Strollerderby : noggin

Wonder Pets! is Back With Eartha Kitt

JeanneSager — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:08:00 GMT

Still bummed that Jack's Big Music Show strummed its last dulcimer with no hopes of Dr. String bringing it back?

Sorry, can't help you there. But I still have good news!

The Wonder Pets! will save another day! Nickelodeon has approved a third season for Linny, Tuck and Ming Ming, set to kick off next month.

Beginning May 18 with an appearance by the late, great Earth Kitt as a cool cat signing smooth jazz, the first week of new shows will include a tribute to every animal teamwork has worked to save in the past. It's a special commemoration of the milestone "hundredth rescue," set to air Friday, May 22 at 10:30 a.m.

There's a reason this show has won a Daytime Emmy, folks. The hamster, turtle and little duck are the kind of team we want to cuddle . . . and then fill up with pieces of celery. Polite. Sweet. And cute enough our kids might one day convince us to get the real thing.

Try walking through a playground signing "the phone, the phone is ringing" and find a parent who doesn't chime in. They save us from some seriously bad TV.

Beyonce Shines on Wubb Idol

JeanneSager — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:01:00 GMT

Forget Sasha Fierce. Beyonce's got a new alter ego - and she's blonde-haired and blue cheeked.

The songstress is lending her voice to a new character on Noggin's Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! and can we just say she shines in the role?

We've gotten a look at a sample cut from the show, set to air May 1 at 1 p.m. on Nick Jr. followed by a prime-time appearance Sunday, May 3, at 7 p.m. on Noggin. Heading up a three-part girl group (sound familiar?) Beyonce stars as "Shine," the lead singer for the Wubb Girlz as Wuzzleburg gets its sing on.

She'll debut the new "Sing a Song" on the show as part of Wubb Idol, the Wubbzy-ied version of American Idol.

Want a sneak peek? Call the kids over and click here (this will launch your Windows Media Player, don't be alarmed - that's what it supposed to do).

Jack Black Drops In on Yo Gabba Gabba

JeanneSager — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:05:00 GMT

You either love Yo Gabba Gabba or you detest the H&R Puff N Stuff out of it.

Kind of like Jack Black, the over the top, goofball star of . . . pretty much EVERYTHING these days.

When we at Babble heard the two were coming together, we just had to have a look. Want to know what happens when Jack Black runs out of gas and lands in Gabbaland?

First, if you're a Jack Black fan, you're going to love the show on April 3. And if you're not, you might still love it. A surprisingly subdued Jack - with some equally surprising blonde highlights (what's that all about Jack?) limps his unleaded motorbike into Gabbaland to find the inner workings of DJ Lance Rock's boombox deserted.

Creeped out, Jack hops around like only a chunky guy with total and complete self esteem (and I mean that in the very nicest of ways - I dig his confidence) can, singing about the possible dangers lurking. Basically, kids, he lets you know it's OK to be scared, but Toodee, Plex, Foofa and the whole gang don't let scared last for long. They're inviting Jack to parties (outside of the tummy) and exchanging dance moves (think Travolta and do the disco roll).

This one should shut down the doubting Thomases who think the show tries too hard to play funky and misses the kid friendly mark. You can't go wrong with singing, dancing and solving real kid problems. Throw in the guy who voiced Kung Fu Panda, and you've got them hooked. Since we all know YGG plays it to the adults too, here's a few things to watch out for - 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer and Human Giant's Paul Scheer tell the knock knock joke of the day (which I refuse to spoil for you).

Oh, and Jack Black in DJ Lance's orange jumpsuit? PRICELESS.

Get a look at clips of the show over at EW and tune in to Nick Jr. at 1:30 ET/PT on Friday, April 3 to catch the whole thing.

Four Creepiest Animals Turned Adorable Kids Characters

JeanneSager — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:05:00 GMT

Just the thought of the scene when the rats converge in the kitchen in Disney's Ratatouille gives me the willies. They're (shudder) rats. Uggggh.

Becoming a parent, I quickly learned, was setting myself up for dozens of movies/tv shows featuring the world's creepiest animals thrown onto a screen in the attempts to make kids think they're just as cute and cuddly as your average puppy.

Who are they trying to kid? Rats, spiders and cuddly tigers? Oh my.

Remy in Ratatouille: He can read! He can cook! Gotcha - but he's still a rat. And rats don't belong indoors, not to mention in a restaurant kitchen mixing up French delicacies. Since this comes from the folks at Disney, I can't help but ask, did they take a look in their archives? I hold the rat scene from Lady and the Tramp wholly responsible for my residual rodent revulsion.

Charlotte in Charlotte's Web: Another reader, with a talent for writing, Charlotte is the true hero of the movie and E. B. White's book that bear her name. She's still a spider! With big buggy eyes and larger-than-life chompers. And did anyone catch the tail end of the Dakota Fanning version, with the egg sack full of thousands of little spiders just waiting to scuttle off and settle in the corners? See Also: Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends.

Alvin, Simon and Theadore in Alvin and the Chipmunks: I will always remember the day a contractor left a door open at my parents house and a chipmunk snuck in. Total. . . and complete . . . pandemonium. Followed by plenty of cleaning up of little pellets of poop in my bedroom. Ewww. Another member of the rodent family, chipmunks carry disease and are best-known for storing their food in their cheeks so long they come close to bursting, followed closely by their "chirpy" chipmunk calls. Ever said, "say it, don't spray it," when your kid spoke with a full mouth? Try telling that to a chipmunk . . . or to the three singing sweethearts who hanker for hula hoops? That Dave lets these little guys live in his house and eat of his cereal bowls is giving me flashbacks. . . to poop cleaning.

Oswald: With the disarming voice of a Savage brother, how could anyone dislike the bright blue resident of Big City who tips his bowler to everyone he meets? Maybe the fact that octupi have been known to kill sharks, detach one of their eight legs to escape predators and shoot bright clouds of ink at anyone who gets in their way? Fish may be friends, not food, but the octupus is not the friendliest member of the ocean community.

Images: Disney, Flixster, Amazon, Parent Previews

We Hate Kids' Shows Too; Really

JeanneSager — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:31:00 GMT

One of my favorite celeb quotes ever came from Jane Pauley - back in the nineties. I'm paraphrasing here, but the newswoman once said of Barney, "where's an asteroid when you need one?"

Don't tell me you didn't snicker at that one. Barney and Friends got what for in a scathing article in the London Times over the weekend, along with a score of other kiddie favorites.

Most of the shows featured were British, and I've never seen them, so I can't weigh in on just how evil they really are. And I'm sadly not as vitriolic about Bob the Builder as the mom who wrote "Can we fix it? No we can't. Not ever." Although I had to laugh when she points out he never seems to make an honest woman of that Wendy.

Not hating on Bob, Scoop and Dizzy doesn't make me a model mom. I save my complete and utter loathing for Max and Ruby (or, as my husband has renamed it, Max and Doody - which my unwitting daughter has picked up on). Is there a better example out there of a reason NOT to have two kids? A worse spokesbunny for big sisters everywhere? The show is based on the books of Rosemary Wells, who has a few I've actually purchased for my daughter and LIKE - so where did this controlling bitch come from? And when is her little brother going to grow some bunny balls and stuff a box of Bunny Scout cookies down her throat?

Somebody tell me I'm not alone. What shows do your kids love and you wish an asteroid upon?

Image: LondonTimes

It's a Circus Out There for The Wonder Pets

JeanneSager — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:32:00 GMT

If your kids wrap blankets round their shoulders and play Linny, Tuck and Ming Ming, you'll probably be parked in front of the TV come Monday night.

The Wonder Pets are off to join the circus, and your family is invited. Babble got a look at what the prime time special promises for your kids. So pull out a bowl of peanuts and get the cotton candy ready, we're headed to the Big Top!

Life is never boring for three classroom pets with the tin can phone that rings off the hook with calls for help, but even the Wonder Pets get wistful for another life. When Linny, Tuck and Ming Ming take the flyboat out for a spin to check out the circus train riding through town, they catch sight of a lion cub who needs saving. Little do they know they'll land themselves an act.

It's a change from the largely repetitive make-up of The Wonder Pets, which attracts kids with its familiarity, but The Wonder Pets Join the Circus highlights just what makes the show a hit with kids. Plenty of animals, a storyline that's easy to follow and a group of best friends who are together through thick and thin - especially if there's celery involved. When the ringmaster (or ring-penguin in this case) calls for separate acts for the show, the trio kick it teamwork style.

