Kids’ television show titles are always kind of difficult to
gauge as an adult, largely because I’m so juvenile and immature that when I
think of kids, I still think of the line from the South Park movie: “The world is pretty gay/But it doesn’t seem that
way/Through the eyes of a child.” That said, I love things going nuts, so the DVD debut of Binky Goes Nuts, a collection of episodes from the animated PBS
show Arthur, clearly had me at hello.
Outstanding Children’s Animated Program, this special DVD offers both kids and
their parents and teachers insights into important health issues for children,
including nut allergies and the benefits of exercise. In the title segment, when
Binky discovers that he’s allergic to peanuts, he has so many questions: Will
he be forced to live without Chinese food? Will he ever again be able to eat
with his friends? And most importantly, will his Mom ever chill the eff out? After
some general hand-wringing, Binky learns that the best way not to “go nuts” is
to be well informed and better understand his allergy.
test — only one notch above a dreaded C! Determined to get to the bottom of what
caused this disaster before he loses what’s left of his evidentally melting I.Q.,
Brain investigates whether the new “Breezy Listening” background music playing
at the ice cream shop could be the source of his troubles. In “Arthur Weighs In,”
when Arthur doesn’t fit into his costume for the school play, he’s shocked to
learn that he’s gotten “husky-sized.” So he becomes serious about getting in
shape. Will he turn to an all-protein diet? Eat only herbs and berries? In the
end, he tries something even more radical — exercise! The final segment is
entitled “The Law of the Jungle Gym,” and it centers around Muffy, who’s found
the perfect place to take pictures with her new digital camera: the jungle gym.
Unfortunately, bully Molly tries to run Muffy right out of her new space.
screen, each segment of Binky Goes Nuts
runs around 13 minutes or so, making for a title that clocks in at under an
hour. All in all, it’s a breezily entertaining title, with light, lesson-based
moralizing and entertainment equally balanced. This DVD release includes
downloadable educational materials, including classroom activities in both
English and Spanish. To order this title or any other DVD release from WGBH
Boston Video, phone (800) 949-8670 or visit
their eponymous Web site’s shop by clicking here. B (Show) C (Disc)