FIRST EXCLUSIVE: SHOUT OUT to SHOUT! Small Wonder: Season 1 Great Job!

[TeeVeeCloset]

Attention fans anxiously awaiting the first complete season of "Small Wonder" from Shout Factory......Here is my official report after a hands on look at the set...officially being released on February 16, 2010.

Shout Factory has done a magnificient job on this niche series release which hopefully new fans as well as old ones will discover......I will wait and let the official sitcoms future review describe the series premise, etc. My comments will center on the packaging, design and content, which are all superb.

With Vicki looking adorable as already seen on the cover packaging, this indeed as written is "The Complete First Season"....I don't think fans ever had to worry about edited episodes with this one, since SW was produced for first run syndication and never re-edited, so yes all episodes are as originally aired. Each episode runs a little over 22 minutes.

The packaging is presented in the usual outer cardboard sleeve with two double slimline cases each housing two dvd's with beautiful promotional photos adorning the silk-screened discs and cases. I especially liked that Shout chose two different cast photos for the two outer slimline cases that house the discs.

No booklet is enclosed but full detailed episode descriptions with original airdates (which is hard to do, since this was a syndicated weekend series, but did air on saturdays in most markets). Episode descriptions are found printed on the back of each case.

Now to the discs, after the usual option of some greetings from the Shout Factory trailer, which can be easily by-passed by hitting your disc menu button, we are treated to a animated delightful menu with theme song ablazing and a cute picture of Vicki. We have the the expected "play all", "episode selection" and "special features" which appear on all discs.

The episodes look as good as they aired back in 1985 with clear bright vivid colors and they are simply a pleasure to watch and brings you right back to the era when watching something new on your local station was a novelty. In New York I remember "Small Wonder" premiered after the then new as well "What's Happening Now" on the sorely missed much beloved WNEW-TV Channel 5, I still have my original VHS with commercials of that famous first hour, but I digress.....back to Small Wonder......

Special features as already announced are selected commentaries, but sadly for some reason Tiffany Brissette is not present. Each disc contains the original syndication promo for each episode on the disc as well....each station that ran the series would have a blank space at the end of the promo to add the timeslot and station logo for advertising purposes.

I listened to the commentary for episode 1 and found it very enjoyable, but wish there were in-person interviews because as you listen to the participates voices it makes you want to see so much more how they look today! I did learn and didn't remember that this series ran 4 seasons...so let's hope Shout continues releasing it, either through retail or their new online only website for niche or abondoned series.

Well that is just an early "small" taste of the treats to come from "Small Wonder" season 1 coming again on February 16, 2010 from one of the hippest DVD companies currently around....

I will now admit, I did provide a very small contribution to this set and am credited on the set, but I will let sitcoms members who might be interested to look for it and figure it out......BUT If I had no contributions to the set, I still would have given this set high marks as I have for many other releases in the past which I had no affliation or contributions. I will say I am not employed in anyway by Shout Factory and my contribution only came from my TV archivist hobby activities.

[Bachu]

Thank you kindly for the review. I for one am strangly looking forward to this. Perhaps it was the overlit living room set or the catchy theme tune... Does the set contain subtitles at all? And yes, a real shame that Tiffany B is not involved.

[TV_Fan]

Thanks TeeVeeCloset for the review & your contribution to the set. I'll be looking for it when I get it. I have it pre-ordered & can't wait. This is a show I haven't seen in awhile and it will be interesting to see how it will hold up.

[TeeVeeCloset]

Originally Posted by TV_Fan

Thanks TeeVeeCloset for the review & your contribution to the set. I'll be looking for it when I get it. I have it pre-ordered & can't wait. This is a show I haven't seen in awhile and it will be interesting to see how it will hold up.

Your welcome it was a pleasure, BTW...I added to my original post today (found first above), I listened to the commentaries on episode #1 and watched episode #1 and #2 over the weekend and I can assure you that this series does hold up in a cute way.....yes some of the effects are primative, but this was 1985, and as for the premise today in 2010, the japanese have now perfected robots just like our beloved "Vicki" or technically "V.I.C.I.", hopefully parents will remember this series and now buy it for their children, as it is very clean and wholesome entertainment.....nothing like the over-sexual shows that are aimed at early tweens like "Zoey 101" on Nick. After watching SW again I feel a child at the age of 10 or lower would really enjoy it and I would feel very safe knowing my child (if I had one) was sitting in front of the TV and watching it by themselves or enjoying it together as family viewing......I always loved TV and was 22 when SW premiered, but I even recorded the first episode, which I mentioned in my post, but continued as a regular viewer of the series. I also fondly remember watching "The New Gidget" but that was more for my "TV crush" on series star Caryn Richmond......it would be nice to see a DVD release of that one, luckily I do have the entire series on DVD, but the quality varies....as usual I digress and get myself off-topic.......lol......anyway I also attended a taping of the series.......hint....hint.....to my very small contribution to the set....lol....

Hopefully Shout will do some print advertising in Entertainment Weekly as they sometimes do for selected series. It was a good sign that Entertainment Weekly already did give SW a small "Shout" out in the 1/22/10 issue in their bullseye section which is about things that are happening and if they miss the mark or not, it had a nice small picture and actually said the series was out already!

[catlover79]

Having just watched the set, I have to give Shout! major props. They did a great job with the video/audio, all the eps seem to be uncut and the extras (most especially the commentaries) were outstanding. They are by far the best TV on DVD company out there.

Side note - it was fun seeing how primitive the special effects were back then compared to now. If the show was being made now, no doubt there would be CGI. Plus, SW had a shoestring budget - so it's a true testament that they got as much accomplished as they did without a lot of money.