Tot TV Watch

The second installment of Nickelodeon’s Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge, airs on Sunday, May 27th, at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.  St. Louis Rams Running Back Steven Jackson will make a special appearance during the “Workout Like a Pro” segment, and teach kids how to strengthen their bodies doing basic exercises like push-ups.  Kenderick and April, this year’s challengers, have already made progress by making small changes in their everyday lives.  The second episode will follow Kenderick as he trains for the Arkansas Invitational Kids Triathlon and April as she begins training for volleyball tryouts.

The first installment of the challenge had more than 1 million viewers and was the number two video on TurboNick, with 1.8 million streams.  The previous “Workout Like a Pro” segment was downloaded on iTunes 6,400 times.  With over 250,000 kids signing up for the challenge in the last year, the program appears to be a success.   I’m thinking I should tune in and get a few tips myself.

Nickelodeon, Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge, Workout Like a Pro, Steven Jackson, Kenderick, April, TurboNick

It looks like the kids will have something else to look forward to in August besides just going back to school. Disney’s “High School Musical 2″ will be premiering on the Disney Channel August 17th.

Hal Boedeker at the Orlando Sentinel was given the opportunity to preview the movie and gave the following summary of the plot:

Still bummed that she was upstaged in the first movie, Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) plots her revenge. She arranges for Troy (Zac Efron) to land a summer job at her family’s country club and tries to isolate him from his friends. He, however, brings his pals along to work at the club.

Undeterred, Sharpay tempts Troy with opportunities. He loses his way and alienates his buddies.

The movie will follow a similar format to the first, including an assortment of original songs. It will also throw some high school sports action in, this time including the baseball team.

Gary Marsh, entertainment president for Disney Channel Worldwide, says that the theme of the second movie will be “What’s important to me?” It will be about the struggle to find your own moral compass and then follow it, rather than just going along with the crowd.

As previously reported, “High School Musical 2″ will see a return of all of your favorite stars from the original movie.

Here’s a video of interviews with some of the cast:

High School Musical, High School Musical 2, premiere, Disney, Ashley Tisdale, Zac Efron, Gary Marsh, YouTube, video

Today is national Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work day in the US. Since my son is a little young to actually participate this year, I asked my seven-year-old nephew if he would like to work with me today and write about his favorite TV show. Here is what Dylan had to say about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

My favorite show is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fast Forward. It is on 4 Kids TV at 10:00 on Saturday morning. The master is Master Splinter. He is a rat. There are four turtles. One is named Raphael. He has a red mask and he has two sias. Leonardo is the leader of the others. His mask is blue and his weapon is two swords. Michaelangelo is really silly and he loves pizza. His mask is orange. The weapon is two nun chucks. Donatello is very smart. He invents many things. His mask is purple. His weapon is a stick. Cody is smart like Donatello, only he was already in the future. He made a time window so he could see the turtles. The turtles accidentally got in the time window and came to the future while they were fighting over the tv. Cody is a good sidekick. Sherling is a robot. He likes things cleaned up. He may be a cleaning robot, but he can always be transformed into a fighting robot. Cody’s uncle is owner of O’neal Tech.

They have many enemies. Raphael often hurts himself because a lot of times the enemies are holograms. Leonardo always tells him that they’re holograms, but he doesn’t listen. Michaelangelo usually doesn’t concentrate. He always ends up in trouble. Donatello is always inventing new things to help the turtles get around and fight.

You should only watch this show if you are old enough to understand not to fight like the turtles unless you are in danger. I like this show because I like turtles and I like to watch them fight bad guys. I often switch who is my favorite turtle.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fast Forward, Michaelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, 4 Kids TV

It’s A Big Big World is an interesting title for a show that focuses on a single tree community. However, when you look a little closer, you see that the tree represents the world on a larger scale. The World Tree is home to a variety of animals including Snook, an energetic tree sloth who helps his friends learn about the world around them; Burdette, a Quetzal bird who is a bit of a know-it-all; Smooch and Winslow, a pair of sibling Marmosets who like to stir things up; Madge, a turtle with a map of the world on her shell; Bob, a Southern Tamandua who loves ants and likes to stir things up; Ick, the crabby catfish who lives in the water hole at the bottom of the tree; Oko, an old Howler Monkey and Tai Chi master; and Wartz, the agreeable Red-Eyed Tree Frog. Each animal has different characteristics and contributes to the tree community in their own way. Amazingly, all of the animals manage to get along and live in harmony, even with their differences.

