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Back in the day, when Cartoon Network was in their prime, they had a killer lineup every Friday night. This included Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls, Cow and Chicken, Johnny Bravo, and my personal favorite, a show about a cowardly dog named Courage. I was hooked from the first episode I ever watched, which featured the little black duckling. This show had it all. Great stories were first and foremost. They were like mini-films. The stories were ridiculous, but it didn't matter because they were treated in such an epic way. The animation was great, and the backgrounds were out of this world. As much as I liked Dexter and Powerpuff Girls, their backgrounds were VERY simplistic. It was refreshing to see the style used for Courage, where the backgrounds displayed so much detail and atmosphere, which drew you in to the story all the more. As for Courage himself, true, he was a coward, but in each episode, he had to find a way to put that all aside to save his owners, Muriel and Eustace. Courage was the kind of hero you could relate to. He didn't wanna be the hero, and if you had to go up against some of the crazy stuff he did, you wouldn't wanna be either. But there was something about the dog's anxious disposition and terrified personality that made him a likeable character. He didn't talk much, but what he said mattered. "I know I'm not gonna like this" was his battle cry when it came time for action. Then he would pull out some off-the-wall prop or devise some master plan to save the day, and things would go back to normal again, except for the fact that most of the time, the family house was destroyed by the end of the episode.
This is one of the best cartoon series ever made. It's timeless and truly fun to watch. I'm ordering a copy, and so should everyone else who enjoys good storytelling.
P.S.It's too bad all the negative reviews for a DIFFERENT DVD release are showing up here. Those are for the Australian release, not this one.
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Cartoon Network had a lot going for it in the late 90's/early 00's. Shows like Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Ed Edd n Eddy, and The Powerpuff girls were all top quality children's cartoons that could also appeal to adults. They were aimed at kids, for sure, but they were very, very clever (especially PPG.) This show, however, was not so much aimed at children. It was pretty kid friendly, but overall this was an artistic show that was just plain and simple really good. I was 14 when it was popular, and now being 23, I understand why i got into it at a somewhat "older kid" age. The type of comedy was so original, and the show was so incredibly artistic. I find myself very influenced by shows like The Mighty Boosh these days, and Courage was in the same category. Odd, humorous dark stories that were presented in a unqiue and captivating way filled this show with so much to offer. You won't find me buying Johnny Bravo at 23, but Courage? I'm not ashamed to say yes. It was just a good show.Taking a close look at this show, you can tell the care that went into each episode. The animation itself is so simple and colorful, but done in such a unique way. They always knew how to shade everything perfectly to fit the mood. The music was spot on as well. They just happened to have a crew of people working on every aspect of the show that all really "got" what John R. Dilworth was aiming for. It was like a tight band. I'd also like to point out that episodes like "The Shadow of Courage" and "The Hunchback of Nowhere" are some of the most brilliantly written, touching pieces of animation I've ever seen. Not many shows can get away with being borderline gruesome one minute, and almost have you shedding a tear the next. This was a masterful series.
I'm not one to buy a TV show on DVD simply because I watched it when I was a kid. Nostalgia is not a selling point to someone who cares about quality. I watched Ninja Turtles as a kid, but I know that that show was just filler. Great for kids, but there was no such thing as a standout episode in a series like that. Might be cool to see it once again online to say "hey, remember this!?", but no reason to drop money on it. This show, however, really should be purchased by anyone who is a fan of art, comedy, or animation. If I was teaching a film class, a stage writing class, or an animation class, I would show some of this stuff to my students. I really hope the other seasons get DVD releases too. This was a fantastic piece of animation, and it really stood the test of time. There's a reason it still gets shown in reruns occasionally, almost 10 years after the final episode aired. It was never the fad, never the highest rated, but it was always there. And always appreciated. And it still is. I won't be surprised if this DVD sells more than Johnny Bravo or Dexter, despite the fact that those shows were much more popular when they were in production. Most kids of that generation who are adults arent going to buy those. I'm willing to bet the Courage fans, the true ones, have grown up to appreciate what the show really was, and will want to have it on hand. I know I do. This was one of the best things to come out of the animation field in recent times, and it's a shame that it gets overlooked in that sense by the general public.
I personally could care less about extras. I just want the episodes. This is all I need. King of the Hill only got released up to season 6 due to low DVD sales, which was awful, seeing as how it was also a really great animated show. Do yourself a favor and make sure not to ignore this series. Support this DVD. Support QUALITY
Best Deals for Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One (Cartoon Network Hall of Fame)
I just received my DVD set yesterday and am watching it now. It's great to finally own a little bit of Courage. First, note that this item, the Cartoon Network Hall of Fame set, is the US, Region 1 release, NOT the PAL release (some reviews for the Australian DVDs got combined with this; disregard those reviews as they do not apply), so it will play on American DVD players with no trouble. I can confirm that there are no special features; the DVDs are pretty no frills, sporting only the episodes and the option to turn closed captioning (English only) on or off. Nonetheless, it is nicely presented, and although I'm no expert in picture quality, the video looks great to me. Both discs are packaged in one standard plastic case, and this case comes inside a shiny cardboard sleeve.Onto the meat: the episodes. This is the full first season, 13 full episodes (so 26 sub-episodes) on 2 discs. The playtime is listed at 286 minutes. Again, there are no extras. It would have been nice to see at least the pilot, but we can hope for that to be included in the other seasons (which I dearly hope will be released as well). I'm just happy to have such classic Courage moments as Welcome to the Katz Motel, Freaky Fred, Shirley the Medium, The Hunchback of Nowhere, King Ramses' Curse, Little Muriel, and many others in my grasp. If that's what you're looking for too, you'll be pleased with this DVD set.
