also somewhat flimsy as Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory teamed up a few years ago and have since released both single season standalone and full season box sets from a number of Nickelodeon’s classic series. Those series include: Hey Dude, Hey Arnold!, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, The Angry Beavers, Danny Phantom, Rocko’s Modern Life, and The Wild Thornberrys over the course of the past few years or so. The sets have all been made available on DVD in stores and online. It’s anyone’s guess if Doug, Rugrats, Rocket Power, or even the likes of Salute Your Shorts or Are You Afraid of the Dark? will ever get proper DVD releases in stores (since those series are currently only available online). One can only hope that one day Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory will strike a deal that will lead to those latter series each getting their own proper releases. Until then Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory have yet another classic Nicktoons release for all the 90s Nicktoons fans out there in the form of the new holiday compilation Out Of The Vault Christmas. This single-disc compilation features sixteen episodes from five of Nickelodeon’s beloved classic animated series. It is just one reason that viewers (especially those without the TeenNick network) will enjoy and appreciate this collection of classic cartoons. It is just one reason that audiences will enjoy it, too. The writing behind each of the compiled episodes is just as important to the collection’s overall viewing experience as the presentation of the episodes in general. As with the previously released Nicktoons Halloween collection, the diversity of the shows’ animation styles rounds out the reasons that viewers will appreciate this latest collection from Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon. Each noted element is important in its own right in the DVD’s overall presentation. When set together they show Out Of The Vault Christmas to be a great way for any Nicktoons Nostalgic to get into the holiday spirit.

Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon’s new holiday-themed collection of Nicktoons episodes is a great way for fans of the classic cartoon series to get into the holiday spirit. The central way in which it proves this is in its very collection of episodes. Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon have stepped things up in this new collection, offering viewers a grand total of sixteen episodes. That is up from the ten featured in both of the companies’ previous Out Of The Vault collections. What’s more, none of the episodes featured here have been carried over from the respective series’ previous DVD releases but not from the previous Out Of The Vault DVDs. This means that while technically they have been recycled, they also have not been recycled. It’s semantics, yes. But it’s true. Because they have been carried over from the series’ previous season (and full series) sets but not from the previous OOTV sets (as it will henceforth be known), their presentation here makes them quite the boon for anyone that might not have any of the featured series’ previously released box sets. This includes both the series’ single season standalone sets (say that five times fast) and their full-series sets. Considering all of this it shows that the presentation of the episodes tapped for the collection is in itself an important part of the set’s whole albeit just one part of that whole. It gives those that might not have any of the series’ sets a solid start to their Nicktoons collections. Even for those that have some or even all of the previously released Nicktoons sets from Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon it still serves as a fun holiday collection. To that extent the episodes that make up the body of the DVD show their importance even more. It is just one reason that audiences will enjoy and appreciate the collection, too. The writing behind the collection’s featured episodes makes for even more enjoyment.

The episodes presented in Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory’s new Nicktoons holiday compilation DVD are in their own right an important part of the DVD’s overal enjoyment and success. Being that the episodes have been recycled only from their series’ respective season and series sets, and that the companies have increased the episode count from ten to sixteen, the episodes more than give viewers reason to check out this new DVD. Of course the episodes are only one part of what makes this DVD so enjoyable. The writing behind the episodes plays its own part in the DVD’s success. That is because while there are some directly holiday-themed episodes presented across the collection’s episodes, there are some that are not so direct yet still maintain at east some hoiday connection. In regards to the episodes whose scripts are directly linked to Christmasnone of those episodes are like the others. A comparison of “Arnold’s Christmas” to “Rocko’s Modern Christmas” and “A Very CatDog Christmas” clearly shows this. “Arnold’s Christmas” is a touching half-hour episode of Hey Arnold! that boasts just as much heart as any of the series’ other episodes if not more. Even more interesting about this episode is that for all of the emotional impact that it offers, at no point did the show’s writers ever allow it to become just another over-the-top, schmaltzy holiday presentation. Instead the writers maintained full control throughout the episode, presenting a very real and relatable story that will tug at the heartstrings of viewers of all ages. On the other side of that proverbial coin, the stories presented in “A Very CatDog Christmas” and “Rocko’s Modern Christmas” both present rather dysfunctional characters who ironically enough still manage to learn the true meaning of Christmas in their own manner. The dysfunction is made clear in “A Very CatDog Christmas” as Cat and Dog end up causing Santa to cancel Christmas because they decide to sell themselves to Rancid’s daughter Rancine. Of course the four-legged friends eventually learn a very important lesson, in turn bringing back Santa.

