Okay, like most parents, I’ve been exposed to more than my share of child-focused television programs, many of which have been unwatchable dreck. I mean, really horrible, even from a kid’s point of view—crap like “Teletubbies” and their even freakier inbred British cousins, “The Boobahs.” (I’d post a picture of them, but they still gives me the shivers!*)
On the plus side, there have been a few absolutely terrific shows that I didn’t mind watching with the boys, things like “Between the Lions,” “Hi-5” (super crush on Jennifer—saw her in person at the mall once, and I’m pretty sure I was more excited than the kids), “The Secret Show,” and of course, one of my all-time favorite shows, “Teen Titans.” (I want to be excited that they’re bringing back “Teen Titans” as a new series, but it’s not the same team doing the new one, so I don’t think it’ll be the same tone-perfect mix of action, drama and comedy—it really was a terrific show.)
Anyway, those shows are either no longer on or my kids have outgrown them. But they still watch TV—and I still watch with them, and now, I have a new batch of
Top Five TV Kids’ Shows That I Sort of Don’t Mind Watching
1. “iCarly“ – I know this is about to end its run, but it’s on enough in reruns—and my house. This is one of the many shows created by former child actor Dan Schneider (the heavy kid from “Head of the Class” and “Ricky” from Better Off Dead. He’s become a kid’s TV mogul, creating his own mini-empire with shows like “Drake & Josh,” “Zoey 101,” and “The Amanda Show,” and now, “Victorious.” The acting on “iCarly” is pretty decent (there’s plenty of painful, horrible kid actors—Zack and Cody, I’m looking at you) and the show is actually laugh-out loud funny at times. In one interview, Schneider said that he’s been able to make good children’s sitcoms because the reality tv boom has caused a lot of good comedy writers to be unemployed; he’s hired them for his shows, and truthfully, some of the stuff he turns out stands toe-to-toe with many network comedies.
2. “Good Luck Charlie“ – Another live-action sitcom, this one produced by Disney, but with a cast that’s pretty solid, especially the parents on the show. (How you know you’re an adult, reason # 12,457—realizing you have a crush on the main character’s mother on your kid’s show.) Now, no one is going to get nominated for an Emmy here, but for a kid’s show, it’s remarkably watchable. And funny.
3. “Phineas and Ferb“ – If you don’t know about this one yet, I’m not going to be able to help you. Probably the most popular Disney show at the moment by far—as I make my way around the web and in life, I’m always struck by how many other parents (and even non-parental adults) all say the same thing: “I really like this show.” It’s produced by two guys, Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh—Povenmire, who also does the voice of the nefarious Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirz, worked on “Family Guy” while Marsh is a veteran of “The Simpsons” and “King of the Hill.” With such pedigrees, it’s not a shock the show is as good as it is.
Besides, how can you hate a program that has given the world this bit of ear candy:
4. “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes“ – It’s no “Teen Titans,” but it’s pretty good. We started watching it about a year ago in preparation for the movie this summer (yeah, total comic book-super hero nerds), and it actually turns out to be fairly decent. For a kid’s show, it’s impressive how well they weave multiple story lines into the ongoing story arc. Only criticism: Hulk no smash enough!
5. “Gravity Falls“ – Okay, this is a new one, but it’s growing on me quickly. It might have to do with the fact that each episode is a bit quirky and that there’s some sort of Fortean-like aspect involved, be it a ghost, a sea monster or murderous lawn gnomes. I also like that they hang out at a place called “The Mystery Shack” (and also have Linda Cardellini doing one of the voices, who was Velma in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies), and that they have a crazy uncle who always wears a fez. Plus, there’s a secret message at the end of each episode hidden in the credits—I like puzzles like that!
Enjoy the re-runs!