The half hour show airing from 8 p.m. to 8:30 (EST) on Monday on Nickelodeon kicks off a week of new episodes, featuring the voice talents of Anne Meara and husband Jerry Stiller and the three young stars who voice the pets themselves. Get the kids ready with coloring pages and circus recipes from Nickelodeon this weekend, then grab your blanket cape and settle on the couch for an elephant-poop free trip to the circus.

Image: Nickelodeon

Sights of the Circus Extended to Visually-Impaired

No More Jack's Big Music Show?

Amy Kuras — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:33:00 GMT

One of the dirty little secrets of parenthood is that sometimes? I make my kid watch something I like on TV because I like some kids shows as much, or more than, she does.

Case in point is Jack’s Big Music Show on Noggin. The show was created by some puppeteers who have been involved with Sesame Street, and it shows with its kind of innocent, zany fun and sense of humor that manages to be both childlike and cool. I fell in love with it about two days after we got Noggin, although I must say I haven’t seen it in a long time. For one, my daughter is now at school when the show is on, and she’s moved on to other favorites when she is home. The other reason is that there haven’t been any new shows in about two years, and there are only about 24 of them in the first place. Brilliant though the Groundhog Day episode is, seeing my TV boyfriend Jon Stewart as Brunk Steingruber over and over is a little much.

So when Jonathan Puliatte sent an email to Strollerderby Central today letting us know he’d started a Facebook group attempting to save the show, I was sad to hear from him that Nickelodeon has so far declined to order a new season of the show from its creators, Spiffy Productions. Check out the group: they’ve got cool little behind the scenes videos, photos and most importantly, contact info for execs at Nickelodeon. If you’re so inclined, ask them to save this show. Quality kids shows, especially those that don’t make you want to rip your eyeballs out are hard to come by!

Review: My Wubbzy Little Valentine

JeanneSager — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:24:00 GMT

The hottest game on NickJr.com might wow you. It's not Dora. Not Jack and his musical pals.

It's Wubbzy.

With some two hundred sixty million plays, the game featuring the little yellow critter of indeterminate origins (is he animal, mineral, vegetable?) has captured our kids' hearts. Now he's looking to keep those hearts pitter pattering with a DVD release timed for the Valentine's season.

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! A Little Help from My Friends hits stores today, to go along with the recently launched second season of the show. Split into episodes about the value of friendship, it's a movie that highlights just why I've let Wubbzy worm his way into my daughter's heart.

It's creative.

When Wubbzy gets tired of his friends doing everything for him, he decides to bake up a chocolate doodle-berry cake all by himself - only to let things get out of control when he goes hog wild on making it extra fantastic. When the cake batter blows up and out the door and on through Wuzzleberg, buddies Widget and Walden save the day - doing for their little yellow buddy as they always do.

What's going to come next from Widget's tinkering or Walden's scientific explorations is anyone's guess; and the humor that ensues is just right for the pint-sized. Silly, but still sweet, Wubbzy's worth watching so they can learn the value of trying something new and doing it with good friends.

Image: Amazon

Daddy Club Rule: Don't Argue Kids Shows

JeanneSager — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:24:00 GMT

I wonder if the puppy blogs miss me. Because I've been getting my much-needed (in this economy, anyway) fix of "yes, things are right in this world," from Kids Say the Cutest Things here on Babble of late.

Who doesn't want to share their kidlet's latest cutie pie saying with people who actually CARE to hear it? As in someone other than the guy at the coffee pot at work whose eyes start to glaze over just around the words "and yesterday, she said . . . "

But as we've got KSCT already taking care of the kid quotes, I'll spare you mine (or at least let you make your own guesses as to which on there might have been inspired by the three-year-old in the Sager household). As for the adult conversations - I'm sorry, you're in the same boat as the coffee guy.

Because if there's one thing my husband is slowly starting to learn, it's DON'T argue with the kid over kid stuff. We'll call it Daddy Club Rule number one. You might be in decade three of life on this planet, but let's face it - you're clueless.

Case in point - the argument last week over the dancing robot on Noggin. "It's Brobee," my husband said. "Noooo, Daddy, it's Plex," (said with appropriately exaggerated eye roll).

