TV on DVD: 'Fat Albert' and 'Beetlejuice'

FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KID: The Complete Series

Series Hey hey hey! It's a beautifully packaged box of Bill Cosby's vintage kid-crowd cartoons based on standup routines of his Philly childhood. Street pals Albert, Weird Harold, Dumb Donald and Mushmouth don't just explore the city and sing songs -- they also tackle the social and moral concerns dear to their creator's heart. Cosby's scene-setting live-action intros round out an experience that remains surprisingly rich. Sturdy box holds five season cases from three runs, 1972, 1979 and 1984, totaling 110 episodes.

Extras Cosby charts the show's evolution in "The Story of Fat Albert" documentary (40 minutes), aided by new interviews with series writers, artists and education consultants. Plus a 16-page essay/episode guide.

List price $120 for 15 discs, out Tuesday from Shout.

Also out:

BEETLEJUICE: THE COMPLETE SERIES Tim Burton's hit movie gets animated in the long-awaited ABC/Fox Kids cartoon series (1989-91); $100 for 12 discs, Shout.

THE LONE RANGER: COLLECTOR'S EDITION (Set not available for review.) All 200-plus episodes of the '50s Western classic in a coffee-table book; $200 for 30 discs, Classic Media.

SEE PHOTOSNBC's 11 greatest shows of all time