Some people are familiar with the Teletubbies by reputation, others by repetition. The latter group will know that a "funny day" means the lovable British imports are in for splattering Tubby custard and flying Tubby toast, all of which is left to everyone's favorite wet-dry vacuum, the Noo-noo, to tidy up. In fact, the theme of this video, the fifth in the series, is messes (parents might cringe at the two live sequences, especially one involving hand-foot-body painting). The Teletubbies have taken more than their share of criticism for their otherworldly appearance, their simplistic actions and language, and their mind-numbing repetition. There is, however, no question that children adore these creatures and interact with and learn from them. Teletubbies might even be the first television program your child responds to. Unlike some children's TV available on video, each Teletubbies video is not merely two half-hour episodes tossed onto a videotape, but a one-hour unified whole. (Also, the live sequences are not repeated, which will make parents very grateful.) As a result, the videos have a different feel from the episodes, but the drawback is that it's harder to convince a child that a half-hour of TV really is enough when Laa-Laa hasn't yet said bye-bye. Funny Day also offers unusually close camera shots--want to see what Tubby custard really looks like?--and just wait till you see the Noo-noo tidy up the beds. Clever Noo-noo! --David Horiuchi