Care Bears On DVD

 

Care Bears wasn't a cartoon that I used to watch as a kid, and truth be told, even though I own several DVD's, the only one I've actually watched to date is the Christmas special, Care Bears Nutcracker Suite. As I prepared myself for finally diving in, I found myself first and foremost facing a problem. With seven DVD's, what order was I supposed to watch them?

Well, of course, today's post is intended to answer just that question, so let's dive right in.

The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings

Prior to getting its own cartoon series, Care Bears got two specials. The first being, The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings. This aired in April of 1983, and was the length of your average cartoon episode.

The special was released on VHS shortly after its broadcast, and this is unfortunately the only way that you can get the original cut. While a limited DVD release was seen in 2007, this edit of the special is actually the syndicated version, which aired as a re-run along with the original DIC series.

The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine

April 1984 saw the release of the second Care Bears special, The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine.

Much like the above special, the original broadcast version of the short was released on VHS shortly after it aired. Also like the above, while it was released on DVD in 2007, this is the edited version of the special.

In addition to purchasing this on DVD as its own disc, the short was included on the 2007 run of DVD pressings for the first theatrical Care Bears Movie. More on that below.

Care Bears DIC Series

Due to the popularity (and awards) of the above two specials, Care Bears got its own cartoon series released by DIC between September and December of 1985. While fans of the show have long debated which series is superior between DIC and Nelvana (more on that below), I can't personally wade into the argument...yet.

I can say, that in reading the arguments, those who favor the DIC version do so because the episodes are more so themed around plots that involve the Care Bears caring. This is what these fans state was supposed to be the main premise to being with.

There were eleven episodes in total, and each one contained two segments. All of these were released on DVD by Mill Creek in 2015. However, the cover is a bit misleading. It advertises that it contains twenty-two episodes, but this is only all eleven episodes with all twenty-two segments.

Care Bears The Movie

Nelvana acquired the rights to Care Bears, and in conjunction with American Greetings developed and produced the first full length feature film. This was released in theaters across Canada and the United States in March of 1985.

Calendar wise, it came out prior to the DIC series noted above. Chronological order, fans place the events of the film occurring after the first series.

The film was released on DVD by MGM in 2007, and as stated previously, the disc contains the second special, The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine. The film got re-released again, but these later pressings don't include the special. You can tell the difference between the two by the covers, with the larger image shown being the 2007 release with the special, and the smaller being the version that removes it.

Care Bears Family

The second series iteration of Care Bears was released by Nelvana, running for three seasons which contained forty-nine episodes, seventy if you break it down by segments.

Re-stating that I haven't seen these episodes, and once again looking to the fans, the general consensus I've found from those who favor this iteration is because it fleshed out the different Care Bears and their personalities. Being someone who favors good character building, I can definitely see myself advocating for this iteration. But, time will tell.

Mill Creek also released this iteration on DVD, but surprisingly enough, it was prior to the first series, coming out in 2012. What was interesting to find out is that the Care Bears Nutcracker Suite is actually pulled from the last three episodes of season three.

Care Bears The Movie II: A New Generation

Much like the first film, calendar versus chronological order comes into play with the second full length feature film. The movie was released in March of 1986, a full six months prior to Nelvana's syndicated show airing. However, as you can probably tell from this post, its chronological order falls after the series.

Columbia TriStar released the film on DVD in 2003, and of all the Care Bears related media appears to be one of the more common, and easier to obtain. It's also relatively cheap as a result of this.

The Care Bears Adventure In Wonderland

A third full length feature film was released in theaters in August of 1987, and if you couldn't guess by the title, was a take on Lewis Carroll's Alice stories.

This is where things get a bit disappointing for USA, or region one fans. The movie doesn't appear to have received a release in this region, and as such is technically unavailable. That's not to say you can't get the film. You just have to have a region four (Australia) DVD player, or settle for an original VHS or laserdisc format, which was released in the United States.

The Care Bears Nutcracker Suite

Obviously, this final DVD release isn't necessary if you buy the above complete series from Nelvana. But, if you absolutely need another Care Bears DVD on your shelf, this is definitely the most easiest and cheapest to find, second only to the sequel film. It essentially takes all three episodes, and edits them into a contiguous story.

And there you have it. This is the order you're going to watch your Care Bears on DVD. The majority of these can be easily found for as little as five to ten dollars (used). The original DIC series runs you closer to fifteen (new). However, the Nelvana series released in 2022 is not going to be as easy to swoop up. Of all the releases, it is the rarer of the bunch, and can run you as much as sixty dollars to get. Mind you, that's usually in a used condition.

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