(S01E01) After all of the controversy, CBS aired its premiere episode of Kid Nation tonight. Much ado about nothing, I say! Not that the show is nothing. I found it interesting and refreshing from so many of the other shows on the air these days. Well, at least the shows in the reality genre.After all the brouhahas about child labor, child abuse, crying children ... well, to me, this didn't quite live up to all the controversy surrounding it. Instead I found it to be the kind of show both children and adults can watch together. Although it's touted as "40 children, 40 days, no adults" -- the kids themselves say there were more adults than children on site. Perhaps that doesn't speak much for the "reality" aspect, but the safety issues seem well-covered.
Jonathan Karsh, the adult host of the show, is probably the only adult we'll see during the series. However, they seem to have a full staff of medics, psychologists, production folks, and more working in the background. So, it's not like the kids were tossed in the desert to die or anything. Jonathan came across a bit Jeff Probst-ish to me. Right now I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.
After most of the kids arrived in the middle of Nowhere, New Mexico, in a school bus, Jonathan introduced four children as council leaders. Those leaders got to arrive there in a nifty helicopter. Now, I'd want to go by helicopter and be special, too! The chosen leaders didn't represent either end of the age scale of the kids on the show. That range is from 8 to 15 years old. Instead, they were a bit of a happy medium -- two boys and two girls ages 10 to 12. Age ain't nuthin' but a number anyway, right? I don't think a few of the older kids were too thrilled about the choices.
Jonathan took the council leaders aside and told them about a special book in the town which would help them lead more effectively. He also told them that at the end of each tribal council ... er, town meeting ... they would be responsible for choosing which child receives a gold star worth $20,000. The award should go to the child who worked the hardest.
The hard work began as the children had to haul their wagons and supplies a few miles to Bonanza City, the town where they're to build a new and better society. Right off the bat one of the older kids, Greg (15) accused Mike (11), one of the council members, of not working and just supervising. Another child fell with a muscle cramp, and all struggled their way along. The muscle cramp kid was helped by the others and rode the rest of the way to town. All in all, great work, but they had little choice -- they had to get to their town.
Once in town, things predictably turned into chaos. The leadership didn't really take control, none of the children realized that roughing it meant uncomfortable lodgings or that pasta needs to be added to boiling water, not cold water. One girl, Sophia, threw out the pasta which the others had loaded in a pot of room temperature water. She started taking over kitchen tasks and the kids got fed. Not happily fed, but fed nonetheless.
I thought that one of the council leaders, Laurel (12), seemed beyond her years in her leadership and compassion for others. In the image above, she's consoling young Jimmy as homesickness hits him hard. After all, he's one of the youngest children there, so it's not all that surprising. I think I cried like that my first time at summer camp.
Jimmy was far from the only homesick camper on this trip. One of the council leaders, Taylor (10) had a rough few days and was also considering going home. You see, the kids don't get voted off of this show. But, if they want to leave, all they need do is say so at the town meetings which are held every three days.
Another council leader had his own issues outside of being homesick. "I'm trying to be a leader here," cried Mike (11). Heck, Mike, most bosses have had the same problem -- no respect, problems handling being the authority. Work on it, kid!
The second day was an improvement over the chaos. The council kids found the book which actually contained "ideas" on how to run the town. No adult involvement, eh? The book directed them to create four districts -- blue, yellow, red, and green. Each council leader chose their own district members trying to match up friends and keep enemies apart. (Yes, already there had been a few clashes.) As a result, the teams were lopsided age-wise. Most of the older kids were on the blue team, the youngest on the yellow.
I'm not sure what a good idea it was to keep two of the older boys together -- Blaine and Greg. While Greg showed compassion at times, put them together and they get a bit wild. Sure enough, they ran around town creating "blue" graffiti in honor of their team. The younger kids made sarcastic remarks about their maturity.
Then, in this world with no adult involvement, Jonathan introduced a job board. The town would have stores, but the kids need to earn their money. Like the teams, the labor division was in four groups. Laborers earn ten cents a day, cooks earn a quarter, merchants earn fifty cents, and the upper class (who doesn't have to work) get paid a dollar a day.
How would the jobs be decided? A fistfight? Nope! It was a challenge or, in keeping with the pioneer theme of the show, it was a showdown. Back to back they faced each other. Er, no. Each team had to haul a wooden pump apparatus around to pipes. When they found one with their color, they had to fill up bottles. First team done with the bottles and hauling their pump across the finish line becomes upper class and so on down the line. Jonathan promised a special prize for the whole town if they finished the showdown in under an hour.
Mike got to prove his mettle as a leader of the red team as he almost singlehandedly brought them to the finish line in first place. The older group, the blue team, came in second. The youngest group, yellow, arrived third and the final place -- the laborers -- went to the green team led by Laurel.
