Adventure Time is rated TV-PG. The show is blocked into a half-hour time frame with two 10-minute episodes comprising the bulk of the program. This animated series might be better suited for older tween viewers. The stories are simple for young viewers, but the content can be slightly darker and mature. The show does pack a lot of action, dialogue, and detail that younger viewers might not completely understand. The series has a large older young adult and adult following, partially for the ADHD-type storytelling. For the most part, the storytelling focuses on the friendship of Finn and Jake which showcases how friendship can be a positive influence in young person's life. (To see a clip from Adventure Time, click here.) —Judy Neeb
ADVENTURE TIME
(Cartoon Network, 2010-present; ages 10 and up)
Adventure Time is the story of two friends, Finn, the human and Jake the dog, who live in the Land of Ooo. Finn is a thirteen-year-old boy who wears a hat that covers his golden hair. Jake is a magical dog that stretches and has a bit of a sarcastic streak. Along with their friend Princess Bubblegum, who rules the Candy Kingdom in the Land of Ooo, Finn and Jake find adventure and mayhem in what might be a post-apocalyptic world. This is hinted at throughout the show, but never fully explained.
Adventure Time is rated TV-PG. The show is blocked into a half-hour time frame with two 10-minute episodes comprising the bulk of the program. This animated series might be better suited for older tween viewers. The stories are simple for young viewers, but the content can be slightly darker and mature. The show does pack a lot of action, dialogue, and detail that younger viewers might not completely understand. The series has a large older young adult and adult following, partially for the ADHD-type storytelling. For the most part, the storytelling focuses on the friendship of Finn and Jake which showcases how friendship can be a positive influence in young person's life. (To see a clip from Adventure Time, click here.) —Judy Neeb
Adventure Time is rated TV-PG. The show is blocked into a half-hour time frame with two 10-minute episodes comprising the bulk of the program. This animated series might be better suited for older tween viewers. The stories are simple for young viewers, but the content can be slightly darker and mature. The show does pack a lot of action, dialogue, and detail that younger viewers might not completely understand. The series has a large older young adult and adult following, partially for the ADHD-type storytelling. For the most part, the storytelling focuses on the friendship of Finn and Jake which showcases how friendship can be a positive influence in young person's life. (To see a clip from Adventure Time, click here.) —Judy Neeb
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD
(Cartoon Network, 2008-present; ages 7 and up)
This animated adaptation is rated TV-7 and is blocked into a half-hour time frame. The program usually begins with a cold story open, followed by the credits. The main story focus follows the opening credits and usually remains the main focus for the rest of the program.
The show is animated with bright colors, a sharp contrast to any of the recent Batman film adaptations or even the past Batman animated television adaptations. The brighter animation might be appealing to younger viewers, but the show still contains strong storylines and characters that will appeal to older viewers, even adults. Longtime fans of the Batman franchise will appreciate the stories and the humor of the show. (To see a clip from Batman: The Brave and the Bold, click here.) —Judy Neeb
BIG TIME RUSH
(Nickelodeon, 2009-present; ages 13-18)
Big Time Rush is about four hockey players from Minnesota who are recruited to form a boy band called Big Time Rush, led by Kendall. After dragging their family to California, the boys are involved in many antics while living at the Palm Woods Hotel and attending the Palm Woods School. Their producer and his assistant cause the boys all kinds of grief as they travel their road to fame. Their arch nemesis, the manager of the Palm Woods Hotel, who covets their apartment, looks for a reason to evict them every episode. Kendall’s little sister Katie is the smartest character on the show and often gets her brother and his friends out of trouble by giving them smart ideas. Most of the shows end with a music performance by the band.
While most of the episodes have plot lines that are slightly unbelievable, there is a quality to the characters that I liked. They are slightly selfish and more than just a little conceited, which I find refreshing in the days of characters that are being written as modest. The actors have settled into their characters well and seem to have a lot of good chemistry, which I find very important. While this show is for a slightly older group, I didn’t find any reason that younger children couldn’t watch and enjoy this show. —Amanda Neighbors
While most of the episodes have plot lines that are slightly unbelievable, there is a quality to the characters that I liked. They are slightly selfish and more than just a little conceited, which I find refreshing in the days of characters that are being written as modest. The actors have settled into their characters well and seem to have a lot of good chemistry, which I find very important. While this show is for a slightly older group, I didn’t find any reason that younger children couldn’t watch and enjoy this show. —Amanda Neighbors
BUCKET & SKINNER'S EPIC ADVENTURES
(Nickelodeon, 2011-present; ages 11-16)
Bucket and Skinner’s Epic Adventures debuted in 2011 and is in its first season. Following the lives of two California surfer teenage boys, this show focuses on beach life more than any other aspect. Their lives focus on eating, surfing, and of course meeting girls. Along the way, while trying not to work or do anything hard and not fun, they get themselves into conflicts and problems, especially when Piper, a know-it- all 11 year old is involved. Piper is the little sister of Kelly, who is Bucket’s love interest. Bucket, who isn’t as talented a surfer, spends nearly every episode jealous of his best friend Skinner, who is a very talented surfer.
