Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Shout! Factory Kids/Hasbro Studios/Discovery Family
The Littlest Pet Shop is officially open for business once again. That is because Shout! Factory Kids has released yet another new compilation of episodes from the family favorite animated series. Littlest Pet Shop: Making Friends was released in stores and online earlier this month. And there is plenty for parents and children alike to appreciate about this latest collection beginning with its episodes. They are collectively just one of the collection’s important elements. The writing behind each episode is just as important as the episodes. Last but not least of note within these episodes are the musical numbers presented throughout. Each element proves important in its own right to the whole of Littlest Pet Shop: Making Friends. Altogether they make this latest collection of episodes another little collection that once again boasts lots of big fun for the whole family.
Shout! Factory Kids’ new Littlest Pet Shop DVD Littlest Pet Shop: Making Friends is another little collection that once again boasts lots of big fun for the whole family. This is due at least in part to the episodes that make up the body of the collection. This new DVD, the series’ tenth, features five more (technically four since one of the episodes is a two-part episode) episodes loaded with fun for the whole family. What especially makes the episodes themselves so important to the collection is that each one follows the same underlying theme of making friends. That theme is presented in different ways from one episode to the next and will be discussed shortly. That is tied into the episodes’ writing. The continuous theme presented throughout these episodes is just one part of what makes the episodes important to note in this collection. Audiences will be just as happy to note in this collection that all five (or four, whichever side of that argument one chooses) episodes come from the same season—Season 3. Adding to that all they are presented in chronologic order for all intents and purposes. Obviously not every episode from Season 3 is here. But in examining the order of the episodes presented on the disc, they are presented in the same order as they appeared in their original broadcast. All that was missing was the episodes in between. Though, many of those other episodes have already been presented in previous LPS collections. One can only hope that eventually after the series’ full four seasons have been presented in its standalone sets, the whole of Season 3 (and the series’ other three seasons) will see a proper complete release for true fans of the series. That is a discussion for another time. Getting back on track, the episodes presented in LPS: Making Friends prove in the end to be hugely important to the set’s presentation. They are collectively not the set’s only important element. The actual writing within the episodes is just as important to note as the episodes themselves.
The episodes that are presented in Shout! Factory Kids’ new LPS collection are in their own right hugely important to the set’s presentation. One reason for that is that all of the set’s featured episodes follow one continuous theme. The theme in question is indeed that of making friends. Adding to that is the fact that the episodes each come from the same season. As if that isn’t enough, the episodes are also presented in an order that is at least partially chronological. Given, it’s not entirely chronological since the episodes that separate them aren’t there. But in general, they are presented in the same order in which they appeared in their original broadcast. All things considered here, the episodes prove hugely important to this latest LPS collection. Of course the episodes would be nothing without their writing. The writing is what connects the friendship theme from one episode to the next. At the same time, the stories presented from one episode to the next stand on their own merits. In the set’s opener “Sleeper,” Blythe’s furry friends meet a new raccoon friend named Mr. Von Fuzzlebutt. Yes, that’s really his name. Everybody really likes him, especially one specific member of the group. The thing is that this new friend is nocturnal. So he spends much of his time at LPS sleeping. This leaves Sunil and Vinnie to have to make it appear that MR. Von Fuzzlebutt is awake when he’s not. The result is a story that has been done so many times before in so many different TV shows and movies. One of the most notable of those others is the famed 80s buddy comedy Weekend at Bernie’s. Keeping that in mind, the story at the center of this episode is one that will definitely entertain today’s parents (many of whom grew up in the 80s) just as much as their children. The story behind this episode is just one example of what makes the writing within LPS: Making Friends so important to the set’s presentation. The story behind “Why Can’t We Be Friends” is another example of the importance of the episodes’ writing.