In regards to the episodes that are not directly holiday-themed but still carry some connection to the holidays, even those episodes are just as fun. Aaahh!!! Real Monsters’ episode “Gone Shopp’n” is a prime example of that entertainment. Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm sneak into a department store on the holidays and end up stopping a robbery in their own attempt to scare the mall’s patrons. Audiences will laugh out loud as Krumm harnesses a pair of security dogs and hooks them up to a sleigh. The dogs end up pulling the sleigh a la Santa’s reindeer. It is really the episode’s only connection to the holidays. But it is a funny moment nonetheless. “Monsers Don’t Dance” is yet another example of how this collection’s less holiday-themed episodes make for their own share of enjoyment. It is an episode that the show’s now grown-up audiences will fully appreciate because of the truths presented throughout. This episode makes fun of the likes of Barney and so many other similar performing figures who brainwash kids into buying their products. Every parent out there will be able to relate fully to this episode and in turn will find himself or herself laughing just as much. It’s just one more way in which the work of the shows’ writing makes these episodes so enjoyable. “Arnold’s Thanksgiving” is yet another example of exactly that. Arnold and Helga both learn to appreciate their own families in this episode even despite each family’s rather dysfunctional nature. It reminds viewers that no matter how bad they might think they might have things and how dysfunctional their own families might be, there is always someone that has it worse. It’s a great lesson for viewers to remember whether on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other time of the year. And it reminds viewers even more of why the writing behind each of the episodes featured on this DVD adds to the enjoyment in the DVD’s overall viewing experience.

The episodes featured within the body of OOTV Christmas and the writing behind each episode are both equally important in the grand scheme of the DVD’s viewing experience. Both elements make the DVD enjoyable in their own right. Together, they give viewers plenty of reason to pick up this latest addition to Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon’s OOTV series of releases. While both elements prove equally important in their own right, the animation styles presented in each show proves just as important to the DVD’s overall enjoyment. That is because so few of today’s “animated” series are actually animated in the traditional sense of the word. So many of today’s “animated” series are animated in name only. That is because they are largely crafted on a computer screen rather than an animation cell. There is no identity to said series. The series presented here however are the polar opposite of today’s “animated series.” Viewers that are familair with Nickelodeon’s classic ainmated series will see a clear connection between the early days of the network’s hit series Rugrats and that of Aaahh!!! Real Monsters in watching its episodes. It should come as no surprise since Krumm, Ickis, and Oblina happened to make a guest appearance of sorts in one of the Rugrats’ hallloween episodes. There is also a certain similarity to the animation style presented in The Wild Thornberrys. By comparison, the more rigid style of The Angry Beavers helps to give that show its own identity separate from that of the set’s other shows. CatDog and Hey Arnold! also hold their own in regards to their animation styles. CatDog’s animation style is as close as any of the series come to having a real cartoon-ish look. Hey Arnold! on the other hand presents something of a (believe it or not) more realistic look. From the show’s backdrop that is the city to the look of Arnold and the rest of the characters there is something about their design that makes them look more believable than cartoon-y. It is a great look separate from that of any of the set’s other series. And it is yet another example of why the animation styes presented within each of the set’s show’s plays just as important a role in the set’s enjoyment as the show’s writing and their very presentation in general. It is one more reminder of everything that was once right with children’s mainstream programming just as with the episodes’ writing. Both elements together with the presentation of the episodes themselves make OOTV Christmas a great way for any Nicktoons Nostalgic to get into the holiday spirit.

Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon’s new collection of Christmas-themed Nicktoons episodes is a great way for fans of the classic shows to get into the holiday spirit this year and any year. That is thanks in large part to the fact that none of the episodes presented in this set have previously been presented in the companies’ previous OOTV collections. They have been presented only in the shows’ previously released season and full series sets. Whhat’s more, Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory have given audiences sixteen episodes this time instead of the ten episodes each presented in the previous OOTV collections. The various animation styles presented within each show serves as a reminder of everything that used to make animation so great. It gives each show its own identity separate from the others. Each element exhibits its own importance over the course of the DVD’s nearly four hour run time. All three elements combined make OOTV Christmas yet another collection of cartoons from Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory that will get any Nicktoons Nostalgic in the holiday mood. It is available now in stores. More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon is available online now at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShoutFactory

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Shout! Factory, Nickelodeon To Release New Nicktoons Holiday Collection Next Month

Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory have teamed up to release another special Nicktoons holiday collection next month.

On Tuesday, October 6th Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon will release the latest Nicktoons holiday collection Out of the Vault: Christmas Collection. The single-disc DVD will feature ten more episodes from five of Nickelodeon’s most beloved classic animated series. Those episodes include: “A Very CatDog Christmas” (from CatDog), “Arnold’s Thanksgiving” (from Hey Arnold!), and “A Gift Hoarse” (Angry Beavers) as well as seven more episodes. The DVD will retail for MSRP of $9.99. More information on this and other titles from Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory is available online now at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShoutFactory

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.

Out Of The Vault: Halloween Is A Frightfully Fun Treat For Every Nicktoons Nostalgic

Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Shout! Factory Kids/Nickelodeon

August is almost over and September is about to begin. That can only mean one thing: Halloween is right around the corner. With the unofficial start of the annual holiday season nearing once again audiences are going to start seeing any number of seasonally-themed DVDs and Blu-rays hitting store shelves if they haven’t already. While many of the DVDs and Blu-rays are the same ones that are seen every year, there are some new additions each year. One of the most notable of this year’s crop of new holiday-themed DVDs is Nickelodeon’s new Out Of The Vault: Halloween collection. This new collection of Halloween-themed classic Nicktoons episodes is one that audiences of all ages. The main reason for this is the collection’s episodes. The collection features sixteen classic Nicktoons episodes pulled from five classic Nicktoons series. Their presentation is relatively well-balanced over the course of the disc’s roughly three and a half hour run time. The writing behind each of the featured episodes is just as important to the collection’s enjoyment as the episodes and their distribution. The writing incorporated into each of the episodes equal amounts and frights and fun. Rounding out the reasons that this brand new compilation is so much fun is the various animation styles of each series. It is a subtle factor. But it really shows in the bigger picture one of the most important parts of what once made cartoons great. That will be discussed at more length later. But it is just as important as any of the other reasons noted here. All things considered, Out Of The Vault: Halloween shows in the end to be one of the best of this year’s crop of new holiday DVDs and Blu-rays and one more collection that any “Nicktoons Nostalgic” will want to have in his or her own home collection.

Nickelodeon’s new holiday DVD Out Of The Vault: Halloween is one of the best of this year’s new crop of holiday DVDs and Blu-rays. Holidays aside, it is also another collection that any “Nicktoons Nostalgic” will want to have in his or her own home collection. The main reason that it is such an enjoyable watch is its featured episodes. The episodes are not limited to just a small handful from one classic Nicktoon. Rather they are pulled from a healthy spread of the network’s classic animated series. Those series include: Hey Arnold!, Angry Beavers, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Rocko’s Modern Life, and CatDog. Each series is well-represented, too with four of the series being represented by three episode each and the fifth—Rocko’s Modern Life—being represented by four episodes. That brings the episode total to sixteen episodes and roughly three and a half hours of programming. In an even larger sense, what such a balanced representation does is give those that might otherwise not have any of the series’ previously released box sets the chance to finally own at least a part of the featured series and kick-start their collections. Keeping this in mind, the episodes presented in Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory’s new Nicktoons Halloween collection show that on their own, they collectively make a solid reason for this collection to be part of any Nicktoons Nostalgic’s home library.

