Forum:Total Drama Wiki Newsletter/October 2009

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DVD Review
By Wiki-Batman

As TDI fans know, Total Drama Island's first season was released on DVD on August 8th. Well, how does this DVD fair some of you may be asking, well that's what I'm here to tell you. I am saying now that I will not go over the overall story of Total Drama Island, as this review is meant for fans who have already seen the show and don't need an explanation of what happens. So now onto the review.

The first thing to talk about (even though it's a bit minor) is the actual box. All I can say is... it's beautiful. It has all kinds of colors and shows all twenty two campers in front of the main lodge of the camp. In front of them is Chris roasting a marshmallow, this is a great illustration as it illustrates to everyone (including those who haven't seen the show) what the show is about. It illustrates that these twenty two contestants will be competing at this camp and Chris will be hosting. The marshmallow being roasted indicates it will be used for something important.

But now onto the actual DVD itself. This DVD contains twenty seven episodes of Total Drama Island. This actually is a huge surprise considering that Cartoon Network released most of their shows these days in four episode DVD's, which of course costs more and takes up more space. So releasing TDI in one big box set is a great deal and huge advantage this DVD has. Now for the episodes, despite having twenty seven episodes, the special Total Drama, Drama, Drama, Drama Island is not included on this DVD. Instead, the twenty seventh episode that follows after the finale is the TDI Rundown. I actually think this is real sad as including the special would have completed Total Drama Island completely and thus set us up for Total Drama Action. So I feel leaving it out has really left out an important part of TDI. Not only that, but because the TDI Rundown is listed after the finale, there is a chronological error. The rundown mentions that it is taking place before the finale and even ends with a set up to it, but none of this matters due to the fact that it already happened before this episode. Course this could just be considered a bonus and optional episode. I do think maybe they did not include the special because it's considered a movie rather than an actual episode. It is possible that they'll later release the special as a one hour DVD which may be about $9.99, which actually wouldn't be a bad deal.

Now for more information on the episodes. For those of you who were hoping that this DVD would be uncut and contain the original audio from the Canadian version of the show, you'll be sad to learn that the DVD contains the same dialogue shown on Cartoon Network. Despite this, there was a preview clip on Amazon.com that showed footage from the original version that had it's dialogue uncut. However, the DVD is slightly less cut than on T.V. Heather's line of "How does it feel to suck so much" is actually fully restored and Owen's screaming of "Oh, Crap" in the first episode is also restored. However, I can't see any more restored dialogue outside of these two lines.

Now it's time to discuss the extras, which I am sad to say are the weakest part of this DVD. The only extras on this DVD set are cast interviews, but when they mean cast interviews they mean the audition tapes of the animated characters. While I do think these should've been an extra, I really was hoping there would be some auditions from the "real" cast. Stuff like how they made the show, interviews from the director and voice actors, and some other notes about the show. I guess they were thinking kids who bought this DVD wouldn't really care much about this stuff, but still I wish they had it. As for the auditions, it's nice to not have to go to youtube and watch them, but it seems that the auditions for Courtney and Tyler are missing from the auditions. At first I thought it was because they were in the TDI Rundown, but then I noticed Beth's audition is in there even though it's in the rundown. Why it's in there, I don't know.

In conclusion, I would recommend this DVD to anyone who is a huge fan of TDI wants it on DVD. It's lacking in extras and I was really hoping for an uncut version. But if you think about it, this is the ONLY Total Drama Island DVD, not even Canada has a DVD release. America is very lucky to have even this edited version on DVD. And for those who are picky about the audio, they may never release an uncut release and you could lose your one chance at owning the series simply waiting for the uncut version which may never come out. Even with the edits, this series is still pretty good and funny. And the fact that it all comes in one big box set which has one of the most beautiful cover designs I have ever seen, makes it a great big package of fun. So if you really want Total Drama Island on DVD, just buy it and enjoy it. I guarantee that this DVD will not disappoint your thirst for TDI.

I look forward to the release of the hour long special and Total Drama Action.

