Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: Special Field Trip Edition

My resident 13-year-old informs me that this Nickelodeon live-action series is very popular and "everyone watches it." But, he adds, the episodes included on this compilation are sub-par for the series. Still, the main feature here—the double-episode "Field Trips, Permission Slips, Signs and Weasels" that served as the series' swan song—will give fans closure as it wraps up the whole Ned/Suzie/Moze triangle. The show itself is a cross between Clarissa Explains It All and Malcolm in the Middle with a main character named Ned (Devon Werkheiser) who breaks the fourth wall to impart to the audience his invaluable tips for navigating the blunder years of middle school. One of the two bonus episodes, "Dismissal," counts down in real time (complete with onscreen clock) the precious minutes between the final school bell and bus departure. The other, "Field Trips," is a frantic affair that involves romantic entanglements, art thieves, and, back at the school, a runaway squirrel. This being a Nickelodeon series, the entire cast has been well schooled in Mugging 101. And the majority of the adults and authority figures are portrayed as clueless buffoons. But I suppose that's how most young teens see us (I have that on the authority of my son). Bundled with a paperback of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: Book of Top Ten Lists, this is a strong optional purchase. (D. Liebenson)