In the World Tree, the tallest tree in the rain forest, Snook and his friends have many adventures and learn about the world using the methods of scientific investigation. It’s a Big Big World helps kids learn about animals and science through the process of discovery and promotes a better understanding of geography, environment, and community. Each episode also includes original music that features sounds from around the world. The show is produced using the patented Shadowmation, a combination of puppetry and computer generated animation. The result is a high-definition picture with very vivid colors.

After viewing the show, kids can go to the It’s A Big Big World web site to play games and find other activites that build on the ideas presented in the show.

While I will admit that the show moved a little slow for me, it does appear to accomplish its goals of teaching children ages three to six about science and the environment. When you are tired of ABC’s and 123’s, it is definitely a worthy alternative.

It’s A Big Big World can be seen on PBS Kids. Check local listings for times.

It’s A Big Big World, Shadowmation, science, environment, geography, scientific method, animals, World Tree, community, PBS Kids

In the new CG animated series from Phew! Ltd, Foothill Ent., and Kaleidoscope Ent., a young alligator and his jungle friends will educate children about environmental issues. Snapper will focus on issues such as global warming, alternative fuels, and sustainable living, while also exploring friendships and honesty.

Snapper is a little alligator who has been raised in the Amazon treetops by Akimbo the monkey and McCaw the parrot. Snapper learned to be just like them and is now searching to find his true identity as an alligator. Together, the three characters run the Snappy Delivery Service on the Maricombo River. Snapper tends to get into trouble along the way but always makes it to his destination.

Snapper is aimed at the 4-7 year-old crowd. Along with the prominent themes of environment, friendships, and honesty, it will also encourage adventure and imagination.

Snapper has been under development for some time at Phew! and they feel that now is the right time for it as interest in environmental issues continues to grow. It was designed as a multi-media property with internet and mobile applications in mind. With Foothill and Kaleidoscope now on board they are ready to push forward.

Snapper, Phew! Ltd, Foothill Entertainment, Kaleidoscope Entertainment, Amazon, jungle, Maricombo River, Akimbo, McCaw, environment, global warming, alternative fuels, sustainable living, friendship, honesty, adventure

American Greetings Properties and DIC Entertainment have teamed up to launch a new Saturday morning programming block on CBS.  The block will feature new updated versions of Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake, as well a brand new series called Sushi Pack.

Viewers can expect to see 52 new 11-minute episodes of Care Bears.  All of your favorite characters from Care-A-Lot will be there with an updated contemporary look.

Strawberry Shortcake will delight little girls everywhere with her sense of adventure and joy.  There will be 26 22-minute episodes in the Saturday morning series.

Sushi Pack, the new animated series for kids ages 6-11, features five crime-fighting pieces of sushi.  The members of the Sushi Pack aim to protect Wharf City from villains in 52 action-packed 11-minute episodes.

Jeffrey Conrad, Senior Vice President, Creative for American Greetings Properties states, “We are excited about bringing the new look of Care Bears to another generation of kids, as well as introducing the brand new Sushi Pack and showcasing our timeless Strawberry Shortcake through this new programming.”

The three new series will compliment CBS’s existing programming beginning in September 2007.

American Greetings Properties, DIC Entertainment, CBS, Saturday morning, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Sushi Pack, Jeffrey Conrad

(Source: Nickelodeon)
One of the most common complaints I hear about children’s television is that it encourages kids to sit in front of the TV instead of being active and using their imagination.  TV shows and video games are often cited as some of the leading causes of childhood obesity and other pediatric health problems.

In 2005, Nickelodeon partnered with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to try to combat this problem.  The “Let’s Just Play” initiative was formed to encourage kids to engage in healthy and active lifestyles.  Using Nickelodeon’s multimedia platforms, the group has been able to spread their message and reach millions of kids.

