Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends: Complete Season 1

The distinctive wry wit and trademark sketchy animation (rendered in Mexico, it turns out) of Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose are finally showcased on DVD in Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends: Complete Season 1, a co-production of Classic Media and Jay Ward Productions, distributed by Sony Wonder. The 26 episodes, tucked into a nifty livid-green five-fold plastic and cardboard package designed by Stuart Stern and Parham-Santana, have been digitally remastered but retain their original scratchy, artifact-laced appearance, which seems appropriate for this iconic series, since it will transport Baby Boomers back to the days when they watched it on analog TV. A 16-page booklet recounts the groundbreaking program's history adequately enough, with telling bios of creators Jay Ward and Bill Scott, both of whom apparently were real kooks. The fourth disc's special features include four fitfully funny newly released "Dear Bullwinkle" segments, in which Moose answers lovelorn letters. Vintage TV promos for the show, a montage of Boris Badenov's different disguises, public-service clips for the Rocky & Bullwinkle Savings Stamp Club (U.S. bonds) and a preview of 2004's Season 2 discs round out the bonuses. Is there no footage of Ward and Scott? No behind-the-scenes shots? Perhaps next year? By the way, don't be fooled by the executive producer's name Ponsonby Britt on the box cover--it's the name Ward and Scott came up with when told by the studio they needed an executive producer. --Buzz McClain