The hero of this children's programme - Little Red Tractor - certainly does seem to suffer. In fact, he puts his friend Big Blue in the shade despite his diminutive figure.
**** The start of a Rant**** ( you have been warned)
What all this really leads me to wonder is what is the most important element of a childs tv programme. A loveable character? Important no doubt. A scenic location? Desirable. A well thought out plot? Certainly helps. However I believe I have detected an emerging pattern. It seems crucial to have really impressive vehicles of some type. Postman Pat has always had his red van, I mean we wouldn't want to see him in a Skoda or even BMW on his days off, it just wouldn't be right. But even in Postman Pat there is now a Greendale rocket. No this is not a remarkable device for delivering the mail but in fact a train. Now I know it will help employment in Greendale but what other purpose does it serve? I'll leave you to ponder that.
**** The rant builds**** ( Take a deep breath)
In Little Red Tractor Let's Go the whole series focuses on vehicles. The hero is ..... yes you've guessed it a little red tractor. However he ( why do I think it is a he? Freud would have a field
day) also has some friends. Other vehicles which include Harvey the combine harvester, Sparky the pick up truck , and Nipper the Quad bike.
In a previous review you may have noticed that I mentioned Fireman Sam has a helicopter in it now too. Why is this? Why this fascination on new vehicles? Is is that, Gosling Farm ( the setting for little red tractor), Greendale or PontyPandy has introduced a congestion charge zone and the cunning residents have to find other ways of going around their small communities. Unlikely.
*** The end of the rant*** ( Don't push me , you won't like me when I'm angry)
Oh silly me, it's because children like all different types of vehicles and find them interesting. This is true but what do I hear you at the back with the cynical take on life whispering. WHAT! I beg your pardon. The companies behind these programmes would never create all these vehicles so they could then produce toys in their likeness, which they could then sell to parents at high prices. What an idea! Although it does say on the back of The Little Red Tractor DVD " Look out for Little Red Tractor toys from Corgi, available in all good toy stores". What a strange coincidence.
**** An overview ***** ( Your not going to get angry again?)
Anyway enough of that and back to the DVD. Well you get 6 episodes Big Bang, ( behave yourself), Tiger Tiger ( stop sniggering), Making Hay ( tut, tut) and the less suggestive titles garage sale, ladder and windy day. In all the DVD lasts 1hour and 1 minute.
The stories focus on Little Red Tractor and how he helps his owner Stan ( voice by Stephen Tompkinson from BallykissAngel and the fantastic Drop the Dead Donkey) . They often have to help out the pompous Mr Jones who owns Big Blue, a bigger but not necessarily better tractor. The best episode is probably Tiger Tiger in which Scrumpy - a poorly dressed old man - overhears the end of a radio broadcast in which there is mention of a tiger. He then gets Stan and Little Red Tractor to try and hunt down this terrifying beast. The children Amy and Ryan try to tell Stan that the tiger in quesion is a tabby cat but he just won't listen. So in the end they have to take action.
**** Another rant ***** ( Anger management classes needed)
Sadly this programme has tried to be politically correct by including an Afro-Carribean family but they seem to be added to the programme for the sake of it ( they are mechanics and make a brief appearance). Postman Pat has done something similar by including Ajay Baines as a station master. This seems a real waste of an opportunity to give this group a meaningful role or none at all. To include a group of people just for the sake of it seems pointless. It can be done successfully look at the wonderul Trevor ( mixed race) in Fireman Sam. There we have a character who adds to the story and really feels part of the community. A little more thought on this aspect of children's tv would not go amiss.
*** Extras***
Little Red Tractor's extras does not redeem it. It includes an Animals Game and Fix the Vehicle Game. Both sound exciting but in reality are dull. It never ceases to amaze me how poorly these companies use the chance to have interactive resources on their DVDs. They need only look at some of the magnificent resources to be found on the Internet to see the way forward.
*** Edition Details****
Classification: U Release Date: October 25th 2004 Animated Pal Dolby Digital
**** IN Conclusion****
If you have read my other reviews on children's programmes you will see my enthusiasm for them. Despite what some say it can be fun and interesting in watching some television with your children.
The idea behind Little Red Tractor " you don't really have to be the biggest to be the best" is a good one and one we know our children must learn.
However I can't help but feel this is a marketing tool. I have reprinted below a description on Right Entertainments website re: Little Red Tractor
"Little Red Tractor™ UK products includes publishing (Ladybird), plastic and die-cast vehicles, playsets and a remote control Gosling Farm (Corgi Classics), puzzles and games (Ravensburger), greeting cards and wrap (UK Greetings), homewares (Martin Yaffe), nightwear (Cooneen) and apparel (Misirli)."
You see I agree you don't have to be the biggest, you could have the smallest merchandise and still be good but you wouldn't listen, would you Little Red Tractor?
At £12.99, this is not too expensive and my sons have watched it a number of times but even for them its popularity is limited. Little Red Tractor - PLEASE Go. Please!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
My less-than-two-year-old absolutely LOVES little red tractor, as I would imagine most little boys do. Yes, it is the tractors and all the other vehicles that attact him, but that's what the story is all about! I don't really see anything wrong about the merchandise, either. In fact, I don't quite understand the ranting. If your child is not into tractors, just don't buy it. (By the way £12.99 is a rip off price for a DVD as it sells for less than £6.00 on Amazon. Even the double DVD out this week is only £7.49!) In my opinion, the animation of Little Red Tractor is superb and the attention to detail is amazing. I also think that both Bob the Builder and Tractor Tom are inferior compared to Little Red Tractor. I just hope that not many parents will be put off by this review and they'll get a chance to check it out for themselves.
jesi 01.03.2006 18:01
An amazingly wonderful rant! it almost looks as if it is trying to compete with Bob the Builder? only more boring. Same old, Same old - merchandising money spinners. So you buy the replicas at Aldi or Poundland or the market and check that they appear safe (some actually ARE safer than the originals!) I blame Walter (wasn't it Walt Disney in the '30s who discovered the selling power of his Mickey Mouse cartoons for merchandise?). ~ .................................................................................................... ~ ♥ ~ jes ~ ♥♥
belfin 08.02.2006 15:45
My son's the same with the Tractor Tom dvd - he seemed to like it to start with but got bored after a while. Belinda
Meet Little Red Tractor and his owner Stan who live on Gosling Farm in Babblebrook. ... more
Together with their friends including Big Blue, Harvey the Combine Harvester, Sparky the Pick-Up Truck, Nipper the Quad Bike, Mr. Jones, Amy & Ryan, they always hav...
![The Little Red Tractor - Let's Go [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78495442.jpg "The Little Red Tractor - Let's Go [DVD]")
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