Product Description
Caught on opposite sides of the revolution, Benjamin Franklin s teenage reporters, American colonist James and young Englishwoman Sarah, confront the real, physical dangers of war. As the conflict rages, James and Sarah are compelled to choose between their friendship and their countries, their understanding of good and evil, and the moral dilemmas inherent in war. All the while they try
to look after the mischievous Henri, an immigrant French boy whose comical escapades constantly lead them into trouble, as the three bear witness to the highs and lows of the American Revolution.
Starring news legend Walter Cronkite as Benjamin Franklin and including guest starring roles by award-winning actors and real-life historical figures like Dustin Hoffman, Annette Bening, Michael Douglas, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Billy Crystal, Ben Stiller, Whoopi Goldberg, Liam Neeson and many more, the complete Emmy and Humanitas Award-nominated Liberty s Kids is finally available on DVD in one six-disc collectors set!
Bonus Features:
* A Look Back At Liberty s Kids with the series creators
* Benjamin Franklin s Newsbytes
* Continental Cartoons
* Now & Then
* Mystery Guest Game
* Original Pencil Test
* 40-Page Collectible Booklet with fold out US map.
Amazon.com
History comes alive in this excellent Emmy and Humanitas Award-nominated 40-episode, animated series about the experiences of two young teens during the American Revolution. Far more than a simple chronicle of the battles and major events of the American Revolution, Liberty’s Kids tells the story of the cultural, scientific, political, and social forces that helped shape America’s fight for independence from the perspective of two young teens from very different backgrounds. Sarah is a young English woman living in America who maintains a strong sense of loyalty to England and James is a printer’s apprentice living the American dream, but feeling the constraints of British oppression. Working together on Benjamin Franklin’s newspaper the "Pennsylvania Gazette," Sarah and James often find their interpretations of current events differ markedly and the pair constantly grapples with tough issues like slavery, self-governance, fair representation, and the role of women in battle and politics. The juxtaposition of the two teens’ opposing viewpoints sparks spirited arguments in the series and inspires a fuller understanding of the complexity of the events and issues of the American Revolution for both Franklin’s newspaper audiences and modern viewers. Another strength of the series is that legendary historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, and Abigail Adams come across as real, believable people engaged in a genuine struggle to determine right from wrong and to act in the best interest of their families, community, and country. An amazing cast of voice talent includes Walter Cronkite as Ben Franklin, Dustin Hoffman as Benedict Arnold, Annette Bening as Abigail Adams, Billy Crystal as John Adams, Michael Douglas as Patrick Henry, as well as General Norman Schwarzkopf, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ben Stiller, Whoopi Goldberg, and many others. Bonus features include an interesting look back at the series with creator Kevin O’Donnell and others including executive producers Andy Heyward and Mike Maliani, story editors Doug McIntyre and Jay Abramowitz, and casting director Marsha Goodman. Liberty’s Kids is highly recommended as great entertainment and important educational programming for ages 7 and older. --Tami Horiuchi
Review
If you think an educational cartoon is an oxymoron, this Emmy-nominated series just might change your mind…pound for pound, the 40-episode series does a better job of explaining the creation of the United States to 7-to-12-year-olds than some textbooks --Christian Science Monitor
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : G (General Audience)
- Product Dimensions : 7.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches; 12.48 ounces
- Director : Marsha Goodman;Judith Reilly
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, Box set, Animated, NTSC, Full Screen, Color
- Run time : 15 hours
- Release date : October 14, 2008
- Actors : Jill Anderson (VI), Vincent Lee Alston, Carl Beck, Terry Berner, Robert Berry (VI)
- Studio : Shout! Factory
- Number of discs : 6
