Peep & The Big Wide World set

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C-     Episodes: B-

 

 

Peep, Chirp and Quack are the stars of a new animated TV series that is aimed for very young audiences and the theme is always exploration in Peep & The Big Wide World.  This WGBH-released triple set of programs is a nice set for young people that considers the needs of its young, developing audience.  The characters have their animated segments (narrated by the great Joan Cusack), followed by live-action sequences of young children playing and learning from a fun project that they have just taken part in.

 

The DVDs are as follows, with episodes listed:

 

Peep Floats:

A Duck’s Tale

The Fish Museum

Peep Crosses The Road

Current Events

There’s No Place Like Home

The Trip To Green Island

 

Peep Finds:

Quack Hatches An Egg

Spring Things

Springy Things

Night Light

The Real Decoy

Mirror, Mirror In The Dump

 

Peep’s New Friends:

Peep’s New Friends

Peep In Rabbitland

Under Duck

Quack’s Stuck Stick

That’s A Cat

Birds Of A Feather

 

 

Though not as popular as one would think, except for preschoolers, the show is a simple, charming program that is very child-friendly and is entertaining beyond its intended age group.  Though a WGBH production, the series actually airs on The Learning Channel and Discovery Channel.  So much for the artificial split between cable and public television.  The show also talks about science in all of its explorations, something vital to anyone’s development.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is colorful, clean and nicely rendered, though this is not the most detailed animation, but it is just fine for what it is.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has nice Pro Logic surrounds, making this a pleasant playback combination for everyone.  Extras include three DVD-ROM PDF files and a weblink on DVD 1, all repeated on DVD 2 & 3.  That may not be much, but the show is charming and for the younger age group, highly recommended.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo