TVSquad

This show was a sucess in my book. My kids looked forward to watching it each week. They even watched the same episode a few times. It made parents realize what children are up against with getting along with their peers and also what they are capable of accomplishing. I thought that this was very educational and brought up issues that the kids and I could discuss. There needs to be another season of the show. I know that my daughter would pack her bags in a minute to go.

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I ended up liking Kid Nation. If it does come back I hope there is less adult intervention. Let's see what happens when they don't have as much guidance.

I thought it was great what Morgan's father said about Greg. Sometimes these kids really didn't seem like kids. If they didn't keep showing their ages on screen, I'd forget that Zack is only 10.

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This is the only reality show I have ever watched more than a single episode of. That is because of the kids. The only thing that made me initially interested was the controversy, but the kids kept me coming back. Even with the machinations of the producers and the horrible ideas that the kids had to work through suggested by the Journal, the honest effort by most of them to try to make Bonanza a success was actually fairly entertaining.

Hopefully it will come back, with less adult supervision, as the kids seemed to be doing fine whenever they got away from the situation that the adults put in motion. (I mirrored the groan of the kids whenever the Council had to explain the latest Journal entry to the town)

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I just wanted to comment on you saying that DK was too sensitive and needed to toughen up. As a black person, I am offended by that comment for the simple fact that if more black men were raised to know it was okay to have feelings, there would be fewer of them in prison for crimes stemming from not caring what happened to others.

DK actually CARES about other people and the world around him and for that he's subtly called a punk. If he'd been on the show talking street slang, rapping, and acting like a mini-thug you'd have something negative to say about that too. Black men really can't win for losing.

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What did I come away from this episode wondering...who was Migle? Of course the show can't cover all 40 kids and I doubt many of them were interesting enough for any camera time, but wow. Was this her first episode? Was she really there the entire time? I won't be disappointed if this show doesn't come back. The show could use some changes. There is too much direction. I hate it when "reality" shows are heavily edited and seem as fake as they are as a result. It felt like a Saturday morning NBC show more than a prime time show at times. Also, it seemed like Karsh was angry when the kids were doing their challenge and he wanted them to hurry up and finish in time. That was a little strange and awkward. Did he have somewhere to go? What was with the kid unable to walk because of his tendons?

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Wasn it the same kid (DK) who could'nt walk in the first episode too? or was that someone else, does anybody remember

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Mike and Anjay both should have won a gold star at some point during the show.. My favorite kid on the show was Laurel , she was the most well rounded kid and was always happy and up beat..

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I agree with the comment about seeing a kid and wondering where they have been the whole time. I didn't notice Migle until last week. Did anyone catch the name of the girl Zach was splattering with tomato sauce? She didn't seem familiar to me either.

I think even with the limited adult supervision we got plenty of real kid moments. The scene where the yellow girls didn't want the other girl to stay the last night, that is definitely something that would happen as a kid.

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Looking back over the entire run of the show one thing really struck me, the children were portrayed largely in sterotypical gender roles. For example, there is no question Sophia was constantly cleaning and cooking and trying to keep order, but where is the girl that has sheer brute strenght of someone like Greg? Where was the boy acting as a peace maker when there was a scuffle between other children? That is definitely one thing I would change next time out.

I think that with the current writer's strike a second run is almost invenitable at this point. Other than finding participants to break the gender sterotyping my other changes would be that if the journal is needed to keep some structure force the council to make a choice -- what is more important to your town education or religion? Running water vs microwaves, etc. The choices presented as rewards after the showdowns were far too easy to make.

The council should be restricted to equal represenation between the genders. Perhaps a boy and a girl from each district? Not totally sure how to make that work unless districts were split on gender.

And speaking of the makeup of districts, at the half way point the current council should be forced to change things up. They would pick a new district that is equal between genders and equal in representation from the original distrcits. So each district would then be 2 yellow, 2 red, 2 blue and 2 green plus the council member. The remaining extra kids could then be put in any district.

My final comment goes to Taylor and what a truly awful person she is, it was the last day there and it was completely unnecessary to be intentionally exlcuding Savahan from the clique. I am please to see the Migel stepped in the calm things down. For that alone she deserved the gold star.

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Migle was first featured last week, and they had several of the kids, including Migle in one of her interviews, that she had changed the most of all the kids. She was lazy when she first got there (she said that about herself). The other kids, starting last week, were referencing how much she had changed and started working and helping the other kids. I thought they were setting her up for a regular star, but when she didn't get that, it was pretty clear she was going to get one of the big ones.

As for the big star winners, Sophia was an obvious choice since she was the rock of the whole town (and had won over their respect too with her leadership as sheriff). Migle, if she did improve the most as we were told by the kids, was also a legitimate winner, since personal improvement is supposed to be part of the reason for doing a show like this. The one that surprised me was Morgan. She's always been there, but mainly in the background since she won her gold star. I do remember the rules being that two of the three had to go to previous gold-star winners, while the third could go to anyone. Since four of the gold star winners were on the council, it really did limit their options.

What impressed me the most was that the all older boy council picked three girls. That tells me that they really were picking based on some criteria, not on who they liked the most. but then again, it was three older boys picking three older girls, so maybe it's not that surprising.