Episode Review
By Freehugs41

The merger is supposed to be a very pivotal point in a competition, but, surprisingly, this was not the case in “Dial M for Merger.” This episode seemed to lack an edge that made it significant or memorable. There were no real extreme emotions expressed, even with Courtney’s actions towards the other competitors that caused uproar. Her deal with the other six was even discontinued at the end of the episode, which voids that plot line from being of any importance. Other than that and some anticlimactic, predictable Duncan and Courtney interactions, nothing really happened in the episode. It was very plain and basic, which contrasted greatly from the two episodes before it, which were both excellent and tactful.

The problems with this episode range from little reactions from characters to quick and simple resolutions to challenges. There was hardly any complexity to this episode, which is shocking considering the theme. I can easily say that the best part of the episode was the beginning, as it was the most unpredictable. That was the only part that seemed true to the spy genre. The rest of the episode, plot-wise, was disappointing.

The dialogue never stops being entertaining however. And, although this episode wasn't even particularly good in that department, there was still some good lines that helped the episode feel more complete. One character in particular keeps getting better by the episode; Justin has shown that he has a very good amount of potential to be a strong comic relief characters. Adam Reid shows a lot of promise in this series right now, and hopefully Justin will stick around for a good while this season. It's a shame he didn't talk this much last season, because Reid has been bringing a lot of life to this season and will hopefully continue to do so.

Overall, the plot on this episode was weak and anti-climatic, but the writing is still solid. Excellent performances from Adam Reid and Christian Potenza as well. Honorable mention to Emilie Barlow.

Overall, this episode gets a 7/10, with the score being saved by the writing, for the most part.

Halloween Wiki-Fest
By Nalyd Renrut

Boo! Get ready for the Halloween Wiki-Fest! October 26th at around 7:30EST, we will be dressing up and heading over to the Wiki-Fest IRC channel (TDIWF)! Soon, we will open up a forum about it to sign if you are coming! We will be:


 * Trick-or-Treating
 * Art contest
 * Games
 * Watching Hook, Line, and Screamer, and The Sand Witch Project on YouTube
 * More things!

So make sure to come!

Total Drama Action Review
By TDIFan13

Total Drama Action surprised many fans when its first episode aired. The drama was, and still is, quite shocking. However, in my opinion, Total Drama Action has more flaws than it’s made out to be. I’ve noticed many things wrong with it, one including some major character changes. Geoff, a kind and loyal dude, turned into a nonstop make-out machine, and then into a selfish jerk. Gwen’s personality was also killed, when she turned into a “cool loner” to a “dramatic diva.” However, while the characters and their changes were not so bad, the one thing I’ve come to notice about the second season is its tendency to have many goofs in it. An example of this is when Beth claimed that she could not scream due to a faulty tonsillectomy, but she is clearly heard screaming in annoyance in two episodes. Two other faults I have noticed are some of the lousy challenges, and the unrealistic vibe that Total Drama Action has to offer, unlike its first season. And last but not least, I’d like to just quickly mention the failed idea of making Justin an antagonist, as he’s not really doing much at all, and just seems to be a flaky anti-hero. Overall, while I enjoy watching Total Drama Action, it is my opinion that it is clearly not as good as its first season, Total Drama Island.

Total Drama Wiki News and Updates
By Webkinz Mania

September was the month that the First Election started. Bbhinton15, Freehugs41 and Webkinz Mania were the three candidates for president, until Bbhinton15 dropped out. September 25 th was the first day of "Official Voting." It ended on September 30 th. A dramatic tie was broken by TDADJ, who's vote resignation caused the loss of Webkinz Mania. In the end, it was Freehugs41 who became the first Official President for the Total Drama Wiki.

In other news, Total Drama Roleplay caused a buzz when TDIFan13, the creator and inventor of Total Drama Roleplay, had his leadership powers taken away. A dramatic trial was held, and the votes were 7 to 1...TDIFan13 was back in charge of Total Drama Roleplay! The first two episodes were played on Sunday, September 27 th, and the third will be played on Sunday, October 4 th ! Click here for more information on Total Drama Roleplay. For a full recap of the first two episodes, please click here.

Last Newsletter
Due to unpopular demand, this will be the last newsletter. We apologize.