Nick Jr Favorites Dvd Archive
Preserving the Past: The Ultimate Guide to the Nick Jr. Favorites DVD Archive In the golden era of appointment television (roughly 1998 to 2010), waking up early on a Saturday morning or coming home from preschool meant one thing for millions of children: Nick Jr. With its iconic orange couch, the "Face" host, and the legendary "Moose A. Moose," the block was a safe haven of educational, gentle programming. Before the era of streaming subscription churn, Nickelodeon commodified this nostalgia into a series of direct-to-video compilations known as the Nick Jr. Favorites DVD collection. For collectors and archivists, hunting down the Nick Jr. Favorites DVD archive is the holy grail of early childhood preservation. This article explores the history, the rare volumes, and how to build a complete archive of these beloved discs. What is the "Nick Jr. Favorites" Series? Unlike season sets, which contain every episode of a single show, the Nick Jr. Favorites series was a curated sampler platter. Launched by Paramount Home Entertainment in the early 2000s, these DVDs usually ran 90 to 120 minutes and featured four to eight episodes across three or four different shows. The magic of the series was the theme . Early volumes focused on holidays (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day), while later volumes focused on storybook adaptations or "learning letters." For archivists, the series is notable because it often contained DVD-exclusive content . Many episodes on these discs are edited differently than the streaming versions due to music licensing rights (specifically the original Blue’s Clues soundtrack). The Holy Grail: Most Sought-After Volumes If you are building a physical Nick Jr. Favorites DVD archive , these are the "rares" that often sell for high prices on eBay and thrift resale sites. 1. Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 1 (2004 - The Launch) The one that started it all. The cover features Dora, Blue, and Little Bill on a rainbow background. This disc is essential because it contains the original Blue’s Clues episode "Blue’s Big Treasure Hunt" with the original, unaltered soundtrack. 2. Nick Jr. Favorites: Holiday (2004) This disc is a nightmare for archivists because there are two versions . One contains the Oswald episode "The Snow Festival," while the later reprint replaced it with The Wonder Pets! collectors often pay a premium for the original "Lost Oswald" print. 3. Nick Jr. Favorites: Story Time (2007) This volume is notable for being the only physical release of the extremely rare Go, Diego, Go! episode "The Iguana Sing Along." It also features an exclusive intro by Moose A. Moose that was never aired on TV. 4. Nick Jr. Favorites: Dance Party (2009) As of 2024, this is arguably the rarest standard volume. It features Yo Gabba Gabba! (the "Dance" episode) and Fresh Beat Band . Because those shows have complex music licensing deals, this DVD has never been re-pressed or added to streaming services like Paramount+. Building the Archive: The Complete Checklist To build a true Nick Jr. Favorites DVD archive , you need more than just the numbered volumes. The series expanded into sub-categories. The Numeric Series (Vol. 1 – Vol. 10)
Vol. 1: Blue, Dora, Little Bill Vol. 2: Dora, Blue, Little Bill, The Backyardigans Vol. 3 – Vol. 5: The transition era (adding Wonder Pets, Yo Gabba Gabba) Vol. 6 – Vol. 10: The "golden late era" (adding Team Umizoomi, Bubble Guppies)
The Holiday & Event Archive
Halloween (Featuring "Face" dressed as a pumpkin) Christmas (Featuring the "Blue's Room" puppet special) Springtime Adventures! (Extremely rare; features The Mighty B! cross-over) Mother’s Day / Father’s Day (Two-disc set, often missing the slipcover) nick jr favorites dvd archive
The Learning Collection
Learn to Read with Nick Jr. Let’s Learn Letters Let’s Learn Colors
Why Archive Physical DVDs in a Streaming World? You might wonder, "Why bother hunting down plastic discs from 2006?" Preserving the Past: The Ultimate Guide to the Nick Jr
Licensing Decay: Streaming services drop episodes constantly. For example, The Adventures of Super Why! and Oswald are almost impossible to find legally online. The DVD archive is the only backup. The "Exclusive" Factor: Many of the shorts between episodes (like "Move to the Music" with Moose) exist only on these DVDs and not on any season set. The Commercials: While not on the main feature, many second-hand copies still contain the original Nick Jr. VHS previews from 2004-2007 (e.g., "Coming soon to video: LazyTown: New Superhero! "). Uncut Content: Streaming versions of Blue’s Clues removed the "Mailtime" song due to licensing. The original DVDs are time capsules of the un-cut broadcast.
How to Source and Preserve Your Archive Finding a complete collection is difficult. Nickelodeon produced these in bulk, but they were handled by toddlers. Disc rot, scratches, and lost DVDs are the norm. Sourcing Tips:
Thrift Stores (The Golden Age): Goodwill, Salvation Army, and local library sales often sell these for $0.50-$1.00. Look for the distinctive orange/yellow spine. eBay Lots: Search for "Nick Jr Favorites lot." You will get duplicates, but this is the fastest way to get Volumes 3-7. Decluttr / SecondSpin: These online resellers often misprice rare volumes. Check the "List of Episodes" before buying; the cover art often changed between printings. Moose," the block was a safe haven of
Preservation (The "Archive" Part):
ISO Ripping: To truly archive these, collectors rip the discs to ISO or MKV format using a USB DVD drive. This preserves the menu screens (which often featured interactive "Hide and Seek" with Face). Storage: Keep the discs in a humidity-controlled binder. The cardboard slipcovers degrade quickly; store them separately.