Most of the episodes are spent with them doing stunts that in real life may not end as well. I found the constant surfer talk slightly annoying, and never ending. The acting is very choppy and you start to wonder if they chose these actors solely based on looks, but I hope that as the actors settle in with the characters more the flow will become smoother and the show will improve. I believe the characters could be believable and the actors try to maintain the characters throughout the episode. —Amanda Neighbors
Most of the episodes are spent with them doing stunts that in real life may not end as well. I found the constant surfer talk slightly annoying, and never ending. The acting is very choppy and you start to wonder if they chose these actors solely based on looks, but I hope that as the actors settle in with the characters more the flow will become smoother and the show will improve. I believe the characters could be believable and the actors try to maintain the characters throughout the episode. —Amanda Neighbors
CULTURE CLICK
(ABC's "Litton's Weekend Adventure" block of programming, 2011-present; ages 9-14)
Culture Click is an entertaining show that uses pop culture to teach tweens about informational topics such as history, fashion, architecture, and more. It contains mostly trivia questions such as “what do Cleopatra and Justin Bieber have in common?” Both tweens and parents will find the show entertaining and interesting. The show is both educational and modern. It starts with a section called “What’s trending now” pointing toward Google or Twitter topics that trend. The show embraces tween culture and uses it to draw them in. The show's use of technology will relate to tweens and show positive aspects of technology and information. It’s fast paced, suave and cool. Culture Click is also interactive off air with Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo channel and blog. Viewers can get daily trivia and interact with the hosts and others who are enjoying the show. The show is similar to other news or pop culture shows such as The Daily Show or The Soup while being appropriate and relevant to tweens. —Katie Aust
ENDURANCE
(Discovery Kids, 2002-2008; ages 10-14)
Boy-and-girl duos face off in this Survivor like show for tweens and teens. Contestants travel to remote locations such as Hawaii, Mexico and the High Sierras to compete in various physical and mental challenges. This show has many elements of other reality television shows such as Survivor, MTV’s Road Rules, and CBS’s Big Brother. The contestants form alliances and strategies as they compete for the grand prize of an all expense paid vacation with their parents. The challenges often include physical endurance challenges, food eating challenges and also mental challenges. Team members must work together to stay on for the next week. Like other reality television shows, the contestants must also navigate complex alliances and form strategies with other players to get farther in the game. The confessional gives viewers a chance to get an inside look at the game and feel as if they know each of the players. The show attempts to showcase the competitiveness of the challenges in a good-natured way, there is often gossip and dissention shown in the confessionals. This adds to the drama and intrigue of the show, but can also bring a negative tone in a mostly positive show about teamwork and perseverance. Tweens will enjoy watching peers compete in exotic looking places while parents will enjoy having an age appropriate version of popular reality competition shows. —Katie Aust
FLIGHT 29 DOWN
(Discovery Kids, 2005-2007; ages 9-14)
For viewers too young to watch Lost but who may enjoy Survivor, this 2005-2007 Discovery Kids series about a group of high school kids whose plane goes down on an unknown island may be a fun viewing choice. A high school class saved enough money to go on an eco-camping trip to Micronesia, but one of the planes, with 10 kids and a pilot, loses an engine to lightning and is forced to land. Everyone survives the landing, but with no transponder and no radio range available, no one knows where they are. This diverse group of teenagers and one younger tween find themselves faced with having to work together to survive until they can be rescued.
The show provides lessons in the importance of working together and listening to one another. This was not a group of friends on vacation together, they were classmates. Very different classmates, as we see as some of the stronger personalities emerge. We see the vapid teens who have no idea how bad the situation is, thinking it's an early start to their vacation; the control freak who wants everything done her way, and the smart, younger stepbrother who no one listens to until it's almost too late. All of these personalities must overcome their differences to figure out how to survive in a new environment, with an adult who seems more of a liability than an asset. We see the group figure out how to braid vines to be strong enough to save the plane from the rising tides and how they wait for the water to make the plane float in order to make it easier to pull out of the way. We see them argue over rationing food and how to best make a fire. Available both on DVD and through sites like YouTube and Preserving Discovery Kids, this series would be solid viewing for parents and teachers alike to watch with children and to hold discussions on collaboration and how basic life skills can help save your life. Corbin Bleu, who later went onto mega-popularity in Disney's High School Musical series, was the breakout star of this show. —Rosemary Kiladitis
The show provides lessons in the importance of working together and listening to one another. This was not a group of friends on vacation together, they were classmates. Very different classmates, as we see as some of the stronger personalities emerge. We see the vapid teens who have no idea how bad the situation is, thinking it's an early start to their vacation; the control freak who wants everything done her way, and the smart, younger stepbrother who no one listens to until it's almost too late. All of these personalities must overcome their differences to figure out how to survive in a new environment, with an adult who seems more of a liability than an asset. We see the group figure out how to braid vines to be strong enough to save the plane from the rising tides and how they wait for the water to make the plane float in order to make it easier to pull out of the way. We see them argue over rationing food and how to best make a fire. Available both on DVD and through sites like YouTube and Preserving Discovery Kids, this series would be solid viewing for parents and teachers alike to watch with children and to hold discussions on collaboration and how basic life skills can help save your life. Corbin Bleu, who later went onto mega-popularity in Disney's High School Musical series, was the breakout star of this show. —Rosemary Kiladitis
FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS
(ABC's "Litton's Weekend Adventure" block of programming, 2011-present; ages 9-14)
Cooking shows for tweens can often be dry and boring leading to a lack of these types of shows for tweens. Cooking shows for adults may be perfectly appropriate for tweens but often teach complicated and fancy recipes rather food that a tween would actually want to make and eat. Food for Thought With Claire Thomas takes a modern and creative look at the world of food. In the show Claire not only teaches tweens how to make delicious and interesting food, she also teaches about healthy eating habits and shopping locally. The show is well rounded as it approaches topics of healthy eating that can be controversial. It does not put one way as the best and rather focuses on topics and views that are generally held as healthy, while trying to present other views in a respectful way.
