Fat Albert’s Easter Special
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Main Program: C+
Running just over 22 minutes, Fat Albert’s Easter
Special (1980) was one of the last hurrahs for the original era of the TV
show, one in which the gang has to come to the rescue of an elderly neighbor
and see if they can save him from being evicted and loosing what little home he
has. It actually discusses the meaning
of Easter, some you rarely hear in these extremist, dogmatic times.
By now, the show had become formulaic, so doing such a
special did add a nice angle, but the writing was on the wall. Bill Cosby was about to wrap up the show and
Filmation itself was going to fold a few years later. As a matter of fact, this is one of the rare one-shot specials
the company did in any event. Fans and
those inclined to the holiday will enjoy it.
The full frame 1.33 X 1 image is nice and clean
throughout, looking like it did not need much video restoration work. As with the other installments in Urban
Works’ series of DVD releases, the video you see comes from composite D1
digital videotape, which was then restored in the video realm only by JCA TV
with Snell & Wilcox Archangel Ph.C digital restoration system. This is good for DVD releasing, but not for
preserving the shows in the future for digital HD presentation and more durable
film storage. Unlike some trouble with
early shows from the Vol. 1 set, everything here looks fine. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is fine for its
age. Extras include access to the Brown
Hornet segment of the show, a find the bunny game and paper pullout in
the case. A printable coloring book is
included inside the DVD case. Christmas
and Halloween specials are due next.
- Nicholas Sheffo