“Sleeper” is a key example of what makes the writing behind this set’s episodes so important. It is just one key example of what makes the writing so important, too. The work behind “Why Can’t We Be Friends” is another example of what makes the writing so important. Yet again here is that theme of friendship. At the same time, the story stands on its own merits. In the case of this episode the LPS pets meet a friendly spider named Webber. Only not everybody is a fan of Webber at first. Sunil, as it turns out, is deathly scared of Webber because of his own fear of spiders. This is funny in itself considering that Sunil is a mongoose, who is much bigger than Webber. It’s like the stereotype of an elephant being afraid of a mouse. Of course over time Sunil learns those all-too-important lessons about stereotypes and pre-judging others. Thanks to that lesson Sunil and Webber become friends in the end. That story and lesson make this episode stand out clearly from the set’s other episodes even as it carries the set’s underlying, connective theme. It is hardly the last episode that can be cited in proving the importance of the episodes’ writing, too. The set’s two-part closer “It’s The Pet Fest!” is one more prime example of what makes the writing in these episodes so important to its presentation.
The writing within “Sleeper” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends” clearly shows why the writing in this set’s episodes is so important. The stories stand out from one another but the underlying theme of friendship is clear and present. It is just presented in different fashion within each episode. That is a great thing, too. They are not the only episodes to show the importance of the set’s writing. The set’s two-part closer “It’s The Pet Fest” shows that importance just as much as “Sleeper” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends.” This episode sees Blythe organizing a fundraising concert for a good animal cause. There’s just one problem. She didn’t file for the necessary permits in time. As a result she has to make friends with her mortal enemies, the Biskit Twins for help. It is yet another familiar plot element that has been used in so many movies and television shows before as is the case of a young person arranging a benefit concert. Even though they are not exactly new plot elements, the show’s writers still manage to successfully keep both lot elements fresh and entertaining in this episode. They do so by not only having Blythe bring in a band that is world-famous in the LPS universe, but also by having the LPS pets put on their own concert, too. In the end Blythe and the Biskit twins do end up working and existing together. And the benefit proves to be a huge success. Blythe even gets a big new honor as a result while the Biskit twins are left literally high and dry to wrap up the episode on a high note. Again, the episode presents that underlying, recurring theme of friendship yet still holds its own against its counterparts here. That being the case, the episode’s story and its theme come together to show just as much here the importance of the episodes’ writing as “Sleeper” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends.” “Room Enough” shows that importance, too. Together with the set’s other noted episodes it shows even more the importance of the writing within these episodes. All in all, the writing within every one of these episodes shows with full clarity the importance of the writing within the episodes. They show why the writing is just as important to the set’s presentation as the episodes themselves. The episodes and their writing are together not the set’s only important elements. The musical numbers that have been incorporated into the episodes are important to the set’s presentation, too believe it or not.
The episodes that are featured in Shout! Factory Kids’ new LPS collection are undeniably important to the set’s presentation. The same can be said of the writing within each of the featured episodes. As important as both elements prove to be to the set’s overall presentation they are not its only important elements. The musical numbers that are incorporated into these episodes are—believe it or not—just as important to the set as the writing and the episodes themselves. The musical numbers are so important because of how rare they are in the grand scheme of the series’ four-season run. It is obvious in the case of the numbers featured here that they musical numbers were intentionally incorporated into the episodes. They were actually intentional parts of the story rather than just random mini-numbers thrown in for the sake of it. They actually added to each story. There’s a full-on pop punk piece in the set’s closer, and a more “poppy” number in “Room Enough” that will have viewers tapping their toes just as much. For the rockers out there, the writers even incorporated a solid rock tune into “Sleeper’s” story. In a weird way, it sort of conjures thoughts of certain musical numbers presented in Disney’s Phineas and Ferb. Coincidence or not the similarity is there. And it is fun regardless. It is just as fun as those numbers and the others presented in this set, too. Keeping that in mind, it should be clear just why the musical numbers incorporated in this set’s featured episodes are just as important to note as the episodes’ stories and the episodes themselves. Each element is important in its own right. That is obvious. All things considered though, they make this DVD in whole yet another little collection that boasts once again lots of big fun for the whole family. It is available now in stores and online and can be ordered online direct via Shout! Factory’s online store. More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory is available online now at:
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