Alvin and the Chipmunks were an off-off-Broadway style staple of children’s television in the 80s and 90s. Few children back then would say it was their favorite since it was sort of an atypical show that never really excelled in any particular direction. However, most if not all kids would willingly watch it if it was the last thing on in the Saturday morning lineup just so they could do nothing for as long as possible. In that way the chipmunks had a very important place in a child’s heart: they were the Sunday of Saturday morning cartoons, that one cartoon they would watch with the pit of dread welling up in their stomach as every minute that passed got them closer to their homework.
There have been a few incarnations of Alvin and the Chipmunks. The first, and the one seen on this DVD, differed entirely from the more polished versions which came in the forty years afterwards. Yes, that’s right, the chipmunks are turning 48 this year. If you thought Bart Simpson has miraculously stayed young, the Chipmunks are even more impressive, especially when you research the average lifespan of a chipmunk. Guess what? It’s not forty years, that’s for sure.
Before the chipmunks were little more than a cartoon for parodying popular films, and even before they were a trio of rodents panning out small life lessons in episodic servings, they were a far more cynical little cartoon that had a strong resemblance to the classics of their own era: Rocky and Bullwinkle, George of the Jungle, etc. The animation was never quite as sketchy as those others but it had that same sarcastic flair that later transferred almost completely to Alvin or Dave. The general tone may have changed, but it wasn’t the only thing. Back in those days Alvin and the Chipmunks also ran in a variety show fashion with little bits pasted together to from other little odd cartoons.
The Clyde Crashcup and Leonardo pieces were always pretty comical as they worked in a deranged sort of Mr. Peabody fashion. They attempt to teach the kiddies something but, unlike the dog with the thick-framed glasses, it never turns out the way it should. Maybe it’s a not-so-subtle message about science or maybe it’s just funny to watch stereotypically smart people flounder (it is). Either way the sketches add a nice dynamic to the chipmunk bits which only manage to carry the animation so far.
The animation uses a style that has actually seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years, though the overly large and embellished features of the chipmunks comes as a sharp contrast to the appearance most are familiar with. Instead of having detailed facial features, the chipmunks have heads which are little more than oblong circles with snouts.
DVD Bonus Features
What’s odd about this collection is how they’re choosing to list the disc’s contents. If you trust the summary, the only episode you should expect for the price of the disc is the original pilot “The Alvin Show Episode #1” which gives the cursory introductions for the characters and features a surprisingly high number of Dave appearances, which any viewer of the later series can tell you became increasingly rare – like Nanny’s striped legs in the Muppet Babies. After that initial episode, the DVD case would have you believe that the other two episodes they’re giving you are “bonus” that you didn’t deserve getting three episodes for the money you laid down here, but what the hell, they’re feeling generous. The other two episodes are interesting, but nowhere near as much as the pilot episode which might be the best indicator of just what was expected for the show before it ever became its own cartoon legacy.
Is it worth the cash? Will your kids like it? I think we can agree that taking a cartoon from this far back and introducing it on a single-serving sampler disc isn’t the smartest way to go. Either proffer the entire series so parents can introduce the show to their kids and give them more than three episodes to choose from, or leave it in the dark vault of cartoons until you’re ready to do so.
"The Very First Alvin Show" is on sale September 8, 2009 and is rated NR. Animation, Children & Family. Written and directed by Ross Bagdasarian. Starring Don Messick, June Foray, Ross Bagdasarian, Shepard Menken, Lee Patrick, Johnny Mann.