The episodes featured in Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory’s new Nicktoons Halloween collection by themselves why this collection is one of the best of this year’s new crop of holiday DVDs and Blu-rays. Of course the episodes themselves are just one part of the reason that the collection proves to be so impressive. The writing that went into the episodes is another reason that this collection proves to be such a solid new release. “Arnold’s Halloween” is just one example of how the writing behind the collection’s episodes makes the collection in whole so much fun. This episode playfully pays homage to both to Orson Welles’ classic radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds. It just adds a little bit of a spin that will have audiences of all ages laughing throughout the episode and will ultimately leave them wanting to watch it again not just during Halloween but during any time of the year. The Angry Beavers episode “The Day The World Got Really Screwed Up” shows doubly just how important the writing behind the collections episode is to the presentation in whole. The first way in which it does so with this episode is the very title of the episode. The title is a playful poke at the classic 1951 sci-fi flick The Day The Earth Stood Still. the episode itself pays tribute to all of the classic sci-fi/horror flicks that were churned out throughout the 1950s. Having Dag and Norbert actually become part of one of those classic films puts its own spin on those classics that will have older audiences and younger viewers alike laughing together at the inanity of it all. “This Is Your Brain on Ickis” is yet another example of how the episodes’ writing makes this collection so enjoyable. As with the noted Angry Beavers episode, the title of this episode of Aaahh!!! Real Monsters in itself an example of how its writing makes it so fun. The title is a playful homage to the 80s anti-drug campaign that told viewers “This is your brain on drugs” as it showed an egg frying in a pan. The episode itself shows the strength of its writing as Ickis shrinks down and takes over monster hunter Simon’s brain. The end result will have viewers laughing tears of joy. It is just one more example of how the writing behind the episodes featured in this collection makes the presentation in whole so enjoyable. There are plenty of other episodes featured throughout this collection that could be used as examples of the strength of the episodes’ writing. Those episodes and the ones noted here together show in whole why the writing behind each episode together with the episodes themselves makes Out of the Vault: Halloween a must have this Halloween for any Nicktoons Nostalgic.

The episodes featured as part of Out of the Vault: Halloween and the writing behind each episode both make for plenty of reason for any Nicktoons Nostalgic to add this DVD to their personal home DVD library. While both of the noted elements are clear reasons that this collection shines so brightly, the animation presented in each series proves to be just as important to the set in whole. Most people probably won’t pay that much attention to the animation style of each series presented in this DVD. But the reality is that the animation style of each series is just as important to the enjoyment of this collection as anything else. That is because it serves as a reminder of the artistic originality that once made cartoons so great. By comparison there is a troubling lack of that artistic creativity and originality in today’s cartoons. The series on television today by and large don’t even deserve to be called animated series being that they are cookie cutter creations made by computers rather than the human hand. Looking at the animation style of each presented series, it reminds audiences of the importance of putting one’s heart and soul into a cartoon rather than just moving a mouse and using a bunch of desktop tools. From the somewhat grainy look of Aaahh!!! Real Monsters to the softer design style of Hey Arnold! and CatDog to the rigidity of the animation in The Angry Beavers and even the almost free-flowing style of Rocko’s Modern Life the different animation styles within each series serves to give each series just as much of its own identity as the writing behind each series’ episodes. Both of those elements come together with the episodes themselves and their balance from one series to the next to make fully clear why Out of the Vault: Halloween is a must have for any Nicktoons Nostalgic and one of the best of this year’s crop of new holiday DVDs and Blu-rays.

Out of the Vault: Halloween is not the first Nicktoons compilation to be released this year by Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory. It is however, just as enjoyable as the companies’ previous compilation disc. The episodes featured in this collection and their balance from one series to the next are collectively one reason that it is so enjoyable. The largely laugh-inciting writing behind each series’ episodes is another reason that the collection proves so enjoyable. And the original, hand-drawn animation at the base of each episode rounds out the presentation. Each series’ animation reminds audiences of what once made cartoons so great. All three reasons considered together, they make Out of the Vault: Halloween one of the best of this year’s crop of new holiday DVDs and Blu-rays and a frightfully fun treat for every Nicktoons Nostalgic. It will be available next Tuesday, September 1st in stores and online. More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon is available online now at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShoutFactory

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” It. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Shout! Factory, Nickelodeon Teaming Up To Release New Nicktoons Halloween DVD

Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Shout! Factory Kids/Nickelodeon

Next month, Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory will release another new installment of classic Nicktoons episodes when it releases Out of the Vault: Halloween Collection.

