The Start of Something New...

Hey guys welcome to my blog! I have always loved the idea that television, especially in its programming, is always changing. However in this blog I will be exploring the world of children’s shows. I grew up in the 90s where television was really coming into its own. We had shows like “Hey Dude,” “All That,” “Boy Meets World,” “Doug,” and more. I always felt like there was something age appropriate that I could watch at all times, or at least until it was my bedtime. However, these days there are very few age appropriate television out there. There are only four major children’s networks: Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Sprout. There are a couple of channels that are for the whole family like ABC Family or the Hallmark Channel, but again, not a lot. In my blog, I am going to dive into the minds of kids and figure out the appeal that some shows have and try and understand why there are less and less kid’s programming available.

Now, some of you may be asking; “Why do you even care?” Well, I guess it comes from my own personal experience working with kids and pre-teens on a daily basis. I am a theatre major with an emphasis in acting, but I have always loved working with children. They have the most creative imaginations. I have always enjoyed watching them discover something new and interesting about themselves and the world around them. I am finding that more and more kids are drawn to what is out there on television, film, and the internet. They are influenced by popular culture and have stopped really thinking for themselves. Theater is an outlet that allows them to be as imaginative as possible, but recently, it is becoming harder to get them to expand their thinking.

It is true that there are educational shows that still exist for younger audiences, but they are only on at certain times in the morning and on certain stations that not all kids have access to. Some of my blogs will question the changes in programming content for most of the major kids’ shows as well as the addition of popular culture like rock and pop music and hip hop dancing. Gone are the days of simple animation and fun sounds and bright lights. Instead, kids these days want fast action, larger than life characters, REAL PEOPLE, and the ability to relate to what is happening in the show to their own lives.

I guess you could say that I am an advocate for more children’s programming. I want to understand the appeal of some of these shows and discuss reasons why they have changed or evolved into something new. I am going to question the dominance of real actors over animated cartoons, and I will unravel the reasoning behind adding new and more popular music and dance to most if not all major tv programs. This will be a blog that speaks for kids, brings us older folks back to the days of our youth, and enhances the knowledge of the world of kid shows for parents. I hope you enjoy!