"Brobee."

"Plex."

You get the idea. I sat through this, and because no one likes to hear "I told you so," I stayed silent. Until the next episode of Yo Gabba Gabba came on anyway. The "magic robot?" Yeah, her name is Plex. Brobee is "the little green one."

It's not that my husband is always wrong. It's that he bothers to belabor the point with a three-year-old . . . about a TV show character. If we were fighting about the name of the president (Dick Cheney, duh), I've told him, he should go full bore. But it's a dancing fluff ball. On TV.

So Dads, this is from my husband to all of you - the first rule of Daddy Club, don't talk about kid shows.

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Review: Yo Gabba Gabba! Cuts an Album

JeanneSager — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:33:00 GMT

It's about time. I was out at a girls night (without the kid, rare, but it happens), when someone started talking about this show with Biz Markie and his "Beat of the Day."

"And it's for our kids!" they said. After I finished snorting a cosmo out my nose, I pressed for details. "You mean Biz "Youuuuuuuuu can't carry a tune, but it's OK cause you're just a friend" Markie? And there are no freakish overbearing bunnies? Tell me more."

Oh, admit it, you've got Yo Gabba Gabba! Tivo'd for AFTER the kid goes to bed, and you can pretend you're back in college and eat some munchies. Only now you can carry it on your iPod too. Because DJ Lance Rock, Toodee and their music biz friends have put out an album that's only on iTunes. And we've got the skinny for you.

With Biz's beat, the insta-classic "Party in My Tummy" and the tune guaranteed to leave them breathless from dancing in their footie pajamas, "Get the Sillies Out," the sounds of the Yo Gabba Gabba! (YGG to those in the know - or dorky moms like me) regulars would be worth adding to the iPod alone - if only for those days when you're out of the house and need to keep them absolutely transfixed on something OTHER than you. But with hip hop pioneers The Roots and indie popsters The Ting Tings putting a little hip in their pop, it's the kid music that will sneak into your playlist.

And they love it - in all its retro fabulousness. Literally, all it took was the first few beats of the "ska/rockers who think they're superheros" The Aquabats punk "Pool Party" for my three-year-old to come running from the living room and start bouncing around (OK, so she calls it the "cool party," but she's three people).

The album is available from iTunes or you can buy it song by song.

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They Say: Educational TV? Not So Much

Amy Kuras — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:02:00 GMT

Here’s a news flash –“educational” TV for kids might not actually be all that educational!

This should shock, well, no one who has ever moved the dial off PBS. I always kind of snicker at Noggin, which introduces all its programs with a little clip telling us what sort of educational skills they are supposed to enhance. While most sound about right, if you can tell me what’s remotely educational about, say, Wow Wow Wubbzy I’ll give you a bajillion dollars.

Nonprofit group Children Now, in partnership with researchers from the University of Arizona and the University of Illinois, looked at 40 different kids’ shows. Each was evaluated on several criteria associated with the ways children learn from television.

Researchers found most programs labeled as educational or instructional had limited educational value for child viewers. Only one of every eight shows, or 13 percent, qualified as highly educational. Almost one quarter of them were classified as minimally educational, and the rest, 63 percent, were judged to be moderately educational.

Eight shows earned an exemplary rating: Sesame Street, Beakman's World, Between the Lions, 3-2-1 Penguins, Cyberchase, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman, and Teen Kids News. Half of those are PBS shows, which overall ranked much higher for its educational offerings than commercial TV. Commercial shows mostly emphasized social and emotional lessons, while PBS shows included cognitive and intellectual lessons.

This matters because educational children’s programming is supposed to be part of the “payback” commercial broadcasters give the American people in exchange for free use of the airwaves. Most do only the minimum of three hours per week, and the vast majority of the programming is only offered on weekends.

"Commercial broadcasters are clearly falling short in meeting their obligation to the nation's children," said Dale Kunkel, communications professor at University of Arizona and one of the study’s lead researchers.

They Say: Kids Escaping Advertising Blitz On the Net

JeanneSager — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:32:00 GMT

For kids, browsing the 'net is about content, not clutter. That's what a new report issued by the Nielsen company says. The company's online branch says sites visited by kids 2 to 11 has the "least advertising clutter," while sites for the greatest generation are chock full of ads.

