Customer Reviews

Davey & Goliath: The New Skates and Other Stories [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I was a child growing up in Dallas, TX, there used to be a program on Channel 5 each Sunday morning called "The Children's Hour." The host would have a child on as a guest each week and someone from the zoo would bring in different animals, then they would switch to a cartoon or another feature. Somethings changed, but each week you could count on a new episode of "Davey and Goliath."

Designed by the same folks who created Gumby, the characters are created in claymation, stop-motion fashion and it's obvious. This is not the same quality as "Chicken Run" in appearance, but the short stories will grab your heart.

The underlying constant is a boy's love and devotion for his dog and the dog's love and devotion for his boy. All episodes have a moral lesson and while the shows were funded by the Lutheran Church, the shows are positively non-denominational. God is mentioned in nearly every episode, but the shows are not preachy, but instead show a loving family centered on Godly values (be kind, don't steal, don't lie, help your friends, etc.).

Goliath, the Great Dane (at least I think that's what kind of dog he's supposed to be) is the best part of the show. Only Davey can understand him, and the voice that comes out of Goliath seems to personify the deep, sensitivity a dog seems to convey when they lay their muzzle on your lap and look up at you with those big brown eyes.

If you haven't seen "Davey and Goliath" before, you owe it to yourself to do so. I don't have kids, but I still enjoy watching these 8 episodes. If I did have kids, they'd be watching this DVD before I'd let them watch some of the more modern garbage that's on TV for kids today.

This is suppose to be a DVD review, so let me tell you about the "features" of this DVD: there are none. (Unless you count a couple of screens of background info on the creation of the Davey and Goliath series as a "feature.")

It is rather obvious that no work was done to clean up the picture or improve the faded colors. In one story, their is a hair or string in the upper left corner that remains viewable for several mintues! Sound is adequate, but you won't be needing a THX certified sound system to bring this disk to life. (Nor will you need Dolby Digital, Dolby Surrond, or even plain old stereo...mono systems will be more than adequate.)

This disk itself is just a plain boring silver affair with the "Davey and Goliath" logo imprinted on it. The case is one of those cheap paper & plastic things like Warner Brothers uses for their fine films. It is obvious that as little money as possible was spent on the production and distrubtion of this DVD.

It is also obvioius that as little money as possible was spent on the actual production of Davey and Goliath...but that's understandable seeing how this was a non-profit televisionn show. The Lutherans were not looking to pick up a lot of ad revenue with their two claymation hereos.

So with all that out of the way, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the purchase of this DVD, especially if you are interested in grounding small children in good, old fashioned moral lessons.

Davey and Goliath wildly succeed where 90% of children productions fall down and die --it gives children valuable life lessons while still managing to be entertaining. In the last 40 years or so, the only thing I can think of that suceeds as well are the very recent "VeggieTales" productions. What's even more amazing is that these profound little lessons in morality are done without being preachy or condemming; rather, they are done in a very gentle and loving manner. Many of these Davey and Goliath episodes would be as welcome in a Jewish or Muslim household as they would in a Christian home.

The animator, Art Clokey, and the writer, Nancy Moore, deserve a tremendous amount of praise and gratitude. My two children (ages 4 & 6) love watching these episdodes, just as their father did when he was their age. And while they are watching they are learing some valuable things about life and morality that no child should be withhout.

This particular disk contains the following episodes:

1. The Waterfall

2. The Parade
3. Officer Bob
4. The Dog Show
5. The New Skates
6. Cousin Barney
7. The Time Machine
8. The Mechanical Man

The total running time of all eight episodes is 113 minutes.

No home should go without a copy of this DVD.

I loved these short stories as a kid and I was astonished when I found them on DVD.I bought it for all 7 of my children which range in age from 1 to 14,they all have taken away something from this lesson filled DVD.Finally some good old fashioned wholesome TV that you can enjoy just as much as your kids!

Both my husband and I, growing up in separate regions of the country during the 70s, enjoyed Davey and Goliath as kids. Imitations of Goliath's voice were just part of the pop culture lingo we shared -- "Hey, Da-a-y-v-ey." Now our daughters can enjoy this, and what a blessing the DVD has been for busy parents. After supper, pop in the DVD to occupy our toddler and give us time to clean up. The great things are 1) they're only 15 minutes long and 2) they teach great lessons. Chloe speaks about the mistakes or events Davey is involved with frequently. I hope there will be more DVDs out soon. We love them!

Whether you're a parent, a stop-motion animation buff, or just remember watching this show as a kid, this DVD is a MUST. The animation may be primitive by today's standards, but that only adds to its charm. These are shows that parents and kids can watch together, and enjoy equally. They teach viewers about kindness; forgiveness; obedience; and yes, even faith in God, without being overly preachy or excluding any religious group. Davey is a young boy (who sounds an awful lot like Speedy Alka-Seltzer), and Goliath is his talking dog (I'm not sure of Goliath's breed, he sort of looks like a Great Dane, but not quite big enough). Goliath often acts as Davey's conscience, saying, "I don't knooow, Davey," but Davey never listens to his canine friend, and usually winds up in some trouble...as kids are wont to do. In the end though, Davey learns his lesson and all is well. Think of it as Leave it to Beaver meets Lassie meets Rankin & Bass. It's sad that wholesome programs like Davey & Goliath aren't on TV today - now that we need them more than ever. Thank heavens for DVD! The only complaint I have about this disc is it contains only 8 episodes. I sure hope there's a Volume 2 in the works!

A nice selection of episodes from the classic series. I wish they had given some thought to some extras, but what's here is good enough. The film sources could have used a little cleanup here and there, but it's certainly better than the Gumby DVD, also from Clokey Productions.

You wanted me to review the product I purched on 4/29/10 "Davey & Goliath" Vol.1 New Skates/Waterfall.

I would be glad too. But have NOT received the order yet!

My 4 year old really likes Davey and Goliath. The stories are simple and wholesome. A Christian message but not too preachy. The 15 minute episodes make it easy to watch and keeps his attention.

Like Big Wheels, superballs and bells bottoms, Davey & Goliath, the stop-motion three-dimensional animated television program about a boy and his dog, was a much cherished part for me growing up in the 70s. In addition to believable characters and situations that children can relate to, the look of the show is a big draw. The miniature sets are as elaborate as a street parade, an abandoned silver mine, and a carnival -- complete with a roller coaster and ferris wheel. These episodes brought back fond childhood memories, and the children will delight in their discovery.

Fun for kids and adults alike. Timeless. Good messages.