children-related stories
Posted Nov 7th 2009 2:01PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S08E12) Well, after the past couple of shows -- especially
Monk's reunion with Sharona -- I was imagining that the final season of
Monk was sprinting to the finish line, delivering some final hours that would be up there with the best ever for the series.
Then Adrian went camping. This might be one of the weakest
Monks of all time. The funniest thing was the title, which was where the inspiration began and -- sadly -- ended. Nothing worked. Monk and children? No. Monk in the woods? No. Monk and the grizzly bear? Do you even have to wonder? More after the jump.
Continue reading Review: Monk - Mr. Monk Goes Camping
Posted Nov 7th 2009 10:00AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Animation, Reality-Free
Cartoon Network's
Star Wars: The Clone Wars just might be the best action/adventure show on television. Come to think of it, it might be the only true action/adventure show on television.
But, as the show ramps up the action content and significantly sweetens its visuals, its increased intensity might be driving away some younger viewers.
As
The Clone Wars moves through its second season, the war is growing -- both in scope and violence. Viewers are seeing more dead Clonetroopers, more crashed vehicles and more beloved characters in deadly jeopardy.
Its ratings continue to cruise in hyperspace (especially for males), but I wonder if the darker tones of season two could drive younger kids and their parents away from the show.
Continue reading New Clone Wars episodes stunning, but less kid friendly
Posted Nov 4th 2009 11:02AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, News, Obituaries, Children, TCA Press Tour
When watching any nature special from PBS or the BBC featuring dangerous wild animals photographed at reasonably close range, how often do you stop and consider the very real danger men and women are in while getting that footage?
That danger proved deadly this past weekend when a rampaging
African elephant trampled and killed a British tour guide (Anton Turner, 38) who was trying to protect a group of children visiting Tanzania.
The kids were in Africa serving as TV hosts for the CBBC (BBC's children's channel) show,
Serious Explorers. Seven children were planning to follow the steps of Victorian explorer Dr. David Livingston.
Reports say, when the elephant charged a group of the CBBC kids, Turner challenged the elephant and attempted to shoot his rifle at the animal. But, he was unable to open fire in time and was trampled. Turner leaves behind a pregnant wife.
Continue reading Heroic Brit dies protecting CBBC kids from elephant
Posted Oct 15th 2009 11:01AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Daytime, Animation, Children, Reality-Free
Disclaimer: Children should not take Acid. In fact, no one should sample LSD, but children should really stay away.
That said, speaking theoretically, if kids did drop a soaked sugar cube or six, they would see visions potentially less bizarre than what they take in during an episode of
Yo Gabba Gabba(!). The Nick, Jr. and Noggin show is back this week with new episodes for fascinated children and really high adults.
A lot of kids love it. It's colorful, kinetic, and everybody involved keeps a smile on their face -- even the bizarre anthropomorphized, toys-turned-life size characters -- Muno (red cyclops), Foofa (pinkish bow thing), Brobee (the green monster with no elbows) ), Toodee (the blue cat) and Plex (the yellow, 50s-ish robot).
Continue reading Yo Gabba Gabba! returns to amuse, confuse, terrify kids
Posted Oct 2nd 2009 6:16PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Celebrities
As
Jane wrote, last night Jon Gosselin was on Larry King Live with his side of the latest involving him and Kate. Here's my take: Jon Gosselin realized that the game was going on without him so he took his basketball and went home. Actually, that's a metaphor for what happened. In reality, TLC shut down filming
Kate Plus 8, the network's new incarnation for
Jon & Kate Plus 8 sans Daddy, when
Jon sent a cease-and-desist order to the network.
So now Jon has had the realization that maybe putting his eight children on a reality show wasn't such a positive experience. More likely he saw that he was being cut out of the fame game and figured he'd hold his breath until TLC let him back into the show.
Continue reading Another view of Jon Gosselin's latest move
Posted Aug 5th 2009 10:02AM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Industry, OpEd, Children, Reality-Free
Are you weeping, children of the late-80s and early-90s? As you may have heard,
Nickelodeon is getting a new logo. Understandably, they're going for something that can be incorporated into their infinite number of other properties, but the removal of that classic splatter is certainly the end of an era. Take a look at some of the new ways they'll be
using the updated logo.
Continue reading Nickelodeon changes logo, continues to kill my childhood
Posted Jul 27th 2009 2:30PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Programming
Nadya Suleman, who will always be known as "Octomom" because it's funnier, has
officially signed papers for a reality TV show to feature her and her 14 kids. No word yet on which network will air the show (
it might air overseas first as it's a British company producing the show) or what it will be called, but I'm hoping it's called
Fourteen is Enough or
Nadya & Nobody Plus 14.
Posted Jun 24th 2009 5:02PM by Michael Pascua
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, The Amazing Race
After the separation of
Jon and Kate Gosselin, one is left wondering: what will happen to the children?
Jon and Kate Plus Eight isn't the first reality show to feature children, but many including Jon and Kate, place their children in questionable situations.
