Video Kit Looks Back at TV’s First Interactive Show

Video

Winky Dink and You! Volume 1. Vanguard Kids. $15. 45 minutes. Ages 3 and up. (888) 205-8778.

It was one of a kind: “Winky Dink and You!,” which began airing in 1953 and had a long life in syndication, was the first interactive TV show.

Corny and simplistic as all get-out, it was a huge hit. Kids eagerly mailed in 50 cents for a square of clear, clingy plastic (the “magic screen”), crayons and an erasing cloth.

Children tuned in the show, smoothed the piece of plastic on the screen and waited for their cue to draw as directed in order to help Winky Dink and his dog pal foil the very mildly nefarious schemes of portly villain Harem Scarem.

In this first video release of the show--the video kit includes screen, crayons and cloth--viewers complete a staircase and draw a ship, musical instruments and other simple shapes.

The lines to trace are shown on the screen.

Laughably low-tech as it is, kids can still get a kick out of seeing Winky gliding along in the crayon ship they drew, or Harem Scarem pounding on a crayon drum.

The downside: When kids draw on the plastic, they’re nose to nose with the screen.

And then there’s that brain-sticking little theme song: “Winky Dink and you, Winky Dink and me.... “

Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring. Warner Home Video. 62 minutes. VHS: $15; DVD: $20.

This unfunny hour starring eternal foes Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse in a new adventure involving endless head bashings, body slams and chases won’t afford even nostalgic fans much pleasure.

The plot: Tom must safeguard a wizard’s ring and Jerry gets it stuck on his head and runs away to the city, attracting the attention of other cats, other cartoon characters and humans.

This affords many opportunities for punches, bites, the application of blunt instruments, heavy object-dropping and wreckage in general.

Almost wordless, the cartoon characters express themselves ad nauseam with shrill gasps and screams, eyeballs popping out of sockets and tongues out of mouths.

Only composer J. Eric Schmidt’s music--classical and jazz themes and punctuation--come out a winner.

Audio

Beethoven’s Wig: Sing Along Symphonies. Rounder Records. CD: $13. Ages 7 to 12. (800) ROUNDER; www.rounder.com

“Here’s a short Beethoven piano piece/He wrote this piece just for Elise/It’s all about a fellow named Maurice/Who came from Greece with a valise.... “

Oh, my. Purists beware: Classical cutup Richard Perlmutter has taken an irreverent, witty approach to music appreciation, adding lyrics to certain works by famous composers to come up with a laugh-out-loud album that pretty much guarantees listeners will forevermore recognize them.

Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” is a tale of theft and retribution, as Maurice purloins the piece from Elise, and the Fifth Symphony occasions a wide-eyed rumination on the composer’s “gigantic and titanic” wig. Haydn’s “Surprise” Symphony hilariously points out the surprise (“Did that outburst startle you?/Well, that’s what it was meant to do”).

Perlmutter, who also sings the lead vocals, isn’t being silly for silliness’ sake.

In this lively, carefully constructed introduction to classical music, the pieces are beautifully performed by legitimate orchestras and ensembles, with each selection repeated as instrumental tracks; the CD book includes serious trivia questions and a thoughtful list of related activities.

Ralph’s World: At the Bottom of the Sea. Mini Fresh. Ages 3 to 8. CD: $13. www.minifresh.com

An effortless mix of various musical styles, standout instrumental performances and Ralph Covert’s versatile vocals, this stellar mix of imagination and humor is Covert’s terrific, family-friendly follow-up to his highly praised debut album, “Ralph’s World.”

From the bluesy “Clean My Room” and the title tune (“where the dog-fish woof, glub; and the catfish meow, blub”) to a dead-on, “Beach Boys”-style “Surfin’ in My Imagination” and the vivid and unexpectedly touching “Harry’s Halloween Circus,” (“Have you seen the ghosts of circus past reach out from haunted circus tents? So tragic”), Covert offers listeners--parents too--a treat for the ears.