Like most network television, Nickelodeon offers a mix of abysmal, mediocre, good, and occasionally grand viewing fare--and the three latest video releases pretty much run the gamut. At the high end is The Adventures of Pete and Pete: School Dazed, a double-episode cassette from one of the most audaciously imaginative series on Nickelodeon (or any network, for that matter). Set in the fictional town of Wellsville and focusing on an older and younger brother (both oddly named Pete), the opening Pete and Pete episode "Day of the Dot" chronicles the story of the older Pete's troubles with an overzealous band teacher, and the younger Pete's tour on the bus ride from hell (a heartbroken driver is transporting the kids around town to highlight areas in the history of his recently failed romance). And in the second episode, "Tool and Die," the "schedule gods" place Pete in a dreaded shop class where he comes under the special handling of the claw-handed teacher Mr. Slurm. Meanwhile, the younger Pete sees a fine entrepreneurial opportunity and sets up a dismemberment insurance program outside the shop class. The minds behind this kind of madness are, of course, twisted. Not to worry: everything works out okay and the values of Western civilization are more or less upheld. But rather than whip out some tired storyline and slap a moral on the end, this series aims for truly creative stories fueled by high-octane writing that doesn't need to be jump-started with a laugh track...and it succeeds big-time. Ages 8 and up. [Note: The Adventures of Pete and Pete: Classic Pete is also available.]Which can't be said for Clarissa Explains It All: Enslaved by the Bell, whose storylines are totally one-dimensional and whose few laughs are cued by the incessant laugh track. In "Picture Day," Clarissa decides to rebel and wear wacky clothes for her school picture. Unfortunately, the story is regularly interrupted by apparently mandatory name-callings back and forth between Clarissa and her dorky little brother Ferguson. In the second episode, which isn't much better, Clarissa is an understudy for the lead in a school production of Pirates of Penzance. She doesn't study, and...surprise...the lead gets sick, leading to a lot of hurrying up--as opposed to, say, skillful writing--and the obligatory fights with brother Fergy. Frankly, I've seen knitting videos with more charm and humor--though I suspect there are loads of pre- and early teen girls tuning in. Ages 8-14.Finally, there's Doug: Cool in School. Neither as clever as Pete and Pete nor as vapid as Clarissa, this animated series (three episodes are included on the tape) is a solid children's video with a few good laughs, a lot of heart, and some genuine wisdom. The hero, Doug Funnie (age 11) is a good student at Bluffington School, who occasionally gets into...well...situations. In "Doug's Doodle," his less-than-flattering drawing of his teacher Ms. Wingo ends up on her desk accidentally. What makes the episode so charming is the mental anguish that Doug goes through trying to retrieve his sketch, and then finally admitting authorship. In "Doug's New Teacher," a new substitute mistakenly thinks that Doug is the class troublemaker, which, of course, causes Doug no end of anxiety, and results in a trip to the guidance counselor (who wears a T-shirt that says "Hug Me"). The final episode tackles the subject of free speech when "Doug's Cartoon" about the various uses for the "mystery meat" which the cafeteria serves is published in the school newspaper, arousing the censorial wrath of the assistant principal. Doug is easy to like: he's good-natured, understands that the world can be kind of screwy at times, gets nervous when his older 1960s influenced flower child sister tries to help him, and has good heart-to-hearts with his dog Pork Chop about the various road blocks that life throws in the way of a kid who's just trying to do his best without attracting too much notice. Ages 8 and up.The Adventures of Pete and Pete: School Dazed is highly recommended. The insipid Clarissa Explains It All: Enslaved by the Bell is not recommended, unless legions of Clarissa fans are screaming for it. Doug: Cool in School is recommended. (R. Pitman)
The Adventures Of Pete And Pete: School Dazed; Clarissa Explains It All: Enslaved By the Bell; Doug: Cool In School
(1994) 57 min. $9.98. Sony Wonder. Color cover. Vol. 9, Issue 5
The Adventures Of Pete And Pete: School Dazed; Clarissa Explains It All: Enslaved By the Bell; Doug: Cool In School
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