Dora the Explorer: Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure/Dora's Christmas [2 Discs] (DVD) (Eng)

Debuting August 14, 2000, on the Nickelodeon cable service, the half-hour animated series Dora the Explorer was created in answer to an industry demand for more ethnically diverse children's entertainment. Available in both English- and Spanish-language versions, the series featured a seven-year-old Latino girl named Dora, who lived in a village with her pet monkey, Boots, her talking map, and her anthropomorphic backpack. In each episode, Dora and her compadres would embark upon an exciting adventure somewhere in Central or South America. Utilizing the interactive "Play to Learn" format that had previously done service on Blue's Clues, Dora would invite the kids at home to participate in her journeys, encouraging them to properly identify the landmarks charted by the map, then asking them to help her choose her next course of action. These choices were taken from three small pictures that popped up on the TV screen in the manner of a computer window, with the correct choice designated by a tiny arrow. After an appropriate pause, Dora would congratulate the viewer on making the right choice and then proceed on her way. One month after its Nickelodeon bow, Dora the Explorer was added to the CBS Saturday-morning "Nick Jr. on CBS" lineup, and was later seen on the related Noggin digital-cable service. In addition, the series spawned a wealth of video games, toys, dolls, action figures, costumes, and even a live touring stage version. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi