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For collectors of DVD box sets, the future is Ruff
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Irony anyone? This may be the most grownup reality show on TV.
Remember this Kids’ Flicks (Dad’s Picks) prediction: Someday in the not-so-distant future, a box set compiled from a PBS kids’ show will sit alongside those prized Seinfeld and Fawlty Towers anthologies. Others will call this a long shot, contending that Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman is still in the early stages of building its audience—and that it currently sits alongside Barney and Clifford the Big Red Dog in early morning timeslots.
After three seasons, the game show with kid contestants taking instructions from an animated orange canine host has attained cult status among thousands of moms, dads, and kids who fervently agree there’s no better way to introduce a child to his or her first cult. These fans know that if it weren’t for Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Tina Fey, Fetch would be more than the coolest TV show adults can watch with young kids. It would be the freshest, funniest show on all of TV.
A spoof of reality game shows, the series takes its young Fetchers on truly amazing adventures, enrolling them in authentic spy schools and space flight simulation centers. When Ruff ran for Local Dog Officer of Canine-Human Affairs, his Fetchers sought advice from no less a political expert than Ted Kennedy.
The show’s evolution has been almost as much fun to watch as the show itself. Throughout Season One, Ruff found his legs as host. Season Two saw the debut of his main comic foil, Blossom the cat. One year later, Chet the intern snuck his way in, finding a hole (Chet is a mouse) under the Fetch 3000 computer desk before Ruff had a chance to interview him.
A DVD compendium would do more than let fans relive the best moments. Behind-the-scenes footage would answer the question: How exactly do they put this thing together? Are the kids watching a video when they meet with Ruff, or is the actor—gifted Jim Conroy who brings Ruff to life and helps write the show with Glen Berger—sitting in the studio with them? Who comes up with all the great ideas for Fetch Challenges? And how do they gain access to spy schools and Senators’ offices?
With Season Four premiering next week, fans will finally learn how far Ruff is willing to go to get his job back. The beleaguered canine was fired in Three’s cliffhanger close, and according to an action-packed trailer, Ruff’s low-life brother Scruff slinked in to fill the void. (As much fun as that trailer is, this one is more representative of the overall show.) With the season opener promising to fully reward the faithful, it’s time for one more thing. Cult members, get out there and proselytize.
***Looking for movies to watch with your kids, but unsure where to turn, still shaken from seeing Barney’s Adventure Bus in widescreen HD? Brutally honest and occasionally irreverent, Kids’ Flicks (Dad’s Picks) is your guide to finding fun, intelligent movies adults can enjoy along with their children.***
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