Yesterday, when CBS announced its fall schedule would include a reality show called Kid Nation — where 40 kids, ages 8 to 15, form an adult-less society in ghost town Bonanza City, New Mexico for 40 days — a debate ignited in the EW TV department. Watch a preview of the show here, then weigh in yourself. Highlights of our e-mail chain:
Alynda Wheat: [Jennifer] Armstrong and I are already obsessed! Obsessed!
Tim Stack: Kids are boring (no offense to people who have or like children).
Wheat: We’re disowning you.
Kristen Baldwin: Oh my God — I think it looks horrifying! All those poor stressed out kids forced onto TV by their evil parents and crying every episode? No thanks!
Wheat: Perhaps Jennifer and I love it because we view the young as accessories.
Our TV mavens briefly discussed whether CBS’s schedule looks boring in general before returning to the question of what prizes the Kid Nation kids would earn for playing.
Baldwin: Each week one kid wins a real gold star (e.g. real gold) worth $20k.
Dalton Ross: I know someone who worked on the show. Everyonewas surprised by what good stuff they got out of this, which explainsCBS’ decision to skip summer and put it on in the fall — a very riskymove.
Wheat: I’m telling you, it looked really, really good. Not just exploitative good. Actual quality.
Baldwin: If you like to watch little kids cry, that is.
Abby West: OMG. This IS kind of horrifying. That said, I am sogoing to watch it every week. And my 8-year-old will love it andprobably lobby me to get to be on it.
I myself am on Team Wheat/Armstrong. While it’s painful to see anychild cry (especially the one in the cowboy hat), it’s inspiring to seethem all chant the name of the one, Michael, who steps up to end ascreaming match: "You guys do realize you’re not just representingyourselves," he says. "This is to prove that kids of all age groups canactually get stuff organized and actually create a society where peopleactually share without greed." Each week, the children compete in a"showdown" that detemines what role they’ll have in their society:laborer, cook, merchant, or upper-class. No child is run out of town.Every three days, there’s a town meeting where any of them can chooseto go home. They can also air grievances against their four-kidgovernment. "Stop punishing us, Taylor," one boy says. "This is ademocracy. You’re not allowed to punish us. That is not what a leaderdoes. At all." Again, inspiring… except for maybe the parents ofTaylor, who looks like she’s about to burst into tears.
Which side are you on?
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They bumped T-H-E A-M-A-Z-I-N-G R-A-C-E for this garbage. that’s all I’m sayin’ as to why I won’t watch…
I’m there.
I’m (surprisingly) not completely horrified…
OMG! i watched the preview 3 TIMES already. lol i’m definitely tuning in. So the bigger question is….who on the EW staff with write the TV Watch????
So what, exactly, did happen to Amazing Race? Does anybody know when it’s supposed to be back?
Also, this show does look like it might be pretty interesting.
I already shed a few tears courtesy of the little boy who wanted to go home because he missed his brother who’s in a wheelchair. I became a mess once I realized how much he was trying not to cry! I’ll definitely be watching this show. Root beer for a nickel? I’m in.
There with bells on. It looks fascinating.
Wow! Tears for the preview! I’ll be watching! Though I love reality TV shows this one looks deep! Being a teacher this is great stuff to talk to the kids about this fall and maybe even get some lessons out of!
They replaced Jericho with this? What a horrible move. Jericho was the best show they had, and they screwed it up. I hope this show bombs, Jericho was the BEST SHOW ON TV!
I guess you’re only letting the positive comments through. I think this show is horribly misguided and expoitative. However, that is what Americans want to watch. Mindless drivel where absolutely NO thinking is required and we can make fun of people. Even better if it is children. Can’t wait for Rosie to sound off on this one. Oh, wait, she won’t be on in Sept. NUTS!!! Bring back Jericho CBS, you hacks.
I will not even look at this show unless Jericho comes back!
They pushed Amazing Race back to midseason to make it more of an “event”.
TOTALLY HOOKED!
Jericho – good serial drama that was sacrificed for Kid Nation, which appears to be, well, exploitative garbage mostly. Save a show and some kids, send more NUTS to CBS…
Does anyone remember LORD OF THE FLIES?? How long until some kid DIES?? BRING BACK JERICHO and lose this stupid useless crap.
Children will be exploited for what … children to watch? What sponsors are going to be here? Seriously, this is a Saturday morning show, at best. Intelligent people, adults, and discerning viewers, let’s get ourselves to another network and swiftly!
cbs we will never know who did it? was it political pressure that made you end the show. MAN UP execs
Can someone please tell me why this was given a slot on the fall schedule? I know now I won’t be watching. This is not the type of intelligent and stimulating programming that I crave. CBS has lost my vote with this one.
I can’t believe they bumped Jericho for this? Can’t adults have shows geared toward them, I’m 30 and I don’t feel like watching a bunch of teens with their angst.
Maybe this show will turn into Deadwood Jr. A baby Al Swearengen could develop a gang and set up a puppet government. Little Mr. Wu could get rid of the bodies with his pigs. Get David Milch on this STAT!
Leave it to CBS to pimp children so shamelessly. You know they like this show because they don’t have to pay anybody on it. CBS execs are idiots! They dropped Jericho for this? I won’t watch any of their shows anymore unless they Save Jericho.
This show sounds like a very poor replacement for the Excellent entertainment of the now canceled Jericho that was enjoyed by millions of people in many different countries. Yes, cause we really want more reality shows… Esp ones that suck! And Suck even more for replacing the only thing CBS really had going for it (just cause 20 million people dont watch it live broadcast dosent mean 10 million do and another 10 million watch it online!
I dont understand how CBS could drop Jericho, a good, thought provoking serial show, For a Lord of the Flies wannabe, Everyone reading this should call CBS’s execs and let them know that we dont want Drivel, we want good shows, like Jericho.
This show sounds appalling. They cancelled the engrossing, well-acted and well-written Jericho for THIS?? CBS truly insults their viewers with this type of programming and the arogant and insensitive way in which the Jericho cancellation was done.
how could they replace jericho with this…america has had it with these shows and with these networks!!
I cannot belive Jericho was dropped for this garbage! I know I speak for millions of Americans when I say WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF REALITY SHOWS. Maybe Survivor worked and American Idol, BUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Jericho was an intelligent show that had a captivating storyline that caused one to think. Now they replace it with more “reality shows” where peopel backstab eachother and make total fools of themselves? Jericho was a high quality show with a stong fanbase who have been totally betrayed by the executives at CBS. Rather the executives would continue to pollute the airwaves with another mindless reality show that will be lucky if it even lasts an entire season. If you really want to see what happens when you leave a bunch of kids to govern themselves, just pick up a copy of “Lord of the Flies”
Unfortunately, CBS decided to take a show, Jericho that was beginning to bring families together, getting families to talk, and truly making people think and dump it while spitting in the faces of those viewers.
Now, they are going to exploit children.
Say NO to this disrespectful network!
You gotta be kidding (no pun intended)!! Wow CBS! What an original concept, we’ve never seen anything like that on TV before. Jericho was such an amazing series, I still can’t believe it was dropped to make room for crap like this.
I can’t beleive CBS cancelled JERICHO and for this! There are enough reality shows on t.v.
BRING BACK JERICHO!