Time For Teletubbies

Introduction

The Teletubbies have returned! Not really, but here's a release of two extended episodes that have never apparently been shown before on TV. Not sure if that's the extended versions or just any of the material contained within, but students of the world can rejoice after that long hour of lecture in the morning - a lazy way to relax for the rest of the day has finally arrived. After Jeremy Kyle and Neighbours, obviously.

Whilst the fluffy and bright coloured blobs with TV antennas on their heads are off our TV screens (repeats excepted, of course), they're still quite busy and on comeback tours across the country - and people slate the Here And Now tours??? Tinky Winky and co completed a worldwide birthday tour in 2007 that possibly rivalled U2 in the stadium stakes and are due to hit the UK arenas this winter as part of the CBeebies Live! tour.



Episodes contained on this release:

Big Hug - One day a huge door appears from far away, and the teletubbies take it in turns to go through the door. Sadly it doesn't lead to a different dimension where each of the victims meet a gruesome death, but then that wouldn't really be suitable for kids (although that's what I was hoping in vain for…). Oh, and there's lots of big hugs. Big hugs! (repeat this phrase ad nauseum)

Busy Day - The teletubbies have been out on the lash and can't get out of bed the following day, so mutant vacuum cleaner Noo-noo nicks their blankets. Instead of this action encouraging the coloured blobs to exact a Code Red-style revenge à la A Few Good Men, they just get up and eat a mountain of Tubby toast. And they make tubby custard. Lots of it. Too much, in fact. Uh oh!!!

Visual

Nice bright colourful Welsh Valley setting with lots of rabbits and a laughing baby for a sun. If you don't know it by now, you never will…

Audio

2.0 Stereo soundtrack with large but unobtrusive subtitles. You all know the song and the soundtrack is much of the same kind of bouncy repetitive music.

Extras

None.

Overall

Not really my thing, but the BBC have an excellent track record in children's television. Teletubbies was a staple of TV screens during the nineties and was quite possibly responsible for the election of Nu Labour (everyone was clearly brain dead at that point, and it's reasonable to blame Tinky Winky for that…). It also kept Toyah Willcox off the streets and that's always a wise move, she didn't want to go to school and was always bored. Not quite free or being herself though, or was it?

I'll be honest, I couldn't watch either episode in its entirety on one sitting but then it isn't aimed at me, so why should that bother me? For the target audience this will be fine, although at an hour plus per episode, I think any young child's attention span will be tested. Still, the Beeb generally know what they're doing so I'm certainly not going to worry about that. It's also a general rule of toddlers TV to be quite repetitive and Teletubbies fit that bill to a t. It's bright, colourful and most kids will love this - although I think that the Happy Birthday DVD release last year (http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=93983) is a better release for anyone looking to introduce their children to this series.

You'll know if you want this despite any further flippant words from your host and reviewer, so I'll stop here.