Beginning Sunday, April 29, at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, Nickelodeon will premiere the second season of its Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge.  The six month series, airing during TeenNICK, will showcase real kids participating in a challenge to live a healthier lifestyle.  It will feature two 12-year-olds, Kenderick and April, as they participate in the challenge to become healthier.  It will also include a revolving third storyline each month that will focus on an individual or group of kids working to improve health and wellness in their personal lives or communities.  Various NFL players will also appear in the new “Workout Like a Pro” segments, where they will provide fitness tips.

This year’s challenge will include all new multimedia content and tools online to help kids participate.  Beginning April 5th, kids can download a personalized tracker to their desktops to help them track their progress during the Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge.  The tracker includes a list of favorite activities and healthy food options.  Kids can use the tracker and an online e-calendar to keep their activities and healthy habits organized.

In order to reach the most viewers, the Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge will be available on multiple platforms.  TurboNick will be streaming the full episodes, along with behind-the-scenes footage of the challengers.  Episodes will also be available as free downloads from iTunes and made available  on video-on-demand platforms.  Profiles of Kenderick and April will also be featured in the April and May issues of Nickelodeon Magazine.

While the television segments may be aimed at the elementary and tween/teen crowd, I think parents can also adapt many of the healthy habits showcased for the younger audience as well.  There is no reason that your toddlers and preschoolers can’t start learning healthy habits early on.

TV, television, video games, childhood obesity, health, Nickelodeon, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Let’s Just Play, Go Healthy Challenge, TeenNICK, Kenderick, April, NFL, Workout like a Pro, multimedia, TurboNick, iTunes, Nickelodeon Magazine

Up until now I have managed to escape watching LazyTown, but for the sake of the blog I decided to record and actually watch a full episode.  To be perfectly honest, I could have gone my entire life without watching it and not missed much.  I did like the machine Pixel built that could pause, fast forward and rewind life, but Stephanie’s fake looking pink wig and the music (that reminded me of that “Barbie Girl” song) drove me a little batty.  Needless to say it won’t be seen on our TV again anytime in the near future.

LazyTown was created by Magnus Scheving, an aerobics champion and CEO of LazyTown Entertainment.  It has a very unique look which was created by a combination of CGI animation, puppets and live characters. Scheving also stars in the show as the active and health conscience superhero Sportacus.  His character spends his days trying to lead by example and show the residents of LazyTown - known for being lazy - how to live a healthy lifestyle.

Stephanie, who recently moved to LazyTown and lives with her uncle, is an optimistic young girl who has to make daily choices between a healthy alternative and taking the easy way out.  She loves LazyTown, but strives to get her new friends Ziggy, Trixie, Stingy, and Pixel outside to play and keep them more active.  She encourages the others by holding onto her motto, “There’s always a way!”  As an aspiring dancer, Stephanie really appreciates some of the fantastic moves Sportacus performs.

Robbie Rotten, the town villain, is perhaps the laziest of them all.  He spends most of his time snacking and watching TV in his underground lair.  The only time you see him outside is when he has come up with some new idea that he thinks will make his nemesis Sportacus look like a fool.  He just doesn’t understand why all the kids look up to Sportacus instead of himself.

Each day in LazyTown is a brand new adventure.  The adults may be a little lazy, but the kids are learning to give up some of their lazy habits,to Robbie Rotten’s chagrin.  All of the characters add their own splash of personality to the show to create a nice balance.

The one redeeming quality that I see in the show is that it does encourage kids to be active and promotes the idea that all kids do have the will to succeed.  They might just have to search a little to find it.

You can catch new episodes of LazyTown all week long (4/2/07-4/5/07) on Nick Jr. It also airs on Noggin. Check local listings for times.

LazyTown, Magnus Scheving, Sportacus, Stephanie, Robbie Rotten, Nick Jr., Noggin, new episodes

Sometimes I am amazed at just how oblivious I can be. In our house we tend to get stuck on watching certain shows and forget that there is such a wide variety out there. I guess when you have 500 plus channels to flip through it just becomes easier to stick with the ones you know you like. That’s why I was so surprised when a friend mentioned that her son loves to watch TLC in the mornings. I had no idea that they had children’s programming in the mornings. I have to say I’m a little embarrassed about that since I write a blog all about kids’ TV shows.