What makes exploiting children the same as a twenty-something who wants to win
Big Brother? Family reality shows have done everything as well, including
swapping mothers,
adventure races,
fixing houses, and
general living with life. There's got to be a point where the legal guardian has to say enough is enough. Aren't child labor laws in effect with the 24/7 families?
Continue reading Should children be allowed on reality TV?
Posted Jun 14th 2009 11:02AM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Celebrities, Children, Game Show
Contrary to what his album covers may suggest, Andrew WK is adorable. No, really.
Adorable. I first learned this when I saw him on on MTV's
Crashing With Andrew WK, a program in which the frontman hung out with some girls at a North Carolina Central University sorority (I found the
first installment here, by the way). It's taken the rest of the world a little more time to catch on, but since Andrew WK kicked off his motivational speaking/performing career, people are starting to get it. The folks over at Cartoon Network saw something in his personality and evidently thought, "Hey! This guy should
blow things up with kids!" And they're right. They're so right.
Continue reading Andrew WK rocks so hard, cars explode
Posted Jun 4th 2009 2:40PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, TV Squad Polls
So I'm watching
Today this morning, and J.D. Hyman from
People said that Jon Gosselin told him that he'll end the show the minute that the kids don't want to do it anymore. And I thought to myself,
that's exactly wrong. Shouldn't Jon (and Kate) be making the decision? These kids aren't 18, they're all under ten (some as young as five)!
What do you think? Let us know in the poll after the jump.
Continue reading Maybe Jon and Kate should be parents first, TV stars second?
Posted May 27th 2009 9:03AM by Michael Pascua
Filed under: OpEd, Animation, Adult Swim, Children
I know that I'm not the target demographic for a cable channel like Cartoon Network. Although I still watch
Pokemon on Saturday mornings, the last non-Adult Swim original cartoon I watched was
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
Recently,
Cartoon Network has announced a block of programming they're calling "CN Real." I'm already upset that a show like
Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job isn't animated (don't get me started on
Delocated), but isn't getting rid of the cartoons turning the channel into just "Network"?
Continue reading Taking the Cartoon out of Cartoon Network
Posted Apr 15th 2009 6:07PM by Eliot Glazer
Filed under: OpEd, Video, Music and Variety, Short-Lived Shows, Children, Reality-Free
As a kid, my parents were totally cool with my television viewing habits, as long as it never became excessive or kept my face from being kissed by the light of day every once in a while. Not that they had anything to be worried about, of course, considering that all I was watching was
Nickelodeon.
While my fellow prepubescents were slowly but surely migrating to more grown-up programming on MTV (and Playboy, if you had a cable box), I spent the bulk of my time between 1992 and 1996 fully devoted to
Roundhouse, a 30-minute sketch show sandwiched between the more popular
Clarissa Explains It All and
Are You Afraid Of The Dark? on SNICK, Nickelodeon's Saturday night programming block.
Continue reading Reprise the theme song, roll the credits, and for the love of God, revive Roundhouse! - VIDEO
Posted Mar 4th 2009 1:06PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: OpEd, Reality-Free
It's official: reading books gives your children asthma.
That's the only conclusion I can come to after reading
this study that says that children between the ages of three and eight who watch two hours of television a day or more are at a higher risk to develop asthma. Now, they're not saying that the actual habit of watching television gives you asthma, they're saying that children who sit around and don't go outside to play and lead an active lifestyle are more at risk.
So wait a second, if it's not the act of watching TV that does this, doesn't that mean that anything that doesn't have you moving would cause asthma, including reading classic novels and encyclopedias on your bed? Or sleeping? Or playing a board game with your mom?
Continue reading Watching TV is bad for kids, another study says
Posted Jul 31st 2008 9:37AM by Annie Wu
Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Children, Reality-Free
The new season of
Sesame Street is right around the corner and, while I normally wouldn't give it a second thought, I am unusually excited right now. No, this isn't a snarky rant about how I've been driven to children's TV because of the sorry state of grown-up programming.
Sesame Street's 39th season, starting August 11th, looks like it has a lot of fun lined up not only for the pre-schoolers but parents as well. I already posted Feist's upcoming special take on "
1 2 3 4", but I had no idea how many amazing guest appearances were coming. Just check out this star-filled highlight reel after the jump.
Continue reading Sesame Street is going to be awesome - VIDEO
Posted Jul 17th 2008 7:26AM by Annie Wu
Filed under: OpEd, Video, Celebrities, Children, Reality-Free
Man, oh man. I love counting. Sometimes I do it just to do it. I know I'm often alienating some of my less-educated friends (toddlers) when I start spitting those numbers, but I can't help it! Counting is wonderful.
In fact, the only thing I love more than counting is the sound of a breathy Canadian singer. Imagine my delight when I was sent this video of Feist singing a special version of her famous "
1 2 3 4" (aka "That song from the iPod commercial where there's a chick in something blue and sparkly") with some lovable faces on
Sesame Street (as we mentioned a few months ago).
Continue reading Feist plus Sesame Street equals adorable - VIDEO
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