Mister Magoo: The Television Collection: 1960-1977

This Magoo-palooza set presents nearly 32 hours of cartoons starring the unwitting codger (indelibly voiced by Jim Backus) whose nearsightedness repeatedly puts him in perilous situations from which he emerges unscathed and none the wiser. The compilation brings together three complete series: The Mister Magoo Show, which ran Saturday mornings from 1960–61; The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, airing in 1964–65; and 1977's rarely seen What's New Mr. Magoo? The first of these includes Magoo's outrageously buck-toothed Chinese houseboy, Charlie, and it's hard to say which scenes are more offensive: the ones in which Charlie's pidgin English is preserved or those in which his voice is painfully and obviously dubbed. The anthology leaves out Magoo's finest hour on television, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962), but includes the primetime special, 1970's Uncle Sam Magoo! Magoo was a two-time Oscar winner, and TV Guide ranked him 29th on its list of the 50 greatest cartoon characters. Even though kids love repetition, a little Magoo goes a long way; his catchphrase, “Oh, Magoo, you've done it again,” says it all. The slapstick, at least, is never mean-spirited—it's just Magoo wreaking havoc. DVD extras include a Magoo retrospective, as well as commentaries on several cartoons. A strong optional purchase. (D. Liebenson)