Featured TV on DVD Review: Nick, Jr. Favorites - We Love Our Friends

January 10, 2010

Nick, Jr. Favorites - We Love Our Friends - Buy from Amazon

Nick, Jr. used to be the name of a block of programming that ran on the Nickelodeon channel for the past decade or so. This six-hour block of programming was so popular that it has now spawned a TV channel of its own, also named Nick, Jr., which replaced Noggin. This DVD collects episodes from six of their shows, ranging from Blue's Clues, which started in 1999, to Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, which just started in 2008. All of these shows have been released on DVD previously and there have been numerous compilation releases as well. Because of this, and since there is no overall story arc to these six episodes, although there is a common theme, there is little need to go into detail on the set up, so we can jump right into the episodes.

Dora the Explorer - Best Friends

It's Best Friends Day and Dora and Boots are planning a picnic. But first, Dora needs to gather some strawberries, while Boots is far, far away gathering chocolate. Both need to get to Rainbow Rock, but both will need the help from Map, and you.

Go Diego, Go! - Sammy's Valentine

It's Valentine's Day and all the animals are celebrating. Sammy the Three-Toed Sloth wants to celebrate as well by giving a bouquet of yummy leaves to Lulu, but he doesn't know where she lives. With the help of Click, Diego and Alicia spot her, but she's far, far away and sloths are very, very slow. But Diego and his Rescue Pack will help him get there before Valentine's Day ends.

Wonder Pets! - Save the Lovebugs! & Save the Skunk Rocker

Two half-length episodes, starting with Lovebugs! Here they have to intervene when the lovebugs get into a fight and stop talking to each other. It's Valentine's Day and they can't decide whether to go to a fancy dinner or to go dancing. In Skunk Rocker they need to help a Punk Skunk get a band before his concert tonight. So they travel to Manchester, England and audition bands like The Beetles and The Rat Pack, but he needs to find a band that fits with his musical style.

Yo Gabba, Gabba! - Love

DJ Lance Rock and the gang learn what it is to love a friend. And they learn about balloons and flowers. Apparently balloons and flowers play a large role in friendship.

Blue's Clues - Love Day

Uh oh. A Joe episode of Blue's Clues. In the episode, Joe gets a Love Day card, but he doesn't know who it is from. Blue knows, but he's not telling. He will give three clues for us to follow.

On a side note, I notice the way that Donovan Patton, the actor who plays Joe, held up three fingers was the way Germans do it. (He held up his thumb, index, and middle finger, while most people in North America and England hold up the index, middle, and ring finger.) As soon as I saw that, I was reminded of the scene in a French tavern in Inglourious Basterds... which likely makes this the only review of Blue's Clues to reference that movie.

Ni Hao, Kai-Lan - Playtime at Tolee's

The gang is going over to Tolee's houseboat / tree house for playtime, but after Rintoo first puts his pineapples in the wrong spot, then damages Tolee's hat, and finally rips Tolee's new painting, Tolee refuses to forgive him. Tolee has emotional issues. And quite frankly, his obsession with pandas scares me.

The only extras on the DVD are two songs for the upcoming series, Team Umizoomi. They are about a minute long each, so there's not much here.

The Verdict

Normally TV on DVD releases for pre-school kids only have four episodes on one disc, which makes Nick, Jr. Favorites - We Love Our Friends a good bargain with six episodes from six different shows. Assuming your kids like all six shows, it is worth picking up for sure. Even if there are one or two shows on this DVD that they don't like, it is still a good value.

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