TVSquad

While it has persevered for almost four decades, Sesame Street's heart and soul is very much a product of the 1970s. There was nothing like it when it first hit the public television airwaves in 1969; while other children's programs took place in mystical and magical lands, Sesame Street took place in a regular inner city neighborhood. Okay, it was an inner city neighborhood where monsters and people lived together, but it's that partial realism which set it apart from other programs, and, perhaps subconsiously, gave kids a sense of community and belonging.

So, last year I mentioned that Snoop Dogg got into a bit of trouble for allowing both a feature film and a reality series to be made about his youth football league.

It would seem whatever problems hindered the possibility of a Snoop reality series have been taken care of, because later this year Snoopy Snoop will be the center of a new series for E! that will follow the rapper, actor and producer as he tries to balance his family life and his work.

If it weren't for public service announcements, kids everywhere would be drinking Liquid Plumber and throwing themselves in front of trains.

You know what I mean: those PSAs you watched as a kid told you how to be safe, avoid abduction, deal with bullies, eat the right foods, and seventeen ways to kill a man with a paper clip. I'd say, in most respects, TV raised you better than your parents ever could.

Anyway, here's a few old PSAs. Two come from Concerned Children's Advertisers in Canada, the last one from the American Lung Association.

Despite the title, the documentary Autism: the Musical is not a musical at all, but it is about a group of autistic children putting on a musical. The film has been praised for being uplifting rather than depressing, and with HBO's recent acquisition, those who aren't able to catch it during its limited run in theaters will be able to see it on HBO sometime next year. A portion of the money from the film will go to the Autism Speaks charity.

I'll admit I don't know anything about autism, outside of what I've read in books and seen on television, but considering how depressing the subject can be, I think it's wonderful that someone has decided to create a film about autistic children that aims to be both positive and inspiring. I think all kids, regardless of who they are, have the capacity to do great things, at least on some level, and I can't imagine this documentary being anything but uplifting.

Recently, Paul mentioned that the ombudsman for children's television in Poland had come out against the Teletubbies, and Tinky Winky specifically, for promoting homosexuality.

To be fair, the comment about Teletubbies promoting homosexuality was brought up by journalists during a magazine interview, and ombudsman Ewa Sowinska replied by saying that, due to the "purse" carried by Tinky Winky, she would investigate these claims. I say "to be fair" not to defend Sowinska exactly, but just to point out that she was responding to claims made by others. Still, that doesn't quite explain how holding a "purse," or "money bag," or whatever the hell that thing is, equals being gay. I think someone needs to go back to Gay School and learn a lot more about that specific sexual orientation.

Tonight at 9:00 p.m. on the Food Network, Al Roker will host Childhood Obesity: Danger Zone, a special that delves into the obesity epidemic that now affects more than 12 million children in America. The special will focus mostly on children, including: a teenager who weighs 500 pounds; the public policy initiative put in place by Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee to help overweight children; and a doctor who teaches kids how to shop for healthy food.

This July, CBS will broadcast two specials geared toward raising money for disadvantaged children around the world.

The first special, Why Listen, will follow six different celebrities to different countries where they'll meet children and learn about organizations designed to help them.

The second special, Listen Live, as the title indicates, will be broadcast live and will feature the usual celebrities and music acts synonymous with these kind of television events. Viewers, of course, can also call in and donate. There is no official word yet on who will appear on the two specials.

The specials are both tied to the Listen Charity, an organization that doles out funds to over two-hundred different charitable organizations for disadvantaged children.

Since my doctor recommends I talk about cartoons at least six times a day, I thought I would mention this awesome collection of Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons. There are many other videos to be found on the site, and some of them are NOT SAFE FOR WORK, so click ahead with caution and/or lustful excitement, depending on where you are at this exact moment.

Like Matt Groening, I have trouble not referring to Casper as "Casper the Little Dead Boy," since that's essentially what he is. As cute and adorable as he was, you've got to admit a cartoon based on the spirit of a deceased child is somewhat morbid.

The first Casper cartoon, "The Friendly Ghost," was created for Famous Studios in 1945, and you can watch it both here and here. The "friendly ghost" wouldn't be given a name, however, until the first Casper comic book was published in 1949.

[via Boing Boing]

While video-sharing sites and online communities like MySpace are making user-generated video more and more common, TLC is hoping to bring that same concept to television with My Life As a Child, a new documentary series set to air February 26 at 7pm.

Last year, TLC asked kids ages 7 to 12 to document their lives on camera. Twenty kids out of four hundred were chosen to have their footage used in the series. The kids featured include eight year old published author Adora; Cole, a boy with cerebral paulsy who takes karate classes; and Lisetanne, a black girl being raised by her white adoptive mother. The series will focus on aspects of growing up that is typical for kids of all generations, plus new experiences such as growing up in a same-sex household.