For those who are new to the series, it follows the adventures of Courage, a little dog with a big heart when it comes to his owner, the elderly Muriel (and her jerk of a husband, Eustace). They live in a little house in the middle of Nowhere, where, as the announcer in the opening of each episode states, "freeeaky stuff happens." Courage constantly risks his hide to save the two unwitting humans from certain doom. The series is whimsical, quirky, and creepy, full of both memorable characters and solid humor. It's one both parents and children alike will enjoy my mother, little sisters, and I used to watch it all the time when I was younger.
Full DVD list (it's been noted before, but heck, I'll type it up to make this review complete):
First disc:
1. A Night at the Katz Motel / Cajun Granny Stew
2. The Shadow of Courage / Dr. Le Quack
3. Courage Meets Bigfoot / Hothead
4. The Demon in the Mattress / Freaky Fred
5. Night of the Weremole / Mother's Day
6. The Duck Brothers / Shirley the Medium
7. King Ramses' Curse / The Clutching Foot
8. The Hunchback of Nowhere / The Gods Must Be Goosey
Second disc:
9. Queen of the Black Puddle / Everyone Wants to Direct
10. The Snowman Cometh / The Precious, Wonderful, Adorable, Lovable Ducking
11. Heads of Beef / Klub Katz
12. The Revenge of the Chicken from Outer Space / Journey to the Center of Nowhere
13. Little Muriel / The Great Fusilli
Honest reviews on Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One (Cartoon Network Hall of Fame)
Courage the Cowardly Dog is a weird cartoon.Two of its stars are an elderly couple. The characters don't fall in love. Not every episode ends happily or wraps up nicely. It toggles between having a horror bent to a fantasy bent. It's has its own brand of humor, but is occasionally slapstick.
Reasons to Like Courage:
A) Amazing photo-realistic and CGI images of oddities, characters, and dream sequences. They are spliced into some episodes and they're often pretty captivating.
B) Occasional touching and sweet episodes that are warm, but never mushy. They teach themes like tolerance and appreciating the smaller things in life. It's ironic for Courage to be lined up with such product-placement characters when the show itself seems against those ideals. (Eustace always pays for his greed).
C) Bizzaro story lines that just seem to come out of nowhere. Some of the plot lines are just plain weird. Because of this, Courage would probably never find a huge mass audience and not everyone will like it.
There's a reason Courage was aired later at night. Some of the episodes can be pretty creepy. And yes, there are occasionally less creative or more childish themes. Still, there's no cartoon like Courage. Can't wait for the series to be released!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One (Cartoon Network Hall of Fame)
Courage the Cowardly Dog is one of the best series to come out of the classic Cartoon Network that practically framed my childhood from 1996 to roughly 2003. Courage was the last show to be serialized from the animation showcase "What a Cartoon! Show" which was later known as the "Cartoon Cartoon Show". This show consisting of 48 cartoon shorts served as a launch pad for many of my favorite shows from the time such as Dexter's Laboratory, The PowerPuff Girls, and Johnny Bravo. Out all of these great shows though, Courage the Cowardly Dog was probably my favorite. As a child I loved the show for its great comedy and charming characters as well as for the fact that sometimes it was a little scary. I'm 20 years old now and upon watching this season i cant help but love it for the charming and unique music, good voice acting, and humorous spin on classic horror movies and cliches.Now on to the actual set. This is the second release in the Cartoon Network Hall of Fame, and was preceded by Johnny Bravo and succeeded by Dexter's Laboratory (Sadly that is all the releases that I expect we'll see). The releases grew worse quality wise as they came, with JB containing actual special features, to Courage with no special features, to Dexter with no special features and less attractive non-colored discs. I'm assuming these sets didn't sell very well (I bought all three, but it seems i may be one of the few) as their seems to be no talk of any other show releases, nor a continuation of the seasons of the shows released (which is really a shame because I feel Dexter specifically had a superior second season). The Powerpuff Girls (arguably the most popular show from this time period) has had the entire show released in one big set, which i would love to see with many other CN shows, specifically Courage.
Their are 13 episodes in this set on two discs, with each episode consisting of two shorts. Which means their are actually 26 different cartoons in the season. Other cartoons releases lately have taken the cheap shot of calling 13 shorts 13 episodes. In this set no such shots are taken.
This is a great show and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes cartoons. The show still feels fresh and is equally entertaining to adults as well as children (well adults who like cartoons), and it doesn't have that childish corniness some cartoons have that you don't notice as a kid (Dexter's Laboratory). I still don't know why the original Cartoon Cartoon short "The Chicken from Outer Space" couldn't have been added to the set as a special feature though. Still a 5 star release regardless.
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