Berenstain Bears: Springtime Surprises

Theres no question that an animated property like the Berenstain Bears that has been around for over 30 years (the books even longer than that!) would have different generations of fans. Especially when you consider it's had 3 incarnations.. The first being the Primetime specials from 79 and the early 80's. The second was the mid 80's Saturday Morning series. And of course the third being the PBS series from the mid 2000's.

Most people who grew up with the primetime specials also were fans of the mid 80s show since they fell so close together in the timeline. But very few fans of the most recent version care for the classic series. So 'bear' that in mind as you read through reviews.

What happens is people buy a DVD (or rent) simply because it says Berenstain Bears and they naturally assume it's "their" Berenstain Bears. So they pop it in and find the starting is different for one thing then notice the character voices are wrong or perhaps the film and drawing style look old to them so they watch it with a discerning eye and conclude it's crap because it's somehow a knockoff of their version. Allegedly their children have no interest either for these same reasons and so they just blew 15 bucks for nothing and write a review to try to 'warn' other people not to be duped as well.

But in reality their situation is really just a case of a lack of TV History knowledge. And for that reason a very good and just as beloved series (from a different generation) shouldn't be slammed and criticized because of aggravation over a mismade purchase.

With that said if you are a fan of the classic series you will be really glad to get this disc. Not only will you get the Classic "Easter Surprise" primetime special in this collection which has never been released on DVD before .. but also various episodes from the Classic Saturday Morning series.

And for people who have never seen either version give this a try as well and make up your own mind.

We love the Berenstain Bears, especially the older shows. This DVD has the Easter special which is one of our favorites. We have been looking for it for several years and were very glad to finally find it available.

I remember watching this on VHS all the time as a kid with my little brother and then one day it struck me to find it on DVD. My girlfriend couldn't understand why I'd want to watch such a childish video and really gave me a funny look when I started laughing and could even remember all the words to the songs. Brings back great memories.