Best and worst kids shows as a parent?

[Kahuna Burger]

Just tried out the new Team Geotrax cartoon on the on demand menu.... IT MELTED MY BRAIN!!!!!

So it got me thinking - for the parents out there who watch shows with your grade school or younger kids, what are the best and worst? (or the most and least painful, if you are loath to call any "best" )

Best for me would be Jakers . I enjoy watching it for it's own sake, I'm a sucker for a frame story and hey, it has the voice of Mel Brooks! The cute little irish accents are just gravy.

Since the monstrosity which prompted this post isn't an actual series yet, I can't vote for it for worst. Barney gives me hives, but I knew that in advance and never let the Kahuna Meatball get a taste for it, so I'm not subjected to it... Of the ones he watches, Angelina Ballerina is coming to annoy me most.

Speak up parents! What are your guilty pleasures and your "barely tolerated"?

 

[Richards]

I like "It's a Big, Big World" - it's kind of a Sesame Street that takes place in a rainforest, and concentrates on science facts. It's got really impressive puppetry, and some cool personalities. (Ick, the fish, is a particular favorite - he's such a dick!) And I even admit to having pretty much memorized the words to "The Way of the Bob" (Bob being the scaredy-cat anteater who wants the ants to love him).

"Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends," and "Curious George" are also good shows - I've laughed out loud at episodes of "Curious George" several times.

"Dragon Tales," "Super Why," and "Handy Manny," though - not my favorites.

Johnathan

 

[Kahuna Burger]

"Dragon Tales," "Super Why," and "Handy Manny," though - not my favorites.

Dragon Tales is a show I feel the need to close caption.

Show : "But Mom won't let us go to the park by ourselves...."

Me : "But I'm sure she won't mind if we go to another dimension and have adventures!"

Show : "I know! Let's go to Dragon Land!"

Me : "Yeah, Mom doesn't check on us when we are totally quiet in our play room for hours at a time, so it should be fine!"

 

[Steel_Wind]

Depends,

My youngest is only 2.5. Early language and preschoolers have different TV "needs".

Nickleodeon appears to know *exactly* what they are doing. My son loves Backyardigans, Wonder Pets, Dora etc.

"The phone...the phone is ringing."

It's lame but cute I suppose. Point is - he loves it - and that's all that matters to me.

 

[takyris]

Shows I will actually enjoy when my son wants to watch them:

Backyardigans
Pocoyo
Wonder Pets

Shows I don't really enjoy but find nonobjectionable when my son wants to watch them:

Max & Ruby
Little Bear
Mighty Machines
Thomas the Tank Engine

Shows that make me grind my teeth when my son wants to watch them:

Toopy & Binoo
Harry and his Bucket of $#@@!ing Dinosaurs
Dora (and Diego)
Maggie and the Ferocious Beast
Rolie Polie Olie

 

[Klaus]

My son is 3.

He loves Backyardigans, Lazy Town (took him to the live show yesterday!), Clifford, Harry and the Bucket of Dinosaurs. But now I feel he needs more action-oriented shows, if only to prepare him for his friends in school, who are physically more apt than him. So I started introducing him to the Power Rangers. I might also buy the first season of the original He-Man cartoon for him.

Shows absolutely NOT for kids include pretty much everything in Cartoon Network, alas. Grim Adventure of Billy & Mandy; Ed, Edd & Eddy; etc.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I'm a huge fan of Veggie Tales. One of my ex-gfs used to babysit, and I got to watch a couple of episodes once. It was great.

~Barbara Manatee~

 

[Zaukrie]

We watch almost no tv anymore at all. When they were the age you are discussing, veggie tales, Clifford, Arthur and dragontales were their favorites. But, the best show to watch is them playing with toys and you playing with them.

 

[Inferno!]

My wife and I both like to watch Avatar the Last Airbender & Jimmy Neutron with the kids. I like SpongeBob (as I hang my head in shame) but my wife hates it. I can tolerate Dora and Diego.

 

[Eosin the Red]

I got my 5 and 7 y/o boys hooked on the Justice League. They only watch when I am with them since there are rare PG-11 moments but by and large the shows work well for young school aged kids. My youngest cried when Solomon Grundy took the dirt nap.

More normal shows -
The little one likes Backyardigans, The Jakers, and Super Why. Occasional reversion to Sesame Street type stories for the music.

The older boy doesn't like "kiddie stuff" like trains or cars with faces yet he owns every Thomas train ever made. He really digs the JLA and Batman animated. He watches shows with little bro but only when he thinks no one is paying attention.