Mike did deserve something, heck if nothing else, he should get paid by the producers for being the real host -- he definitely had the most screen time and commentary.

if there is another season, it will be interesting to see if people angle to NOT be on the council at the end, since it would be awkward for the council to reward themselves with the big prize.

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Is it me or is DK always trying to be the center of attention? He was going to leave and got upset and was talked into staying and then received a gold star. Last night, he cried about give a gold star? Then he couldn't walk and the whole town almost lost the gold stars. Give me a break! (this has nothing to do with black or white either).

Also Jonathan Karsh TALK ANY LOUDER?? He screams even at the council meetings.

Even though most of the new council had already received gold stars, I think it would suck to be on the council. What's so great about it? You have no chance of getting a gold star and no matter what you do, you have to deal with a lot of crap from other town folk.

I wish they would have put the kids together with their parents and show the audience. I think that would be nice.

If CBS does do another Kid Nation, I'd probably still watch, but they definately have to make some changes and not be too predicable.

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Cory B said: the children were portrayed largely in sterotypical gender roles.

Cory, they weren't "portrayed" that way; it gradually *became* that way on its own. Gender roles are stereotypical for a reason: lots of people (yes, even chlidren) naturally act and feel along traditional gender roles because that's just they way they are made. I'm not saying ALL girls want to be nurturers and not ALL boys are leaders, etc., but enough that, yes, it's more typical than not.

CBS didn't plan it that way; the original council was two girls and two boys. Obviously they did their best to make sure the genders were treated as equally as possible.

But basic human nature is still what it is, despite all rhetoric to the contrary and if a group of human beings are left to themselves you are probably always going to see more girls becoming the peacemakers, nurturer types and more boys stepping up to be the strong leader, heavy-worker types than not. How many Survivors and Amazing Races have shown that even although no one plans it that way, many/most people *still* tend to fall along traditional gender roles *most* of the time. (NOT saying women cannot kick ass, NOT saying men cannot be nuturers; just saying that, most of the time, when left to our own devices, *most* people end up along what you call "stereotypical" gender roles.

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I was impressed with this series, and with so many of the children who took part in the show. It makes me wonder where they will be in the future. I think Greg changed so much during the season. He came in a boisterous, rather loud, could be mean, normal kid for his age. Before the show was over, he became a very good leader, who could admit when he was wrong. I think his life will be much different in the future.

Some of the children in the show did not change at all. In an instance where they could have changed for the better, Taylor remained the little spoiled brat until the end. Her little clique's telling Emilie she couldn't stay with them that night made me uncomfortable. Their being gracious enough to offer to LET her spend time with them the next day was a slap in the face. I wish Emilie would have told them to kiss off. I would hope that Taylor's parents will make a big effort in guiding her in a different direction, but I doubt it. They will blame everyone else but their darling for the way she was portrayed.

Some of the kids were delightful the entire show. Jared, the little boy genius and some of the others amazed me.

Sophia in her own words is a grown up in a 14 year old body. It was heart warming to hear her say in the end, that after being with this group for 40 days there is hope for her generation doing well in the future. She is not as worried about the world being in their hands.

I hope there is another season and I hope that there is not as much "guidance" from adults. Divide the kids into four groups and let them rotate to the different classes. See how each group adapts from being Labor class to Upper. Set the ground rules and then let them govern themselves. Set up guidelines in the beginning -- trash needs to be hauled, privy holes dug, dishes washed the surroundings kept clean. Here are books if you want to read and if you don't, then here is what you can do to entertain yourself. Adults should only step in if there is a danger.

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Big Brothers and Survivors are my favourite shows, . . . when they're real. I hate it when producers organize the challenges to favour specific participant or when episodes, or the shows altogether, are fixed in a way or another by them, as they’re more and more doing. That is why I stop watching Kid Nation after the first episode. I knew it wouldn’t be real. The producers were doing everything I hate about reality shows. And, reading some of your comments throughout the season, I'm glad I didn’t.
E.g., I don’t think I’d watch a “Reality all Stars” either. There is no such thing, in reality, as all-media-stars interacting with each other for thirty-some days. No doubt that it would be a good show, but it would not be “real”. . . I would like to see a show where new contestants are chosen for whom they are, and than allowed to freely react to the other “unknown-by-any-of-them” contestants for the duration of the show. We would learn a lot more about human nature. No doubt that it would be dull at some points, but in reality life is sometimes dull also. And no doubt that it would be harder for the producers, but in reality producers of reality shows (news) are not allowed to manipulate the news either, to make them more entertaining.
AG

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I liked this show better than any other reality show because of the kids. I hate how adults are always scheming and being annoying with their alliances and backstabbing.

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I really loved this show. It showed how well kids really can work together and survive without a parent constantly telling them what to do. Sure they had some guidance, but adults have guidance in everyday life as well. I thought this show was so good, and I really hope they come out with a Kid Nation 2. Also I REALLY feel they should do a Kid Nation reunion show, because it gives the kids a chance to see everyone again and see how the show changed their lives for them. Great show!

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Next season why not let the kids figure it out for themselves! After a few days together let them elect a President and a Congress, and divide themselves into States rather than classes. I bet, once they see what needs to be done they can do it! Sure, you will need smart kids who can be leaders. Teachers can recommend those!! Let's have another season!

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