Good morning everyone. I hope your day is off to a good start. Yesterday, I offered my thoughts on the latest blu-ray re-issue of the cinema classic North by Northwest. In case you didn't read it yesterday, unless you don't already own it, it's not worth buying. Today's upcoming release, however, is worth buying. For all you 90's Nicktoons Nostalgics out ther(I ought to trademark that term shouldn't I?), Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon are continuing their partnership in 2012, by continuing to release more seasons from some of the network's best cartoons. The first of the year's Nicktoons releases is the second season of Rocko's Modern Life. It's definitely a must for any fan of Nickelodeon's Golden era. That's all in today's brand new edition of Reel Reviews.
The 1990's was arguably one of the best decades for animation. This was especially the case for television network Nickelodeon. The network had some of the best kid friendly programming of any network with its classic Nicktoons. It boasted the likes of Rugrats, Doug, Hey Arnold!, The Wild Thornberrys, and Rocko's Modern Life. Now, thanks to the good people at Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon, all the 90's Nicktoon nostalgics can re-live a part of their childhood as the two companies have been releasing some of those classics to dvd. And with the start of a new year, comes the first in the continuing releases of the 90's Nicktoons. The first of the year's Nicktoons releases is Rocko's Modern Life Season Two.
The second season of Rocko's Modern Life hits store shelves on February 7th. It's just as funny as the show's debut season. The laughs start right off the bat with the full half hour episode, "I Have No Son". Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt visit Ralph Bighead in this episode, and try to convince him to go to his parents' thirtieth wedding anniversary. His reaction is the stuff of cartoon lore. And those who buy this season will be amazed when they watch the bonus "Behind The Characters" feature that's included. They'll be amazed at the close similarity between series creator Joe Murray, and Ralph Bighead, in how the two look.
The laughs don't stop with Season Two's premiere. Episodes such as: "Boob Tubed", "Tickled Pinky", and "Uniform Behavior" offer more than their share of laughs. There's even a hilarious holiday episode in "Rocko's Modern Christmas". That episode, along with the season premiere, are the only ones this season that weren't split up into two segments. The season's remaining episodes were each split up into two segments, each of which ran roughly eleven minutes. Nickelodeon did this with all of its other Nicktoons, too. And it was a brilliant strategy. Doing that kept the attention of the shows' audiences for the full half hour. Few, if any, shows do that today. The audiences who grew up with this, and the other Nicktoons, will really appreciate that setup even more now that they're adults. It's one more wonderful piece of television nostalgia for adults looking to reclaim a piece of their childhood.
Running episodes in split segments isn't the only great thing about the classic 90's Nicktoons. DVD packaging may not seem like much of a factor in selling box sets. But every Nicktoon that Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon have released so far have been examples of packaging done right. The double disc sets and four-disc sets alike were placed into regular slimline cases. This saves space on dvd racks. It applies even to Season Two of Rocko's Modern Life. Even the inner packaging is done right. Rather than potentially allow the discs to be scratched up, each disc gets its own spot inside the case. This, again, even applies to Rocko's Modern Life Season Two. Much like with all five seasons of Get Smart, it's the example that the entire industry should take with box set packaging. Not only is it ergonomically smart, but it also protects the dvd's, thus increasing the discs' lifespan.
Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon have done a great service for those audiences who grew up with the 90's Nicktoons. And Rocko's Modern Life Season Two is just one more feather in the cap of both companies. From the show's absolutely off the wall humor and great animation, to the yet again brilliant packaging, this double disc set is one more must for any and every 90's Nicktoon nostalgic out there. Here's to both companies for releasing two seasons of the series so far. And here's to hoping for two more seasons of this "modern" classic cartoon in the near future.
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Philip Sayblack can be contacted at psayblack@wnct.com
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