I used to watch Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids when I was young. It was a fun and colorful cartoon with a bunch of goofy characters who sang songs and told jokes. What kid wouldn't want to watch it?

Now, of course, I'm older, and realize that the animation wasn't very good. Or the writing, to be honest. Or the production. That's not to knock it, though, because even though it's not technically perfect, it is great in its flaws.

With age, I have also realized that this was a very smart cartoon. Extremely smart, in fact. Way ahead of its time.

The DVD I got in the mail for review (UrbanWorks Entertainment) has five episodes on it. And in those five short episodes, they teach the audience little life lessons about creativity, stealing, smoking, divorce, and racism. Whoa! That's a lot for a little kid to take in. Hell, that's a lot for a twenty-something grown man to take in! (Okay, so I'm not really a "grown man". Shut up!)

Fact is, on a socially conscious level, Fat Albert and the gang dip into some pretty taboo subjects. But they do it surrounded by slapstick and puns. Of course, it's mostly bad slapstick and puns, but you get the idea.

If the social messages and music aren't enough to get you interested, the DVD also features two Brown Hornet episodes! Bonus round! (Also, pay attention to the music in the show. Aside from it being great Seventies-era funk/jazz, there are some clips in there that have been sampled in other places. When Vinnie and I watched it, we picked out a clip Kid Koala had used.)

Bill Cosby (whom I have always been convinced is a comedic genius) really did something groundbreaking with this cartoon, and it's nice to know that someone paid enough attention to it to collect it on DVD. You can purchase the DVDs individually or in a giant four-disc collection. Fat Albert's Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection will be released in mid-December. So pick up the real deal and avoid that horrible movie they're releasing on Christmas Day.