Teens, who are highly considered to be among the most avid users of the internet and the ones parents are most worried about, are evidently exposed to only negligibly more than they're younger siblings. I assume they're referring to Facebook's relatively clean design (until those of us who are addicted to flair sully their walls . . . oh, someone save me from the love of the little buttons) and the fact that kids' individual Myspace pages are ad-free. But it would be interesting to know what they considering advertising.

The Noggin Website, pretty much the only place my daughter is ever allowed to go online, is as "ad-free" as the TV channel with the same name. But like the TV version, Noggin Online has promos for other Nickelodeon products. In the newspaper biz, we call those "house ads," but that's still advertising in my book.

The report doesn't detail how they came up with the numbers, only citing "niche" sites generally visited by adults are more likely to be cluttered with advertisments. Specifically, sites aimed at the 65 and up group are where advertisers are piling it on. So I guess the secret to keeping our kids safe from marketing is not to let them go on the Web with Grandma.

Image: Nick Halstead

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Three-Year-Old Romanian Girl Youngest Singer, and She's Cute As All Get Out

JeanneSager — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:59:00 GMT

I hope they have access to Babble in Romania. With the economy the way it is, I'm thinking a move to South Central Europe is in order. At least there my 3-year-old could be making some big bucks to keep Mommy and Daddy in the lifestyle to which we've become accustomed (and yes, by lifestyle I mean the Noggin-watching, orange juice-drinking, early morning-rising life of parenting).

Turns out the youngest person to EVER have a number one hit, a record contract and an MTV contract is Romanian born Cleopatra Stratan. The cute-as-a-button daughter of Romanian star Pavel Stratan was 3 when she performed for two hours in front of a live audience, 3 when Ghita hit number one.

The video is adorable. . . and a little disturbing. Have you ever seen a 3-year-old sit that still? Introduce me, will you?

That was three years ago, which puts Cleopatra past her prime of course. Think Britney, not Miley. There's even a section of her Wikipedia page that refers to her early life - I guess that would be pre-potty training? But with her getting older every day, I'm thinking my 3-year-old can move right in there. We've already got the advantage - I can't understand a word of Ghita, and the Romanians won't be able to understand a word my daughter says. So how will they know if she's been practicing or just watching Noggin?

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Fall TV Preview: Toot and Puddle

Amy Kuras — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:01:00 GMT

Back in May, we got a screener for Toot and Puddle, a new show premiering on Noggin this November from National Geographic Kids Television.

Based on a series of kids' books, it's the story of two little pigs, globe-trotting Toot and homebody Puddle, who find adventure at home and abroad.

I finally sat down to watch it for the first time with my three-year-old a few weeks ago. On first viewing, she liked it, but I have one of those spirited little ones who locks in on things that she loves and wants to see them again and again and again and are you serious AGAIN?Back in May, we got a screener for Toot and Puddle, a new show premiering on Noggin this November from National Geographic Kids Television.

Based on a series of kids' books, it's the story of two little pigs, globe-trotting Toot and homebody Puddle, who find adventure at home and abroad.

I finally sat down to watch it for the first time with my three-year-old a few weeks ago. On first viewing, she liked it, but I have one of those spirited little ones who locks in on things that she loves and wants to see them again and again and again and are you serious AGAIN? This, she didn’t ever ask for again, and declared "boring" when I made her watch it a second time so I could review it.

And it's not, not really. The drawing of this animated series is beautiful – it looks like a well-made children's book come to life. And the stories, while a little thin, are sweet. I also loved the music and the glimpse I saw of Toot's travels.

If you have a kid who loves more gentle animated series such as Little Bear or Franklin, this will probably be a big hit in your house, as it will with somewhat older kids than my three-year-old who can understand the premise a little better. Same if you're a traveling family – if your kids have seen some of the world, they might really enjoy seeing that reflected on TV. If your kids are younger or fans of louder and brighter series like Yo Gabba Gabba, Bunnytown or Jack's Big Music Show, they might share my daughter's opinion.

Bestest News Ever for Work-at-Home Parents

Amy Kuras — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:09:00 GMT

Here in my part of the world, we got socked with the western end of the big snowstorm that hit the Midwest and into New England.

