Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Kids shows with a brain
Likes: Noggin
Dislikes: The vast majority of these shows
Hates: Barney, Pandering childrens programming

The Shows
Springtime Fun? Really? If you can find me anything related to spring in the six episodes compiled on this disc, you should go into detective work. What you really have is a sampler of HIT Entertainment's kids programming, which represents pretty much everything I hate about childrens television. Every time my daughter wants to watch TV, I thank the TV gods for the gift of Noggin, a kids programming channel that recognizes that adults are often stuck watching, and gives a wink and a nod to them at times. The HIT Entertainment line-up is far less grown-up friendly, with several simplistic series that will bore the older folk in the room, and probably even the kids.

"Barney & Friends" - Butterflies
The most over-the-top of the shows on this disc in terms of the sunshiney happiness is the widely-reviled Barney. The four main live-action dinosaur characters (including the recently added "Cousin Oliver" of the group, Riff) giggle and laugh like they are touched in the head, while the sing and dance to simplistic songs based on nursery rhymes. Eventually, their voices will make you want to drive spikes into your ears, if the annoying dialogue and music don't do it first. Kids may enjoy the colorful puppet people and bland songs, but even my 2-year-old doesn't like watching it. This time out Baby Bop loses her pet caterpiller, but is taught about how they turn into butterflies. It's pablum of the worst order, that is nigh-unwatchable by the mentally mature.

"Bob the Builder" - Bob's Big Surprise
A stop-action animation series, this show focuses on the work of the titular Bob, a construction foreman who has a crew of anthropomorphic trucks and gear who help him complete his projects. It's all about working together and the power of positive thinking. The animation style is somewhat unique, as it mixes standard animation with stylistic touches like flattened props to create a sense of artificiality. Considering the focus of the show is more on plot than messaging, it isn't oppressive like the other shows on this DVD, making it an easy one to watch, and even slightly entertaining, as my kid doesn't mind giving it a look. In this episode, Bob's friend/co-worker Wendy is going away, so he decides to fix her garden to surprise her, but when his office manager calls in sick, he's overwhelmed by the work load.

"Thomas and Friends" - Percy and the Magic Carpet
The adventure of Thomas and his railroad pals feels like the shortest of the bunch, as you meet the gang of train engines responsible for moving things around the island of Sodor, an apparently British island. The story focuses on small-fry Percy and his job of carrying a supposedly magic carpet to an appearance by a famous opera star. There's not much else to it, as others either don't think Percy can do the job, or think it's a lame job, but the little guy wants to prove them wrong. The bit is definitely not too lengthy, as it's even padded with a repeat of the theme song at the end. There's a small lesson involved, but it's mostly just uneventful, though the stop-motion animation (I believe) is pretty lush and impressive.

"Angelina" - Arthur and the Butterfly
I'd frequently heard of Angelina Ballerina before, mainly in her book form, but I never pictured it quite like this. The story of a mouse and her family, it features no dancing, as you might expect. Instead, you get a bratty kid obsessed with a butterfly, a weird Russian relative and nothing much else of interest. Plus, considering this is Springtime Fun, there's a distinct lack of the F-word, as it's either Angelina complaining or a disturbing subplot involving missing kids. The animation, which mimics the style of the books, is clean, but dull, matching the story.

"Kipper" - The Holiday
Kipper is a terrier, while his pal Tiger is a schnauzer, and they have planned a visit to the beach. Once the get there though, Tiger just wants to read, while Kipper wants to play. That's as deep as it gets, as Kipper continues to annoy the senior citizen-like Tiger. I don't see the appeal, outside of the adorable character designs on the two dogs, as even the animation comes up short, with the interior of Kipper's house ignored, and rendered as a plain white background. As a short filler, fine. As a full episode, not so much.

"Fireman Sam" - Deep Water
Fireman Sam is likely the most interesting show on this, as it mixes solid stop-motion animation with an entertaining adventure story to create a series that's different than everything else here. an old Welsh favorite, it's been updated a bit, and the rescue efforts of Sam and the crew aren't hampered by a need to teach kids to share or to sing a song. It's just good old-fashioned adventure that looks good also, but once again, I don't know if I'd label it as fun, as it's better described as exciting and even a touch dramatic.

The DVD
Packed in a single-width white, slipcovered keepcase you get a DVD featuring a static, full-frame menu with options to watch all the shows, select individual episodes or check out the bonus material. There are no audio options and no subtitles, though there is closed captioning. The disc also has an autoplay feature, allowing you to access all the material without menus.

The Quality
The full-frame video on this DVD is clean and free of any noticeable defects or digital artifacts. The color, sharpness and level of detail varies from series to series, making it purely a matter of the quality of the source material. Of the group, Fireman Sam comes off the best, along with Barney, while the others fall along the same average ground.

The audio isn't going to impress anyone, and no one should have expected it from these Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks, as the shows hardly demand such presentations, though, again, there's some nice sound in Fireman Sam. Overall, you're getting clean, distortion free center-focused dialogue that's well-separated from the music.

The Extras
The only extra here is an episode of another HIT Entertainment show, "FiFi and the Flowertots." With such a great name, you might be shocked to find out that it's more kid-pandering feel-good crap, this time about flowers and bugs, an area better done in "Miss Spider." Unfortunately, you can almost see the appeal the show could have for young girls.

The Bottom Line
What is it about European animation that results in lame, and worse yet, boring kids shows (with Canada not trailing far behind)? And since HIT specializes in such series, their compilations are loaded with lame, and worse yet, boring material. Add in an awful import like the American Barney and you've got a recipe for mediocrity. The DVD is technically solid, while the sole extra is just more of the same, which makes this DVD pass-worthy, even if you're an adorable little 2-year-old girl.

Follow him on Twitter

*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.