Since the teams finished within the hour, they had their choice of prizes. They could have seven outhouses or a television. Now, there are forty kids and only one nasty outhouse, so you know that common sense would dictate the outhouses. But some kids were all excited about the television. But others thought if they had television, kids would goof off and not do their work. It's a kerfuffle! Maybe not. It only took the council members a few minutes to go for the outhouses and the other kids seemed happy with the choice.
When it came time for the town council, Sophia, who didn't know it but was the favorite for receiving the gold star, almost blew her chances as she accused the council members of not doing their jobs. After all, Sophia is the kitchen queen and she didn't think Taylor's team cleaned up well. Gosh darn it, that's a big part of the job!
But before the town meeting announced the gold star, Jonathan asked if anyone wanted to go home. Taylor decided she would stay and things had improved. But it was all too much for young Jimmy. Although all of the other kids were supportive, he asked to go home. He didn't cry although he looked like he wanted to ... he went home without anyone disrespecting his opinion. I thought it was handled very well.
When the gold star trophy was announced, Sophia looked like she could have crawled under her chair. But the town council stayed with their decision that she was the hardest worker. She apologized to them for being bossy and said she would be more understanding. She was in disbelief when Jonathan told her it was worth $20,000. I couldn't help but be thrilled for her as I watched her excitement.
The gold star given away each week might provide incentive for Greg to clean up his act. I know he can be good with the others, but he has to fight the feeling that he can bully others or doesn't need to listen to the council members just because they're younger.
There's no way I'll be able to memorize all of these kids, no way. But the council members and a few others were spotlighted through the show. I'm very impressed by 14-year-old Michael. He was their second choice for the star this week. Laurel and Taylor seem to adapt well, each in their own ways. The kid Jared is a walking one-liner comedy show.
I enjoyed this show and will be watching and writing about it next week. How about you?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-20-2007 @ 12:32AM
stummies said...
I thought that the show was terrible.
I was really looking forward to it, but I found it to be very disappointing. There was just too much intervention. The leaders were first told that they should make four different districts. Then, too make in worse, the each district was placed in a different class.
What happened to the "ideals" of children? I didn't know that young children were so inherently capitalistic, and such advocates of a polarized class system. One class cleans the toilets for 10 cents per day, while the "upper class" does nothing for $1 per day. That sounds a little too close to realism to seem idealistic or innocent, which is what I had thought the show was striving for. I guess I was wrong.
Then, during the challenge, I felt like I was 7 years old again and watching Wild and Crazy Kids on Nickelodeon.
Also, I thought Michael deserved the gold star. He inspired and motivated the kids when they needed it the most. Sophia was just bossy and critical, not such much in a productive way as an "I can do it better way."
Just my thoughts. I probably won't be tuning in next week, but we'll see.
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9-20-2007 @ 12:40AM
Grant said...
I wasn’t sure about this until tonight, this just might be a learning experience us all. I will be watching for sure. I think all the critics should watch too , it might just shut them up.
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9-20-2007 @ 12:52AM
Joseph Land said...
I had no real intentions of watching tis show but I found myself with nothing else interesting on so I tuned in for the last 2/3rds and was actually pleasantly surprised. Not perfect, but it was fun to watch. I'll give it a shot next week for sure.
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9-20-2007 @ 1:55AM
Jennifer S-R said...
While I did think it was obvious that some situations were scripted to some degree, overall I enjoyed the show, developed a fondness for several of the kids, including Sophia, who showed great leadership by taking over in the kitchen and getting things done, and Laurel, who showed great compassion and loved and counseled all the home sick kids. I will continue to watch the show to see how things work out! It would have been interesting to see how these 40 kids made their way without so many adults apparently on-site behind the scenes, and so much planned out for them, but then you have to consider how that situation would be harder to ensure complete safety, which is more important ultimately. Even with so much being layed out for them, it is still interesting to me just to see all the different personalities, perspectives, and the way these kids interact with each other and react to the situations. I think it is worth watching!
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9-20-2007 @ 2:01AM
kqwerty said...
I thought the show was great. It shows what kids, can accomplish. And sure there might be some flaws, like the Laborer and the upper class. But that is what life is, there are those in the Laborer, and those that are in the upper. And it might not be the kid's ideas. But the kids still need to do all the work, and cooking, and cleaning. It teaches them some self respect, and that hard work pays off. I think some of the comments, that the kids said were fantastic, and that some of their points, and views should be heard over many adults. Great job on Kid Nation CBS. I have my DVR set and ready for the next one. My daughter and I are looking forward to it.
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9-20-2007 @ 2:21AM
jp said...
i thought it was brutal. it felt rehearsed, like someone was feeding them lines. it was like survivor, but with more crying (and more mature behaviour!). next.
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9-20-2007 @ 2:37AM
Walt said...
I love the concept of Child Labor being reinforced by the discrepancy in wages between the slave class and the noblesse oblige class. I figure that's pretty much how Nike (allegedly) gets their shoes made. So, the show is a life lesson!
I have to admit I didn't watch the entire show, though. When I saw the choice for the "reward" between extra toilets and a television set, I knew how low the show's producers were ready to sink.
