Customer Reviews

Total Drama Island: The Complete Season 1

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This animated series is the funniest thing on TV!

Interesting characters, intriguing plot, fun art style.

A great gift for anybody from a kid to a college student!

Why Cartoon Network is wasting airtime on shoddy live-action shows when great animation like this can be had from Canada (oh bless you, Great White North!) baffles me.
Totally baffles me. :D

From the same people who brought you 6teen.
The Hipster gives it a Big Thumbs UP!

What we have here is a classic example of censorship gone wrong. The damage is minimal, but still noticeable. CN does a good job with certain dubbed words but sometimes jokes fall flat if tampered with. Don't get me wrong this is still a excellent show. Original, funny, and delivered very well. The DVD box set is nice for a great price. But at this price we would expect it to be uncut and left alone with it's original dialogue. This is the only problem I had with the DVD. If it weren't for that, then this would be a 5 out of 5 dvd. Cartoon Network should realize nobody likes dubs, especially bad dubs.

Ok so I am a cartoon geek, so I may like this stuff too much. But I also grew up in the 90s (I'm 21 now), the age of such classics as Tiny Toons, Batman, Rocko, Ren and stimpy, Dexter's Lab, etc. Don't forget Looney Tunes repeats.

These were shows that genuinely worked for kids and older audiences, which in the realm of animation is very rare. So while I may be a little biased towards 90s stuff, I haven't found a show that was quite up to snuff in this past decade. The rare exception is Total Drama Island.

Initially skeptical (the producers' forerunning show 6teen was HOPELESSLY generic), I warmed up to it via Cartoon Network repeats and found it surprisingly accessible and entertaining. It basically follows the exploits of various teens competing for cash money while stuck for a god forsaken summer camp in rural Northern Ontario. The basic setup lampoons Survivor with a little bit of Fear Factor mixed in there. The reality show spoofery is used to great effect. With general genre satire, cartoon slapstick, wacky yet charming character anctics and a little bit of rude humor, the writing provides a good variety of gags and jokes.

Then there are the (purposely) sterotypical characters Jock, Hipster, 'Sista", Valley Girl (or the Canadian variant) Dork, Goth and Delinquent, just to name a few. There were even some outside of those parameters, (such as off kilter wilderness girl Izzy). Some fare better than others, but their characters are used well and all provoke at least one chuckle from the audience. There is even some development in character relationships, again some better than others. Some genuinely suprising, all of which contributed to the genuine suspense of seeing who gets voted off the Island.

Also the serial structure made for some nice suspense, it is actually engaging seeing who will get voted off if only due to the outrageousness of the stunts, challenges and character antics. (Personal favorite character is the conniving, sadistic yet cheerful and amiacable host Chris who gleefuly hurls the hapless campers into grueling situations just for kicks!).

Visuals are decent yet unremarkable, Character designs are fairly nice overall, animation is standard flash. The voices are well cast all around.

For the discerning parent, this show is a tad more raunchy than most standard CN fare. The word "crap" is thrown around a few times, some fart and pee jokes, a few VEERRRY subtle homosexual jokes and there is some blurred nudity as well (Male and female). Also this being a reality show spoof, some slightly rude/dark humor comes about with the constant conniving and betrayal (It wouldn't be a reality show otherwise right?). The CN version is toned down a tad from the Canadian version but It's not Simpson's level though. Lets say maybe 8 and up.

That don't bother me none and really is not worse than warrenting a TV-PG rating on TV (G in Canada). To me it helps with the appeal to older viewers, gives the show a little edge that was missing from cartoons for a while.

I wanted to give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. It doesn't QUITE excel, it not a classic by any means either. BUT Total Drama Island earns honorable mention for one of the best cartoons of the past decade, a rock solid comedy that is great for people (not just kids) of all ages who like seeing a good spoof.

Hearty Recommendation.

Be on the lookout for the followup, Total Drama Action on Cartoon Network from June 12th on for even more fun!

I'm 27 and found the series pretty funny. I can't wait for Total Action Island or whatever they named season two. I found it much easier to watch then those other surviver island tv reality shows.

Excluding Adult Swim, Total Drama Island is hands down the best program out on Cartoon Network. The fact that its one big parody of every reality show ever is kind of ironic, because its far easier to watch then any of the shows that inspired it. Its hilarious, and truly pushes the envelope for the American standard of whats "acceptable" for kids to watch on TV. I've watched re-runs of this show for months and its still the funniest thing I've watched on CN in a long time. Awesome show, you need to get it!

I got hooked to this cartoon reality show when it first aired in the U.S. on Cartoon Network its uncensored form. I was really hoping the DVD set would leave in the original dialogue, such as "Aww crap," and the comical bleeps. I was also really hoping to see the TDI special which explains how the second season came to be. Oh well. 3 stars for the edits and exclusion of the special episode, but 5 stars for the cartoon show.

My seven year old loves this show and is so happy to have all the episodes of Season 1. He has been watching it non-stop since we got it. Definitely worth the money.

Total Drama Island is a funloving, realistic cartoon that I happen to love to watch each week with my son. I purchased this dvd for him. It is his favorite cartoon on TV!!! We can't wait until Total Drama Action is on dvd too! Keep the fun rolling!

the item was actually for my son. he is a total drama island fanatic and had to have the dvd set. thank you.

I started watching this show on Cartoon Network late in the season and became hooked. Couldn't wait for it to come out on DVD. Looked at buying it directly fron CN but the cost was more. Had it in my mailbox the day it was released! Awesome show, laughing my way through the episodes.