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By FRANK BEHRENS
Being a good pop, I
naturally shared a lot of TV time with my children
in the 1960s; and I grew to enjoy certain shows
that seemed aimed not only at the tiny tots but at
an adult audience who got the subtextual jokes
within the dialogue. One of the greats was called
"The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle," and I
recall being won over when one of the characters
called out "Send up the kites, Igor."
Now you can own the entire first season of 26
shows on four DVDs issued by Sony Wonder and revel
in the outrageous goings on and puns of the Flying
Squirrel, the Moose and all their friends -- and
two enemies.
Each of the shows follows a strict format. The
first and last segments are a Rocky and Bullwinkle
serial of the "Be sure to tune in next time when…"
type. Actually, the very first story lasts through
40 episodes -- each running only a few minutes, so
it doesn't seem all that long -- of "Jet Fuel
Formula," a tale not quite as well-developed as
"Reilly, Ace of Spies," but more in the vein of
spoofing the Saturday serials shown in cinemas of
yore. The perennial villains in these episodes are
the Russian super-spies (or superette-spies, since
they never seem to do anything right), Boris
Badenov and Natasha Fatale.
The opening installment is followed, in this
series, by "Fractured Fairy Tales," narrated by
Edward Everett Horton" or less often by "Aesop and
Son." This in turn is followed by a "Mr. Peabody
and Sherman" trip into the past, which always ends
with a predictable pun, or a "Dudley Do-Right"
tale (which was much funnier). There is also a
short bit along the way in which Bullwinkle gives
some sort of advice with a demonstration that
always goes wrong.
All of these are joined by links that are recycled
over the weeks, so they do get a bit tiresome
while watching these shows one after the other as
some reviewers are obliged to do; but I learned to
use the "skip" button to advantage.
The last DVD contains some bonus material that
includes a live Bullwinkle puppet that was used
for a segment that was dropped, some promos for
the show, some Saving Stamp Club featurettes, a
special on "The Many Faces of Boris Badenov," and
a sneak peek at two episodes from the second
season. The 16-page booklet is quite informative.
Those of you who used to listen to the Stan
Freberg Show or have the CD sets of those shows
will recognize at least two of the voices used in
the Bullwinkle series. And it is the female who
gives voice to Rocky.
Highly recommended for a new juvenile audience and
for adults who like to wallow in the past. |
