Just in time for Mother's – and Father's – Day, Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Video have compiled family-oriented episodes of their most popular kiddies' shows for the Celebrate Family! DVD. Characters like Dora the Explorer, Kai-Lan and the Wonder Pets give lessons on the importance of being nice to your elderly relatives, and listening to what your parents tell you.
Nickelodeon/Paramount Home Video's Celebrate Family!: Blue's Clues, Yo Gabba Gabba, Go, Diego, Go!
This DVD is a bare-bones compilation featuring six of Nickelodeon's most popular shows: Dora the Explorer, Go Diego, Go!, Wonder Pets, Yo Gabba Gabba, Blues's Clues and Ni Hao, Kai-Lan.
The shadow of Dora the Explorer looms long over this compilation. Despite the fact that itcame out of the gate seemingly ripe and ready for parody (see David Wachtenheim & Glen Steinmacher's hilarious short "Maraka"), it's a popular and influential show. Go, Diego, Go! is literally Dora retooled for boys, while Ni Hao, Kai-Lan gives the formula a Chinese-inflected spin (as well as featuring the most infectious theme song since bird flu).
Wonder Pets has a very different animation style than the previous 3 shows, but its plot lines (featuring the heroes "saving" various creatures against a musical backdrop) is strikingly similar.
When put up against those other shows, the lysergic Yo Gabba Gabba comes in as a breath of fresh air. While host DJ Lance Rock is as annoyingly over-the-top as ever, this episode gains coolness points for featuring rapper Biz Markie (demonstrating his "Beat of the Day") and hip-hop artists The Roots singing a child-friendly song. Such tidbits might help more open-minded parents to sit alongside their toddlers and actually watch the show.
DVD Extras
You don't need to see any DVD extras. These are not the DVD extras you are looking for. Paramount and Nickelodeon can go about their business. Move along.
The Final Analysis
Unless you're a college student who indulges in illicit herbs while watching Yo Gabba Gabba!, none of these shows will really appeal to anyone outside of the pre-school age group. Which of course limits the appeal of this DVD: after all, why watch a show about appreciating Mom and Grandma when you can actually do something that involves your parents or grandparents?
That said, these shows are pretty sweet and, should you wish to plunk your little one in front of the boob tube for an hour, you can do a lot worse. Celebrate Family! gets a 6/10.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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