Note: The program is "Not Rated", but for the record, it seems like a G.

Back in the days of snail mail, sometimes catalogs would randomly show up, and as a kid, I would open all of them looking for fantastic toys that I knew I'd never get. One of the toy lines with an incredible catalog was Playmobil. There's something unusually fascinating about attention to detail in terms of toy accessories, and Playmobil's elaborate range of playsets managed to trump even LEGO with the inclusion of hundreds of tiny true-to-life props. Police sets came with tiny stop signs, cones and fire extinguishers. A family camper set packed in two bicycles, a table and dishes. Firemen came with orange cones, stop signs and road flares. Who knows why tiny versions of real-life objects is appealing to kids, but all this stuff looked pretty awesome to me.

As it turns out, the Playmobil brand is alive and ...Read the entire review

NOTE: This review is brought to you by the letters B, G and A, and the numbers 1 and 7.

Though it may not be the longest-running television show in history, it's safe to say that Sesame Street is the proverbial 800-pound gorilla of Amercian children's programming. Beginning in 1969, this popular series combined educational animation with humorous live-action skits, catchy songs and plenty of laughs. What really set it apart from other kids' shows was the combination of human characters with Jim Henson's Muppets; additionally, both species were represented by characters of various ages, sizes and colors. Produced by the Children's Television Workshop (or "CTW" for short, though it's now known as "Sesame Workshop"), Sesame Street started strong and kept the ball rolling: after ...Read the entire review

The Movie

There's just something about these old classic stop-motionanimation movies that really makes me…well…feel youngagain. Here Comes Peter Cottontail is a classic talethat parents should feel good about buying their children. Notonly is it cute and catchy, but also it teaches good morals toboot. It seems that this combination is getting harder and harderto come by nowadays.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail is the story of theboisterous little Peter Cottontail (Casey Kasem), a likeable,albeit reckless bunny rabbit who is trying to become chief EasterBunny and ruler of the magical April Valley. But just as Peter isabout to be crowned Chief, the mean and nasty Irontail (theshow's villain, voiced by Vincent Price) interrupts just in timeto declare a contest of merit between he and Peter. So it isdecided that whoever gives away the most eggs on Easte...Read the entire review

The movie

I started out watching TheAutobiography of Miss Jane Pittman with an expectation of a positiveexperience: after all, the production had won nine Emmy awards, and though ithad been many years since I'd read the novel it was based on, my recollectionof the book was positive. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

In the thirty years since thismade-for-television film's release in 1973, I think some things have changed,including the overall quality of television programming and the expectations viewershave for television productions. Overall, there's still an inordinate amount ofgarbage on television, just as there is in other media as well, but I'd hazarda guess that the standard for the very best television productions has risenconsiderably. At least that's one way to explain the fac...Read the entire review

The Movie
The hilariously nearsighted cartoon start Mr. Magoo was created by the United Productions of America studio in 1949. Founded by former Disney animators Zack Schwartz, Dave Hilberman and Steve Bosustow in 1944, UPA was originally named Industrial Films and Poster Service. After producing several noteworthy animated films for organizations such as the United Auto Workers and the United States Navy, the company reorganized under the UPA name and signed a deal to produce theatrical shorts to be released by Columbia Pictures.

UPA's very first theatrical cartoon, "Robin Hoodlum," was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Short Subject in 1948. The studio's first original character, Mr. Magoo, debuted the following year in "Ragtime Bear," which also introduced Magoo's dimwitted nephew Waldo.

UPA went on ...Read the entire review