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KATHY SMITH: LIFT WEIGHTS TO LOSE WEIGHT
Sony Music Video
60 minutes, 14.98
Smith's congenial style and fresh approach to new fitness trends translate beautifully to this first tape in her new "TimeSavers" workout series from new label Sony Music Video. Designed to present quick and effective workouts using weights, the tape contains two complete 20-minute classes that work the upper and lower body, respectively, and can be completed together or separately, depending on time constraints. Each segment also contains two different intensity "tracks." Viewers can select which track to use depending on their fitness level. Smith follows the "lighter" path throughout. What makes this tape a standout is its easy-going accessibility. Smith provides detailed explanations for each move and truly makes at-home exercisers feel comfortable regardless of their fitness level. Companion TimeSaver "Cardio Fat Burning" follows a similar format and is equally excellent.

THE DAILY BURN: KICK, DANCE & FIRM
Sony Music Video
55 minutes, $12.98
This latest MTV workout program to get a video release is an ultra-revved-up romp that is expressly geared toward those who like their exercise intense and their music loud. From their makeshift studio on a sunny boardwalk, Michael Bergin of "Baywatch" and Fitness America champ Tsianina Joelson lead a gaggle of beautiful beachgoers through a light-impact aerobic routine that combines freestyle dance and kickboxing moves. Keeping the beat is New York's DJ Skribble, who gets his exercise spinning and scratching his way through a blood-pumping musical selection. The routine includes a 12-minute warm-up, a 22-minute routine, a six-minute cool-down, and a bonus 15-minute tai chi session. Although it was created as a daily workout, it can be effective if followed in smaller doses as well.

GOING PLACES: THE BLOODIEST FIELD
MPI Home Video
50 minutes, $12.98
For some American history buffs, walking on the famed battlefields from years past provides a personal connection with U.S. history. For others, just visiting is not enough. At the Hagerstown, Md., site of the great Civil War battle of Antietam, each year thousands of people gather to re-enact the battle, in which more U.S. soldiers died than in any other before or since. The war and the battle are peripherally addressed in this tape, but its real heart and soul are those who do the re-enacting and make the event such a success. The stories of these men and women, who represent as broad a socioeconomic spectrum as the soldiers who participated in the original battle, are dedicated to their passion and provide viewers with a fascinating armchair experience without the muddy clothes or the sore feet. The six-volume "Going Places" cultural series, which airs on selected public television stations, also includes visits to South Africa, Miami, Ireland, San Francisco, and the world's most renowned volcanoes and rain forests.

THE ADVENTURES OF PUMPKIN PETE
Pumpkinhouse Productions
30 minutes, $14.95
Storytelling, live-action sequences, puppetry, and drawings come together in this sugary-sweet video that contains some of the most colorful backdrops around. A matronly, British-nanny type opens her oversized storybook to tell the tales of the residents of Vegeville, which is also the name of the central character. Other characters include his friends Broccoli Bill, Spinach Sue, Mushroom Mae, etc. The stories clock in at less than 10 minutes and are filled with rhymes that "come to life." The episodes are fun to be sure, but they also contain important lessons for kids. In one story Pete learns the importance of eating healthy foods; in another, he understands why it is important to wear a helmet when riding his bike. Contact: 800-841-8993.

BUG CITY: REALLY GROSS BUG STUFF
Schlessinger Media
30 minutes, $12.95
You can't say the title didn't warn you. If scenes of a wasp infesting a caterpillar with its eggs, maggots devouring a dead calf, or a Venus' flytrap making lunch out of a passer-by are up your alley, this is the tape to buy. Actually, as gross as these occurrences may seem, all tapes in the "Bug City" series are aimed at elementary-school-age children and are presented in an educational framework through which viewers can learn all about different aspects of the insect kingdom. Hosted by actress Christina Ricci, an entomologist, and a wise-cracking puppet called Bugsy Seagull, the program does have its hands-over-the-eyes moments, but it is also clever and, at times, even humorous. Also new from Schlessinger are "Amazing Insect Warriors" and "Incredible Insects," which also could benefit from the march to the big screen of DreamWorks' animated "Antz." Contact: 610-645-4000.

CABBAGE PATCH KIDS: THE SING-ALONG
BMG Video
30 minutes, $12.98
The Cabbage Patch doll craze may be on the wane, but the videos starring the yarn-haired moppets brimming over with personality continue to provide refreshing fun. This patchwork of music videos culled from the previous two Cabbage Patch videos, "The Screen Test" and "The Clubhouse," plus a sneak peek at the upcoming "Saturday Night," proves memorable for both kids who have seen the first duo of tapes and newcomers to the Cabbage Patch video franchise. Some of the nine songs are sweet and sentimental, while others are downright rollicking. Each are framed by a scene that sets the mood, and the words to each appear onscreen so viewers can sing along if they choose.