Search - The Adventures of Pete & Pete - Season 1 on DVD

A few notes

race_of_doom | USA | 05/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not here to critique the show "The Adventures of Pete & Pete" -- I could go on for a very long time and still not convey what it, as a show, means to me. It (like another review here wonderfully stated) still holds up, even when you have had it's importance build up in your mind after years of not being able to see it. Usually, your favorite childhood shows are incredibly underwhelming after a prolonged hiatus -- but in this case, the show is actually even weirder and more sophisticated than you remember.



I'd just like to respond to the review concerning the quality (as in visual) of this DVD set.



Someone else hinted that because of the bootlegs, this set is unnecessary. The quality of the bootlegs are not any better, and in many cases worse. For this DVD set, the actual quality of the episodes is what you'd see on TV if they were re-run on Nickelodeon.



The most glaring problem occurs in the episode "Day of the Dot" (the classic Big Pete and Ellen kiss on the football field) -- a noticable and slightly annoying tape error creates a constant line of red in the upper section of the screen, and it stays that way for about five to ten minutes.



But other than that, there's really not much else to complain about.



Nickelodeon obviously didn't know how to handle this show properly; if there are any other faults noticable on these episodes, it's just how they are now. There's no way to go back and reverse the damage done to the master tapes throughout the years.



That's not to say the quality is God-awful; far from that. If you have seen the recent and much lamented Noggin re-runs, you'll know what you're getting. Neither above-average or below-average quality, just good enough.



So leave quality out of your mind when you purchase -- these episodes look just fine, and we should be thankful that they are finally available. Buying this set may also help the future of other Nickeloden DVD releases (I personally would love some "You Can't Do That on Television") and more seasons of this classic show on DVD.



Final edit: the commentary tracks for this DVD set are from co-creators Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi and director Katherine Dieckmann on the episodes "What We Did on Our Summer Vacation," "Day of the Dot" and "The Nightcrawlers." Also of note is the Polaris music station, which features seven songs that can also be found on the Polaris CD (aptly titled "Music From The Adventures of Pete & Pete")."

Episode List

Jeffrey D. Miller | 03/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"1: Day of the Dot (Big Pete battles with the marching band)

2: Nightcrawlers (Little Pete tries to extend his bedtime)

3: King of the Road (the family goes on a road trip)

4: Tool and Die (big pete goes through shop class)

5: Rangeboy (Big Pete gets a job at Dad's driving range)

6: When Petes Collide (The Petes battle for Dad's bowling ball)

7: Don't Tread on Pete (Big Pete learns about the Revoloutionary War)

8: Hard Day's Pete (Little Pete searches for his favorite song)"

A++++ for quality ingredients, C for presentation

Nicholas A. Sedillos | Rio Rancho, NM | 06/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Imagine a scene sometime in the not-too-distant future when you are consuming snackables and watching DVDs with a friend.



"What are we watching now?" your friend asks.



"The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Season One. Only one of the best sitcoms of all time. A show that could get you misty-eyed over a man who lives in a portajohn. A show that introduced me to the meaning of love through Ellen Hickle, blessed be her name."



"How come I've never heard of it?"



"Bite my scab, blowhole!" you say, as you insert disc two because that's where they put two of the shorts that precede the series proper, selected apparently at random from the sixteen that were produced. Your friend asks why they did that, and you explain that, according to legend, a Paramount Home Video employee once suggested that they include *all* of the shorts on the Season One set, or at least maybe, say, the *first* two shorts, or all five of the specials instead of four of them, but that employee was summarily fired and escorted from the office by armed guards. Then you tell your friend to quit asking so many questions as you skip past the Lemony Snicket trailer for the one millionth time."

The only childhood show that's as good as you remember

Jeffrey D. Miller | Seattle, WA | 04/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For the uninitiated, Pete and Pete was a surreal show about two strange brothers in an even stranger town. Think "Twin Peaks" for the elementary school-junior high crowd.



The show is silly and bizarre, but in a "Cartoon Network Adult Swim" or Will Ferrell way (demented to the point of nearly not being for children), not in the way newer Nick programming like "All That" is (kids acting like idiots and talking loudly).



Most of the best bits come from the neighborhood superhero Artie "the strongest man... IN THE WORLD!", who either has powers beyond our comprehension, or is a skinny, deranged lunatic who thinks he does.



Upon reviewing the shows of your youth, you usually find the animation/acting or the stories to be weak, or the jokes to be nowhere near as funny as you remember. Pete and Pete is the exception to the rule."