Aladdin

...you may find this rip-off TV adaptation fun. It's a silly, pointless cash-in, but also quite entertaining.

I can't believe that Scott Weinger actually returned to do the vocals. Oh, never mind, I can.

It's the many adventures of Aladdin! Luckily, the show actually retains much of the spirit of the film (which I rate 5/5), and that's quite refreshing. It's a lot better than some TV show adaptations.

If you liked the movie, give this a go.

If not, then stay away.

Overall rating: 4/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

As many of you know the series was thought of as an adaptation of the movie but this is a continuation of the Return of Jafar. This series was necessary because of the depth and closure to all the characters that many of us don't get with many series. In this see the many obstacles that Aladdin faced trying to show people(especially the Palace Guard Razoul) that he was sultan material, Jasmine showed that she was a more defensive strong character that she was tough enough, and more Aladdins' past more revealed in this series(minus the whole King of Thieves). I know many of us didn't like that there was no Robin Williams but the Disney Company screwed up and it was settled. I gave Dan Castellaneta a fair chance and the result. He was a good recovery and still the Genie was still Genie. His voice was good too so no harm no foul. In all a great series and it really is the best series out there that makes pop culture and history fun to learn.

Howard Ashman R.I.P. (1950-1991)

The show isn't as good as the original and the King of Thieves(which is the best DTV sequel) but much better than the disappointing Return of Jafar. All the characters are well done, with the exception of Aladdin who seemed immature, and also Abis Mal who I never could stand, and generally the animation is good. Dan Castellanetta is funnier than he was in Jafar, and Jasmine seems more mature and vivacious. Most of the story lines are excellent, with great villains like Mozenrath, Ayama Aghoul, Mechanicles and Mirage. My favourite two episodes however were "Heads You Lose" and "Hero with a Thousand Feathers" with great humour, good stories, and the fantastic Tim Curry as Caliph Kapok and Amok Mon Ra. The rest of the episodes showed great promise too especially "Garden of Evil", "The Book of Kartoum" and "Armored and Dangerous". Well worth watching! 8/10 Bethany Cox

This show had semi-good animation for what it was, but that was not what drew me in as a kid. The plot lines and dialogue were witty and action grabbing. The villains were possibly the best on TV at the time. Mozenrath was the greatest! Something I especially enjoyed were the little things thrown in from other movies or TV shows of that same genre. For example, there was an episode about the Blue Rose of Forgetfullness, which is an item from a movie called "The Thief of Bagdad". (By the way, if you watch "Thief of Bagdad", you'll see where Disney got most of their name ideas and character designs for the first Aladdin movie). Even though it's sort of a sad thing to admit, but when I was ten I ran home everyday to see this show. One of the things I liked the most was that every character was included at some point. Even the Sultan had a chance to be a hero every now and again.

When I was in fifth grade, Aladdin was the staple of my childhood. I was hooked on the original movie still and became just as hooked on Return of Jafar. When news came out there was going to be a television series, I could not be more delighted! Not only was I on an Aladdin kick, I also dearly missed the number of Disney Afternoon shows (particularly Darkwing Duck and TaleSpin) which were no longer in production. I needed another Disney AFternoon show to get hooked on, and Aladdin had filled in that void quite nicely.

Although it has been a number of years since I've last seen the show (I will have to dig out my old VHS tapes of taped episodes), fondness and memories remain. It was the sidekicks in my eyes that truly stole the show for me. I became a big fan of Iago's since the maligned sequel came out, and seeing more of him was a treat for me.

My only flaws for the show were some of the original characters I didn't particularly care for and I felt some of the animation was "rushed" looking, but all in all, a terrific show!