Out of the Vault: Halloween Collection will be released Tuesday, September 1st alongside Shout! Factory Kids’ new Littlest Pet Shop Halloween DVD Halloween Festival. Out of the Vault: Halloween Collection features ten episodes from Nickelodeon’s classic Nicktoons series. Among the disc’s highlights are Hey Arnold!’s “Haunted Train,” “Sugar Frosted Frights,” from Rocko’s Modern Life and “The Switching Hour” from Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. “Haunted Train” follows Arnold and his friends as they take a trip on a train that Arnold’s grandpa (Dan Castellaneta—The Simpsons, Futurama, The Batman) told them was a train to that place way down south. Of course the reveal is far less scary than Arnold and company were led to believe. “Sugar Frosted Frights” has Rocko’s pal Filburt having to fight his fear of Halloween. And in “The Switching Hour,” the series premiere of Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Crumb and company disobey The Gromble (Gregg Berger—Garfield & Friends, The Garfield Show, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and go out on Halloween. This leads to a bit of a mix-up thanks to a child scared by Ickiss dressing up just like him for Halloween. Of course this leads to its own share of Halloween fun for the whole family. It’s one more of the disc’s episodes that audiences will love to watch this Halloween and the days leading up to the big night. The full episode listing for the DVD is noted below.

Episodes Included:
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
The Switching Hour / Monsters, Get Real
Monsters Are Real / This Is Your Brain On Ickis

Angry Beavers
The Day The World Got Really Screwed Up
Damnesia / The Posei-Dam Adventure

CatDog
Full Moon Fever / War Of The CatDog
CatDogula

Hey Arnold!
The List / Haunted Train
Arnold’s Halloween

Rocko’s Modern Life
Power Trip / To Heck And Back
Sugar Frosted Frights / Ed Is Dead

Out of the Vault: Halloween Collection will be available in stores Tuesday, September 1st on DVD. It will retail for MSRP of $9.99. More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon is available online at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShoutFactory

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.

CatDog: The Complete Series Is Another Welcome Addition To Any Classic Cartoon Lover’s Library

Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Nickelodeon

Next Tuesday, October 14th, Shout! Factory will release its latest complete Nicktoons box set thanks to its partnership with Nickelodeon and Viacom.  CatDog: The Complete Series follows Shout! Factory’s most recent complete Nicktoons box set Hey Arnold!: The Complete Series.  That box set was released August 19th.   And as with that series, CatDog: The Complete Series will be available exclusively via Wal-Mart stores nationwide.  This latest box set is another wonderful addition to the home library of Nicktoons Nostalgic that grew up in Nickeldeon’s golden era.  The most obvious reason that any grown up fan of this series will appreciate this new complete series set is the same as Shout! Factory’s previous full series Nicktoon sets.  It contains every episode from the series’ original run on Nickelodeon.  In connection to the episodes, they are contained on the same total number of discs from the previously released stand-alone sets.  The difference is that the twelve discs that make up the series are contained within only two boxes.  This saves space on any DVD rack.  It’s one  more reason that audiences will appreciate this set regardless of whether they have already purchased any of said the said stand-alone boxes.  And last of note that makes CatDog: The Complete Series another welcome release from Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon is the writing that went into the episodes.  Together with the set’s packaging and the inclusion of every one of the series’ episodes, it completes the box set and makes it all the more welcome an addition to the home collection of any Nicktoons Nostalgic.