This morning I decided to flip over to TLC and see what was on. I was pleasantly surprised to catch an episode of Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks. A show about Monster trucks wouldn’t normally be my thing, but I was really impressed with it. The CGI-style animation is bright and colorful and the characters are all unique and very loveable.

Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks is basically a show about friendship and how to treat others. It revolves around Meteor and his group of young, big-wheeled friends who are striving to become monster truck heroes like those before them. In each episode, the young trucks learn about what it takes to be a monster truck and compete to see who can accomplish each obstacle the fastest. Each truck has different strengths and weaknesses and nobody wins all the time. Along the way, the friends teach viewers important lessons about sportsmanship, friendships, and feelings.

In this morning’s episode, “Sue the Rooter Truck,” a stinky, bossy, new Rooter truck named Sue joined Meteor and the group. While the other trucks played together, Sue kept to herself in the corner. Eventually the other trucks reached out to her and found out that she wasn’t really so different. She just didn’t think anybody would like her because of her smell. Once they assured her that they actually liked the smell that made her different, they all got along quite well.

If you haven’t seen Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks, I suggest you give it a try. While it doesn’t teach a foreign language or even ABC’s, it does teach some very important lessons about how to get along with others.

The newest set of Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks episodes is set to premiere April 16-20 on Discovery Kids and TLC.

Bigfoot, Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks, Discovery Kids, TLC, monster trucks, relationships, sportsmanship, Sue the Rooter Truck

March 20th is International Earth Day and PBS is celebrating! PBS Kids will be celebrating “Share the Earth Day” by running all new episodes of It’s a Big Big World, special online activities, resources for parents and teachers, and several other Earth Day themed shows.

The new episodes of It’s a Big Big World begin on Friday, March 16th. On March 20th, kids can learn about taking care of the environment and doing their part with Miss Lori and Hooper during the preschool block. There will be Earth Day themed episodes of Curious George, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dragon Tales, and It’s a Big Big World, as well as music videos from the band Milkshake.

During the PBS Kids Go! programming block, kids can learn about cleaning up the planet and responsibility during episodes of Arthur, Maya & Miguel, Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman, and Cyberchase.

The PBS Kids web site will offer games and activities to help children think about what they can do to help the environment and take care of the Earth. To help them put the concepts into action and apply them to real life, PBS Parents will offer resources and ideas for parents to share with their children and encourage them to explore nature and take an active role in protecting the planet.

PBS, PBS Kids, PBS Kids Go!, International Earth Day, Miss Lori and Hooper, Curious George, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dragon Tales, It’s a Big Big World, Arthur, Maya & Miguel, Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman, Cyberchase

Nickelodeon has announced yet another new interactive series that will include viewer uploaded content. Premiering in September of 2007, iCarly will join ME:TV as one of the numerous convergent entertainment experiences recently launched by Nickelodeon. iCarly is a comedy about a young girl who produces her own home-grown web show. Carly, played by Miranda Cosgrove (of Nick and Jake fame), will give viewers a specific assignment and direct them toward the web site to upload their creations. The uploaded content may be included in a future episode, or as part of Carly’s online web cast.

The description from Nickelodeon is as follows:

In iCarly, Miranda lives with her twenty-something brother/guardian Spencer (Jerry Trainor) and produces her web casts from a makeshift third- floor loft studio. Grappling with adolescence, she never aimed to gain fame as a rising star/underground celebrity to kids. As events unfold in the pilot, it all happens by accident when a teacher (guest star Mindy Sterling, Austin Powers’ Frau Farbissina) puts her in charge of the school talent show. She and her sassy best bud Sam (Jeannette McCurdy) turn the audition process into a show, which Carly’s tech savvy smitten friend Freddy (Nathan Kress) tapes — including their hilarious banter and great chemistry — and posts on the web unbeknownst to them. The online audience clamors for more, and a pop phenomenon blooms, with Miranda and sidekick Sam’s regular web casts ultimately featuring everything from comedy sketches and talent contests to interviews, recipes and problem-solving.