The show is also multimedia, which extends its influence to more than just sitting in front of television. Claire has a Facebook, blog, Vimeo channel, and Twitter. Tweens can check out even more recipes, join in conversations, and interact with the host between shows. This approach appeals to tweens who are more interactive and becoming more technological. No longer do they need to write down the recipe during the show, they can go to the blog, read it and cook the food. They can also request certain recipes be taught or share recipes with others who enjoy the show. —Katie Aust
The show is also multimedia, which extends its influence to more than just sitting in front of television. Claire has a Facebook, blog, Vimeo channel, and Twitter. Tweens can check out even more recipes, join in conversations, and interact with the host between shows. This approach appeals to tweens who are more interactive and becoming more technological. No longer do they need to write down the recipe during the show, they can go to the blog, read it and cook the food. They can also request certain recipes be taught or share recipes with others who enjoy the show. —Katie Aust
HANNAH MONTANA
(Disney Channel, 2006-2011; ages 6-14)
Hannah Montana, which debuted in 2006, is a surreal story of a normal girl, Miley Stewart, hiding her true pop star identity of Hannah Montana, so that she can live a real life. Her best friends Lily and Oliver eventually do find out and become part of her entourage, overseen by her dad and manager Robbie Stewart. Her life in middle school is one disaster after another, being made fun of by the popular students and being listed at the bottom of the popularity list, all while these same girls adore Hannah Montana and would give anything to meet her, never realizing they have. She is confronted with several times she would love to just tell her secret so that life would change for her, but it is something she never chooses to do. She gets herself into many hilarious situations as Hannah and Miley, including clothing snafus, media blunders, and of course food messes like a birthday cake to the face.
While the plot may be a little unbelievable, it is a funny experience and leaves you wondering during some episodes, how she will get out of the mess she’s gotten into. Miley Cyrus does a good job of playing both characters, because there are differences in their personalities, and the other characters in the show, especially her goofy brother Jackson, always lend a hand to the hijinks. This series took the world by storm creating movies, concerts, and music soundtracks, besides the spinoff series Hannah Forever. —Amanda Neighbors
While the plot may be a little unbelievable, it is a funny experience and leaves you wondering during some episodes, how she will get out of the mess she’s gotten into. Miley Cyrus does a good job of playing both characters, because there are differences in their personalities, and the other characters in the show, especially her goofy brother Jackson, always lend a hand to the hijinks. This series took the world by storm creating movies, concerts, and music soundtracks, besides the spinoff series Hannah Forever. —Amanda Neighbors
iCARLY
(Nickelodeon, 2007-present; ages 11-16)
iCarly is a show about Carly and her two best friends, Sam and Freddy, who conduct a web show in her bedroom. This show is filled with interesting clips of the web show, which actual viewers of iCarly can contribute to, as well as other adventures with rival web show hosts and annoying neighbors in their apartment building. Carly lives with her mid-20s brother Spencer because her dad is in the military and stationed elsewhere. Spencer always has one project after another going, whether it’s collecting science fiction memorabilia, creating humongous art sculptures in their living room, or trying to help Carly with her many problems. Carly of course is interested in dating, which Spencer doesn’t like, all while her best friend Freddy is only interested in dating her.
iCarly is filled with messy food fights, food eating contests, and interesting clips from the internet, the web show content takes up some of the episodes, but the rest is spent on the characters crushes, school life, and families. The characters are well written and never falter from their personalities. From Sam who is basically a juvenile delinquent with a mother who doesn’t seem to care what she does to Freddy, whose mother has her nose in everything he does. Carly seems to be the middle ground, even though her parents aren’t around, she is well grounded and follows the rules, most of the time. —Amanda Neighbors
iCarly is filled with messy food fights, food eating contests, and interesting clips from the internet, the web show content takes up some of the episodes, but the rest is spent on the characters crushes, school life, and families. The characters are well written and never falter from their personalities. From Sam who is basically a juvenile delinquent with a mother who doesn’t seem to care what she does to Freddy, whose mother has her nose in everything he does. Carly seems to be the middle ground, even though her parents aren’t around, she is well grounded and follows the rules, most of the time. —Amanda Neighbors
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