CatDog is one of the last of Nickelodeon’s great series that earned the title Nicktoon.  Next to the likes of Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, and Doug, it was one of the last of a special breed of cartoons for kids.  After it ended its initial run on Nickelodeon, it ran in re-runs for a while until the network’s heads decided to move the kid favorite series over to Nickelodeon’s digital “sister station” Nicktoons.  Most cable and satellite carriers general keep Nicktoons on their upper digital tiers, thus making it a premium channel that costs extra for subscribers.  Suddenlink made things even more difficult for audiences recently when its dispute with Viacom led the carrier to drop not just Nicktoons but all of the Viacom networks that it once carried for customers across the country.  This means that for possibly thousands of audiences, there is now no way to see CatDog on television.  This makes CatDog: The Complete Series even more of a positive for anyone that grew up with this series and other Nicktoons.  So now regardless of whether or not audiences can get Nicktoons for one reason or another, Shout! Factory have made it possible for every Nicktoons Nostalgic to own one more piece of television greatness in its entirety.  Things only get better from here, too.  The set’s overall packaging should be taken into consideration, too in its overall success and enjoyment.

The inclusion of CatDog’s complete series in Shout! Factory’s new full series set is something that most definitely should not be taken for granted.  There are those that get Nickelodeon’s Nicktoons network and actually get to see this modern classic cartoon, given.  But there are also those that don’t get the network for one reason or another.  Whether it be because of the cost of subscribing to extra digital tiers on their carriers or their carrier not even carrying the network (as with Suddenlink’s dispute with Viacom), there are in fact those that don’t get to see these episodes.  That makes the release of this set quite the welcome addition to those individuals’ home libraries.  The set’s overall packaging makes it all the more welcome an addition to audiences regardless of whether or not they already own any of the series’ previously released stand-alone box sets.  All sixty-eight episodes that made up the series are spread across twelve discs inside two boxes.  Compared to those aforementioned stand-alone box sets, the packaging of the discs in this format takes up much less space on DVD racks than those sets by themselves.  So not only do audiences get the complete series in this set, but they also get the complete series in yet another ergonomic package.  Once again, the employees of Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon are deserving of their own share of applause for these efforts.  It still is not the last of the factors worth noting that makes this latest full series set from Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon a win for fans.  The final factor that makes this set a welcome addition to any classic Nicktoons fan’s home library is the series’ animation.  It separates the series not only from other Nicktoons of its time but from every other children’s program on television today.

The last piece of the puzzle that makes CatDog: The Complete Series such a welcome addition to the library of any classic Nicktoons fan is the series’ animation.  There are still a few children’s shows out there today on cable the feature at least some amount of hand drawn animation.  But by and large, most of today’s children’s programs are more based in computer generated “animation” than actual hand-drawn art.  Unlike those shows CatDog was created largely by hand.  If there was any computer usage in this series, it was minimal at best.  Other than that, it gives the show its own identity much like its fellow Nicktoons and those series that came before it in the golden era of the “Big 4.”  Taking this into account and the fact that true cartoons have officially gone by the wayside—weekday and weekend—such actual art work becomes increasingly valuable.  It serves as one more example of what once made children’s programming so great and still could again one day given the opportunity.  And together with both the overall packaging of this set and the inclusion of its full sixty-eight episode run, it makes this set a must have for any Nicktoons Nostalgic and for any fan of real cartoons.

The partnership between Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon has produced a number of wonderful releases up to this point.  CatDog: The Complete Series is just one more addition to that long line of proper classic Nicktoons released thanks to that partnership.  The set’s packaging and the inclusion of the series’ full sixty-eight episode run works alongside its original animation to make it a joy for any lover of classic cartoons.  It may or may not be the last of the complete series releases from Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory.  At this time, there is no deal in place for releases of Rugrats, Doug, or even Rocket Power.  And there’s no word on when or if Hey Dude! and The Wild Thornberrys will see full series releases.  Whether or not any of these series ever get proper releases from Shout! Factory, at least audiences will have CatDog: The Complete Series.  It will be available next Tuesday, October 14th.  It can be ordered online direct from Shout! Factory’s online store at http://www.shoutfactory.com.  More information on this and other releases from Shout! Factory is available online at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Hey Arnold! The Complete Series A Must Have For Any Nicktoons Nostalgic

