The Fresh Beat Band: The Wizard of Song

There is little that is fresh in this empty-calorie Nick Jr. preschool series about a quartet of Stepford youth, who are always beaming, always upbeat, and always lip-syncing. In the headlining double-length episode, ensemble member Marina wants to take a cupcake break, but the band would rather keep rehearsing. Marina leaves and is swept up in a meta-free Wizard of Oz homage featuring her band mates as the Scarecrow, Tin Woods-Woman and Cowardly Lion. Sarah Chalke from Scrubs appears as Glinda, with Jason “I'm Yours” Mraz as the Wizard (and yes, he sings a reworked version of his biggest hit). Also included are two bonus episodes from the series: “Ghost Band” and “Chimps in Charge.” Given the series' popularity, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (D. Liebenson)