Which means that today I am facing down the bane of any work-at-home parent: The Snow Day. Remember how these used to be fun when we were kids? Now, not so much. Add in the fact the city did not do its promised plowing on my street so it's pretty hard to get out, and the fact I have deadlines like crazy, and the level of parenting around here is taking a pretty sharp plunge.

As I write, I have a little girl plastered against my side, playing with my hair, and I am typing with the other arm, writing away while she watches Noggin.

Go ahead and judge, it's TV, and I am fully aware of all the evil that is supposed to entail. But it's blessedly free of ads, most of the shows have some kind of educational component, and some of it is just plain awesome, educational or no (I've written before about my love for Jack's Big Music Show, just for starters).

So I greeted this news with interest: Noggin is going 24 hours on Dec. 31. Right now it runs 6 am to 6 pm, and switches over to teen-oriented the N at night. There will be new shows, new seasons of old shows, and movies to flesh out the schedule.

More info, including a full show lineup, at www.noggin.com.

Bring Da Funk, Bunnies!

Amy Kuras — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:11:00 GMT

Fans of Noggin's "Jack's Big Music Show" — and seriously, if you're not, what precisely is wrong with you? – will want to check out the new show "Bunnytown" on the Disney Channel.
Spiffy Pictures, the production team behind "Jack," worked with the UK's Baker Coogan to make "Bunnytown," which intersperses scenes of the puppet bunnies with live action sketches of Peopletown, where the bunnies observe their human counterparts.Airing at 11am Saturdays and Sundays, the show shares the look of Jack's brightly colored and goofily adorable puppet stars and its music focus.

The Bunnytown Band is made up of puppet players with names like Clyde, Wojo and Jools, and is based on –wait for it – bands like Sly and the Family Stone and Earth, Wind and Fire. All types of music, from hip-hop and funk to rock and jazz, will be featured.
Spiffy's Adam Rudman, David Rudman and Todd Hannert have worked on kid-show classics like "Sesame Street" and "Blue's Clues" as well.

Like most shows for the preschool set, there's an educational component, but if the show's as awesome as "Jack's Big Music Show," who really cares? Any show that can bring on the Thinking Woman's TV Boyfriend, Jon Stewart, as well as luminaries like blues idol Buddy Guy is good with me, and I have high hopes for "Bunnytown" as well.

Nickelodeon Tells Kids to Turn Off the TV

Karen Murphy — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 11:35:00 GMT

I am SO glad that Nickelodeon has my kids' best interests at heart. After all, who would know more about kids than a kid's TV station? But get this: now Nickelodeon is telling kids to TURN OFF the TV! How can that be? I thought, like, their business was TV; why would they want us to turn it off?

Strange but true...Nickelodeon is "joining the fight against childhood obesity by encouraging kids to turn off the TV." Yay Nickelodeon! How altruistic! They care! Yes, on September 29, Nickelodeon and its sister stations, including Nicktoons Network, Noggin and Nick G.A.S., will go dark.

For THREE WHOLE HOURS.

(That's 1/8 of a day)

While most kids are at school or napping.

Way to go, Nickelodeon! Show us how you care! Show us your sacrifice! (Just not during Prime Time)

Oh, and when the lights come up again? There'll be a Sponge Bob Marathon. In case you're in withdrawal or something.

Spiffy News About Jack's Big Music Show

ChagHolland — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:10:00 GMT

Fans of Jack's Big Music Show, your wishes have finally been answered: Viacom will release a compilation DVD, Let's Rock!, on October 23, 2007. The DVD will contain four episodes: the premiere episode "Little Bad Wolf," "Groundhog Day," which starred Jon Stewart and featured a music video by a bald Steve from Blue's Clues and The Flaming Lips' Steve Drozd, "How Mel Got His Groove Back," and "Jack And The Bean Stalk," a never-before-seen episode.

While I'm pleased they're finally releasing a DVD from the show, I'm still somewhat disappointed. My kids and I have been big fans of this show since it premiered on Noggin in 2005. I even tracked down the show's creators and interviewed them earlier this year. But where is all the merchandise? Viacom has only issued a CD and this DVD. My son would kill for a Jack stuffed animal. Considering you can buy anything with Dora, Diego, or The Backyardigans plastered all over it, it would be nice for Viacom to throw Jack (or Mel) a bone.