Courtesy: Nickelodeon/Shout! Factory

Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon released the final season of Nickelodeon’s classic Nicktoon Hey Arnold! last year. It was the culmination of a process that started in 2011. And thanks again to Nickelodeon and Shout! Factory, those classic Nicktoons fans that didn’t have the chance to pick up any of the series’ stand-alone box sets in their original releases will have the chance to own the entire series in one complete box set. Hey Arnold! The Complete Series will be distributed exclusively through Wal-Mart beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, August 19^th. Audiences that pick up the box set will note that in comparison to the previously released stand-alone sets, this box set actually is a space saver on any DVD rack. That is the starting point of what makes the set a win for any fan of Hey Arnold! Another positive for fans to consider is the fact that this box set also contains every episode from the original series. Unlike box sets from other companies (those companies will remain nameless), nothing has been left out here. And last but not least is the box’s pricing. Considering that this box set contains ninety-nine episodes spread across two boxes and sixteen discs, it is relatively affordable. That affordable pricing combines with the inclusion of every one of the series’ episodes and the box’s overall packaging to make Hey Arnold! The Complete Series a must have for any Nicktoons Nostalgic yearning for Nickelodeon’s golden era and a set that is one of this year’s best new box set for children and their parents.

The very first thing that audiences will note of Hey Arnold! The Complete Series is its packaging. The series was already released over the course of two years and six box sets. Season Two was split into two separate volumes. This box set has taken every one of the series’ ninety-nine episodes and spread them over sixteen discs and two boxes. What’s more, the discs contained within each box were packaged in exactly the same fashion as the discs in the previously released stand-alone box sets. The end result is a set that is far more ergonomic than the series’ previously released stand-alone box sets. In other words, it actually saves space on any fan’s DVD rack. And being that space is increasingly a premium for any viewer today, the space afforded by this set will make any fan of Hey Arnold! want to pick up this box set.

The space that Hey Arnold! The Complete Series saves on any viewer’s DVD rack is but one reason that audiences will appreciate this box set. Another reason that fans of this modern classic will appreciate its complete series release is the fact that it actually includes every single episode aired in the series’ original run. Audiences take for granted far too often that certain companies will give everything hoped for in the box sets released by said companies. However, as at least one company has shown in recent years, it is possible to release box sets (and movies) that are severely lacking in content. The company in question is NOT Shout! Factory, thank goodness. Rather, Shout! Factory remains the leader in DVD and Blu-ray box sets and movies. And they show just why once again here, as audiences will note. Every episode that aired in Hey Arnold!’s original run is included here. Nothing has been left out. Though one can only hope that with the release of every episode in one box set, Shout! Factory will next re-issue Hey Arnold! The Movie to completely finish off this modern classic series once and for all. In the meantime though, the release of this box set will definitely do for anyone yearning to add the series to their own home collection and re-live a piece of their own childhood.

Hey Arnold! the Complete Series will resonate with audiences both for its ergonomic packaging and for the fact that it doesn’t short change audiences that grew up with the series. Those two factors alone are more than enough reason for audiences to pick up this brand new box set. As impressive as these factors are, there is still one more reason for audiences to pick up Hey Arnold! The Complete Series. That reason is the box’s pricing. Its list price is roughly thirty dollars. However, audiences will note on Wal-Mart’s website (as the series will be available exclusively via Wal-Mart), that it will be available for twenty-seven dollars (plus shipping and handling of course). There is another modern classic children’s series being released in its entirety soon that has far fewer episodes than this box set. It is listing at double the list price for this box set. Keeping that in mind, audiences will hopefully see that Hey Arnold! The Complete Series is actually quite affordable by comparison. The affordability of this box set compared to that of so many others is the final touch on this set. Taken into consideration with the set’s packaging and its inclusion of the series’ complete run, it makes Hey Arnold! The Complete Series an absolute must have for any Nicktoons Nostalgic and one of the best new box sets for children and their parents this year.

More information on this and other releases from Shout! Factory is available online at http://www.shoutfactory.com and http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.