The Backyardigans: Surf's Up! [Import]

Sadly we have now come to the end of this wonderful musical series created by Janice Burgess. We own all five DVDs, and the first one "It's Great to be a Ghost" is still a regular on our play list, as are the others.

This one has four episodes as usual, two of which were also included in the Nick Jr Favorites DVDs. The list for this one is:

Surf's Up: Pablo, Tyrone and Uniqua brush up their "rad" surfing moves in order to ride the perfect wave at Tiki Beach, but who is that mysterious lifeguard?

Riding the Range: Tyrone is on his way to Texas, and meets up with Pablo, Uniqua and Tasha who're tracking down a jump-rope bandit.

Race to the Tower of Power: Two supervillains battle it out with two superheroes for possession of the Key to the World and with it, world domination. Whahahahhahaha!!

The Quest for Flying Rock: Four explorers quibble over the directions on a mysterious map, and end up having an obstacle race.

This series is highly recommended for children of all ages, and is one of the most imaginative and entertaining at the moment. If some of the other shows make you want to put on earplugs and run out of the room, you'll find this one a refreshing change.

Please Ms. Burgess, may we have some more?

Amanda Richards, June 14, 2006

Edited to note: The series has been renewed and there are more DVDs available since I wrote this review.

I'd say that out of the Backyardigans DVDs that are out now, this one trumps them all.

If you're clueless, the Backyardigans is a show about 5 preschool kids (Tyrone, a moose; Tasha, a hippo; Pablo, a penguin; Austin, a kangaroo; and Uniqua, a.....um.....unique....looking pink.....person) using their imaginations in their backyard to go to other places (the places represented are the Wild West, a beach, a jungle/desert setting, and a large tower). What makes this show rise above most other kids' shows are its addictive music and its comical moments, as well as its choreographed dance numbers, which compliment the music nicely. It's definately safe viewing for the kiddies.

So the four episodes represented here are:

Surf's Up - Pablo, Tyrone and Uniqua search for a beach with awesome waves. But will Lifeguard Austin lead them to it? Music - Afro-Cuban/Surfing style

Riding the Range - Cowboy Tyrone is heading to a Wild West party, while Cowpokes Uniqua, Pablo, and Tasha are looking for a theiving bandit. Will their trails cross? Music - Hip-Hop

Race to the Tower of Power - The key to the world is hidden in the Tower of Power, and superheroes Captain Hammer (Austin) and Weather Woman (Uniqua) must prevent supervillians Yucky Man (Pablo) and Dr. Shrinky (Tyrone....complete with long rubber gloves!) from obtaining the key and ruling the world. Music - Latin

Quest for the Flying Rock - It's another race, as the legend of Stone Step Hill states that a flying rock awaits those who undertake a perilous quest. Pablo and Tyrone take the desert path in an attempt to beat Tasha and Uniqua, who are going through the jungle. Music - Disco

All in all, the episodes are great viewing for the kids, and there's enough comical undertones to keep the adults entertained (if you grew up during the disco years, I dare you to watch "Quest for the Flying Rock" and not laugh at the dance moves they use).

There's also bonus content of Tasha and Tyrone dancing (to the tunes of "Shake Your Body" and "Dance By the Light of the Moon", respectively) and previews for some of Nick Jr.'s other shows (like Dora and Diego).

Two complaints that I have (and they don't have to do with the shows themselves) - one, the DVDs don't come with any subtitles on them. I can get around them by using the closed-captioning function on my TV, but still. It's a very minor complaint. And two, sometimes the DVDs are made very poorly, not allowing you to view other features. It's not present on this DVD, but it is on my "Cave Party" DVD, and viewing complaints from other customers, it's imperative that Paramount get on the ball and fix this.

Regardless, if you have little ones, you will not be disappointed, and you'll get quite a bit of wear out of this DVD. My son and I have.

I've played all five of the dvd's every day for months and I haven't had one single problem with skipping or freezing like the reviewer below claims. My twins are completely in love with this show... they love the music, the bright colors, the happy characters... and I love the imagination and cooperation that the characters show individually and with one another. This is an absolutely brilliant show and I feel quite justified in playing it for my kids--I monitor what they watch very closely and this show gets an A in my book.