iCarly is set to begin taping the first thirteen episodes in March of 2007. Personally, I can’t wait to see this show take off. Nickelodeon has found a fresh new way to foster creativity in kids and I think we’ll be seeing a lot more shows combining television and user-uploaded content in the future.

iCarly, Nickelodeon, Miranda Cosgrove, ME:TV, interactive, user-uploaded content, web cast, Jerry Trainor, Mindy Sterling, Frau Farbissina, Jeannette McCurdy, Nathan Kress

Manny Rivera is just an average pre-teen boy living in Miracle City, but he possesses superpowers that he’s not quite sure what to do with. With a quick spin of his mystical belt buckle, Manny transforms into the mighty El Tigre, but he just can’t decide whether he wants to become a superhero or a supervillain. Sometimes he manages to be good, but other times he really enjoys just being bad. Most of the time he is just interested in finding a new adventure for himself and his best friend Frida. Frida isn’t always a great influence though, as she often leads him down paths he would have otherwise avoided.

Manny’s father Rodolfo, once a superhero himself, is trying to steer Manny in the right direction, but he’s not always successful. Although he is semi-retired and prefers to focus on his family and 9 to 5 job, he still transforms into White Pantera and saves the day when there is a dire emergency.

Manny’s Granpapi, also known as the super villain Puma Loco, loves his grandson dearly and strives to show Manny the ropes of his villainous ways. Though he claims to be retired, he still manages to pull of an occasional heist. He never misses a chance to show Manny just how fun it is to be bad.

Overall, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera looks like a good show. The struggle between good and evil is always present and it is interesting to see which way El Tigre will turn. Created by husband and wife team Jorge R. Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua, El Tigre is an entertaining Mexican-folk inspired cartoon. While younger viewers may enjoy the animation, it is probably best aimed toward the elementary and/or tween age range.

El Tigre premiered on March 3, 2007. You can catch new episodes on Nickelodeon Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m./9:30 a.m. Central. The episodes will also re-air throughout the week on Nickelodeon. Check local listings for times.

El Tigre, Manny Rivera, White Pantera, Puma Loco, Nickelodeon, Jorge R. Gutierrez, Sandra Equihua

I flipped on the TV this afternoon, scrolled through the episodes recorded on the TiVo and finally settled on Dora The Explorer. When the show started playing, there was no Dora or Boots on the screen. Instead, we were treated to an episode of Rocket Power, a cartoon I had never seen before. We didn’t watch it for long because for some reason we had recorded the Spanish version and my son looked a little confused, but it was still fun to watch something new.

With my curiosity piqued, I decided to do a little bit of research and find out more about the show. Produced by Klasky Csupo, who also created The Rugrats, Rocket Power debuted on Nickelodeon in August of 1999. It revolves around four middle school aged kids from Southern California who love extreme sports. Otto Rocket, Reggie Rocket, Maurice “Twister” Rodriguez, and Samuel Dullard all have different specialties that mold together to form quite a diverse group.

Three made for TV movies were created based on the Rocket Power characters: Race Across New Zealand, Reggie’s Big (Beach) Break, and Island of Menehune. Both the made for TV movies and the animated show have featured cameos from popular sports figures such as Tony Hawk (Enter the Hawk-trix), Andy MacDonald (…Beach Break), and hockey players Jeremy Roenick, Luc Robitaille, and Martin Brodeur (Power Play).

While I didn’t get a good feel for the dialogue of the show (since the episode was in Spanish and I don’t speak Spanish) it did look entertaining. It seems to be aimed more towards the Elementary/Tween range.

If you’ve seen Rocket Power, leave a comment and let me know what you (and your kids) think of the show.

Rocket Power, Otto Rocket, Reggie Rocket, Maurice “Twister” Rodriguez, and Samuel Dullard, Nickelodeon, Klasky Csupo, Tony Hawk, Andy MacDonald, Jeremy Roenick, Luc Robitaille, Martin Brodeur