PBS Home Video presents

Teletubbies: Blue Sky (2006)

"Teletubbies love each other very much."- Narrator (Tim Whitnall)

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for nothing objectionable
Run Time: 00h:57m:55s
Release Date: 2006-03-28
Genre: television

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B	B	B+	B+	C

 

DVD Review

Let me admit my weakness first thing: I love the Teletubbies. Since first seeing the series before I actually had kids, I found the show so bizarre that I couldn't help but watch. It has a weirdly soothing quality to it that I suppose works well on the very young kids who make up the intended audience. My son, and now my daughter both have loved the series, and even though the Teletubbies' pull in the kids media marketplace has waned from its previous heights, the show remains as pleasantly strange as ever.

This latest video collection, subtitled Blue Sky, collects a series of segments intended to have a loose spring-themed feel. So we get Tinky Winky, Laa Laa, Dipsy, and Po doing things like flying kites and watching clouds. In one segment, Po listens to the faintly disturbing foghorn speaker thing sing about clouds, and then she is rained on. You get the idea. The usual live action segments with kids doing various activities are here as well.

If you don't already have your fair share of Teletubbies discs, this one is a nice addition, providing your kids with everything they expect from the quartet. Including only two episodes' worth of material seems a little cheap in this day and age of more bang for the buck when it comes to DVDs. If companies want to milk their products, that's all well and good, but this is pushing it.

Rating for Style: B
Rating for Substance: B

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Clean and colorful, with no real defects that will put off the target audience of small children.

Image Transfer Grade: B+
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	no

Audio Transfer Review: The 2.0 stereo track is pleasing and inoffensive, much like the video quality. Weirdly, the disc includes a "Canadian" English track, which I assume is the original British soundtrack. I can't imagine kids caring one way or the other as to which they prefer, but the option is there.

Audio Transfer Grade: B+ 

Disc Extras

Full Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 8 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English with remote access
2 Deleted Scenes
Packaging: unmarked keepcase
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extra Extras:

1. Parents Guide insert

Extras Review: Making Flowers (00h:05m:41s) is a live action sequence excised from another episode of the series, featuring kids doing exactly what the title says. The live action bits have never been especially involving to me or my kids, but you and yours may like it. Where is Everything? (00h:08m:21s) features a tense pyschodrama in which each Teletubbie wonders where their favorite item has gone, only to find it. Five other volumes in the Teletubbies video series are highlighted in the Sneak Peeks section, with a brief excerpt from each in lieu of a trailer. The titles are What's That?, Look!, Go!, Here Come the Teletubbies, and Naughty Noo-Noo! A "Parents Guide" insert includes profiles of each character, for parents who are too lazy to actually watch the show, and also includes a note from producer Anne Wood.

Extras Grade: C
 

Final Comments

If your little ones already love the Teletubbies, then you'll know what expect with this latest disc. It's the usual stuff, with some minimal extras. Presentation is fine, given the audience expectations.

Jeff Wilson 2006-03-29