Under the Umbrella Tree: Volume 1: Due to being quite busy this week, coupled with some personal events I had taken a sort of sabbatical from my DVD viewing. This could not last forever as today I received what is perhaps one of my most anticipated DVDs to date.

Back in the late Eighties and early Nineties there was a show on Canadian TV show called Under the Umbrella Tree which, thankfully, was brought to the US via the Disney Channel. As a child my brother, my sisters and I were always glued to the TV whenever it was on and the few episodes we managed to (very badly) record onto VHS were watched so many times that the tape nearly wore out.

When I found out that UTUT had come to DVD I was initially disappointed that it was not in season sets and would be released as "Best Of" collections. Even more disappointing was the fact that the DVD would not be sold via normal retail outlets. Still, I happily handed over the $15 each via the Cinerio website and impatiently waited for the postman to deliver it.

The show is about a woman named Holly who lives with her three anthropomorphic puppet roommates: Iggy, Gloria and Jacob. The show is, in all honesty, much like any other in terms of set up and plots but the real charm comes in the execution. Iggy, Gloria and Jacob are very believable and likable characters. The stories themselves are not always lesson orientated as far too many children's shows insist on being.

Even though it is a pain to order them, I recommend this DVD to anyone. If you haven't seen this, you might not get the nostalgic feel I have but I would then suggest you show it to your kids as they should love it.

Labels: Family, TV Shows