I'm sure next week they get to choose between beds and visit from their mothers.
I had picked K-Ville as the first show to be axed, but now that I've seen 35 minutes
of Kid Porn, er Kid Exploi-Nation
I'm rethinking my vote.
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9-20-2007 @ 8:52AM
B said...
KN is no more contrived or scripted than Survivor or Big Brother, which reached a new low this season. I was relieved that there is as much adult interaction as there is, even if the show is edited to not show it.
I watched tonight and found KN sweet and funny. Many of the kids featured are more courageous, smarter, and more articulate than any hundred adult reality show contestants. I may see something in future episodes that will change my mind, but I'll watch next week.
And I'm glad Jimmy went home. He was right. Eight really is too little to be on this show.
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9-20-2007 @ 9:18AM
Steve said...
Pretty entertaining.
It seems more like a Summer show then something for the network to rely on as a Fall show.
making kids cry on national television is great for ratings.
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9-20-2007 @ 10:12AM
KD said...
I actually thought it was pretty good. I thought it was surprisingly sweet and I was impressed at the maturity and motivation of some of the kids. Maybe I've got rose-colored glasses on, but I'll watch again next week.
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9-20-2007 @ 11:40AM
h8rain said...
I was disappointed. Definitely more adult intervention that I initially thought there would be. I may give it another episode or two, but if it doesn't turn around, I'll stop watching.
Side note: Where did you get those screen shots! They look like you ripped them from a bad cam bootleg of the show! :)
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9-20-2007 @ 1:06PM
julie said...
Great article Jackie. I watched the show just out of curiosity and am completely hooked. I have two grown children, but find the show completely heartwarming and fascinating. I couldn't believe it when tears rolled down my cheek when Sophie was talking to her mom. I was completely surprised by how smart, articulate, compassionate and ambitious these kids were. I think all adults should take a look at what this younger generation has to offer if we just give them a chance. I am glad you are blogging this show.
Caligirl
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9-20-2007 @ 7:55PM
l said...
I also wanted to address comment #7 in regards to calling the show kid porn. Such a statement is absolutely wrong and doesn't belong here. Child pornography is a very serious issue and a crime, this is not something to joke about or label incorrectly. I agree the show was scripted as it had to be or it would have been just chaos. The kids needed some direction, help and indirect supervision. They also had a weekly TV show to produce. I am sure the parents who signed waivers all knew what they were getting into. Let's just watch and learn what we can from the kids and how they think.
Caligirl
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9-20-2007 @ 1:51PM
Jake Geiser said...
Its not extremely bad, but not extremely good either...
I still dont see what all the fuss is about...
Its like a large summer camp, only instead of having camp consolers, and all the theatrics that go along with an actual summer camp, they are putting kids in charge. I see nothing wrong with that... yet...
The smoking gun that started all the fuss must be down the road, because thus far, I have no ethical wrongs about it.
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9-20-2007 @ 2:52PM
sitruc said...
It was a cute little show.
@julie or Caligirl - porn does not have to be sexual. I think Walt was just saying the children were being exploited in a lewd manner.
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9-20-2007 @ 4:16PM
Jeremy said...
I too, found it refreshing and quite interesting...I really don't even get what all the hype was about!?
I think a lot of us adults could even learn a thing or two from these kids...I'm "in" next week, for sure!!!
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9-20-2007 @ 4:41PM
Lucy LeBlanc said...
Good recap Jackie.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed Kid Nation. Of course it is going to have plenty of adult (producers) intervention, that's how most reality shows are. In Big Brother the houseguests do what BB says (most times). In Survivor the castaways are not marooned somewhere without having Jeff pop in and add his instructions to the mix. If one chooses to watch reality TV one should expect to see plenty of activity that is producer driven - if one does not enjoy such "tampering," choose not to watch.
As for the kids of Kids Nation I thought they werea great mix. Looking forward to seeing how this will all play out.
My favorite line of night came from Jared (love him) - "That's got to be bad for the colon."
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9-20-2007 @ 4:52PM
deleevegas said...
Jury still out on this show...I did not know there were electric lights in 1855. I feel the children should be dressed from that era also. Hope CBS does not allow a romance...these kids too young. Hope it does not go the way of Pirate Master, but since the show is in the can, guess it does not matter.
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9-20-2007 @ 4:54PM
meb said...
Jackie... Your article is really a replay of the show and I will think of coming here to see what's happening if I should miss an episode.
I actually enjoyed it and that was a surprise. I'm glad the kids can opt to go home if it gets too much for them. Little Jimmy was precious and I'm happy for him that he was able to go home without being criticized for it. So cute as he ran out from the "town meeting" when he was given permission.
I'll be coming back to see how it goes. Look forward to your additional recaps. Thanks.
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9-20-2007 @ 5:12PM
sandie said...
I thought this was a really great show! Kids are so often overlooked in this society. They have ideas and opinions that I think should be heard.
I won't miss an episode of this show!
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