I can talk about it now... New Fall TV show

[Comic Book Geek]

I've mentioned that I knew people that will be on a new reality series, and today CBS released some info on it. The two people I know are actually the daughters of my best friend. A year or two ago he auditioned for Survivor, and was contacted last year, not to appear on Survivor, but for the fact that his application noted that he had kids. It took him months to decide if he'd let hollywood have his kids for 40 days, and it sounds like it was a great experience for his kids. Unlike many reality shows, kids aren't voted off, but they vote for someone to get rewards. It was supposed to be a Summer release, but it looks like CBS execs have determined that it's good enough for the Fall line-up.

"Kid Nation" is the kid reality show. The premise, from CBS: "40 kids will have 40 days to build a new world -- in a ghost town that died in the 19th century. These kids, ages 8-15, will spend more than a month without their parents or modern comforts in Bonanza City, N.M." Let the sociological discussions begin. The show comes from producer Tom Forman of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

[Megotu]

That actually sounds watchable for a reality show...
I was thinking more Lord of the Flies...

[megocrazy]

I find the TV experience is great. A while back we were in FL and my boys decide they want to go to a Slime Time Live tryout at the Nickelodeon studio. We show up and there's about 100 kids trying out for 6 spots. I have twins and the funny thing is I worried more about one getting picked and not the other more than them doing something stupid all their school mates would see on national TV. As have it they both make the pick and as were heading to the park cuz there's a couple of hours before shooting starts the casting guy comes up and asks if we'd be interested in doing some other stuff. So the boys and my daughter who was 5 at the time end up spending the day filming a show called G.A.S. (Games and Sports) for Nick's satellite channel. It was pretty cool to see how everything goes back stage in a production. We also got to meet Michelle Branch who at the time was just starting her recording career and was the guest on the show. I think it will be a great experience for your friends daughters. CG

[Adam West]

Pretty neat idea.

Sounds similar to a PBS series called Frontier House but rather than use kids, it was families who were taken out to the Frontier and had to fend for themselves for the better part of a year.

It was very interesting to see how the different families turned out. One family fought so much, they ended up divorcing after they show ended. Another family was a wealthy family, the father was a CEO and he kept in good spirits the entire show. Because of his ability to think outside the box, he was able to come up with creative ideas to support his family (he started a moonshine business and was trading it with a local merchant for needed food and other necessities).

The 3rd family was a newly married couple and at the end of the day, the show experts thought they were the only family that would have made it through one winter since they only had to fend for themselves two of them and they both could do equal amounts of work and not worry about feeding children or having to store up too heavy for the long winters.

[Comic Book Geek]

I watched a few episodes of Frontier House. Kid Nation wont truely be roughing it. Most of the situations will be staged, however they were in a true ghost town and did have to do the work themselves.

It sounds like the show was good to my friend's girls, but you just never know how they will edit it. All of the crew complimented them on their girls, and the entire last day while my friend was there the director of the show and a camera crew followed them everywhere, while other families were ignored.

I'm anxious, but Ron (my friend) who is usually the most laid back person I know is going crazy waiting for it. It was supposed to be a mid season show, and when he found out it was Fall and he freaked.

[huedell]

Sounds like a fun summer-camp-like experience--- cool

I'd wager it'd make for nice kid/drama show as well

[Comic Book Geek]

There's a preview up now on CBS.com, just click on Kid Nation on the Wed night line-up at this link

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2007/

My friend's girls are seen several times. Mallory is mentioned as the youngest, and she's in quite a few spots and announces that the general store is open. Olivia is seen saying, "Even when you had a job you didn't work."

[Adam West]

Looks like Kid Nation is airing in a few weeks. I found an article regarding with some one kid's parents complaining about their experience on the show. Seems to me that most kids today lack basic survival skills.

http://tv.yahoo.com/kid-nation/show/41733/news/urn:newsml:tv.ap.org:20070823:kid_nation_complaints

[Comic Book Geek]

There was a kid that was cooking and a grease pop hit her face. Minor at best. She was treated daily. From what my friend is saying I think the mom smelled lawsuit and started raising some noise. I think that in GA where she filed this, it was dismissed. The other instance was a few kids that found an unmarked bottle of bleach left over from the crew clean-up (the 40 kids were on thier own except for about 300 adults in the crew) Anyway the kids poured bleach into a few glasses. Two kids realized that drinking horrible smelling liquid could be hazardous, while one boy tasted it, was imediately treated, and was allowed by his parents to continue on the show. There were a few people that couldn't believe their kid had a few bruises. It was a wierd mix of kids. Some of these kids are mommy's little projects. Child models, actor hopefulls, while my friend's kids are just normal kids.

The show is getting bad press right now due to a dispute about child labor laws in NM and one parent that I believe wants cash, but by and large it sounds like the kids and their parents found it to be a good experience. That may change once it airs and some of these kids come off as brats. My friend's girls loved the experience, made some great friends that they've kept in contact with, and hopefully things will stay this positive after it airs. They are both great kids.

[Hulk]

CBS could be in deep doo doo if NM finds they violated the Child Labor Laws. Sounds like the producers could have avoided a lot of hassle if they had just applied for the correct permits. Its good to hear the experience was a mostly positive one for the kids though.

[Comic Book Geek]

One DA from NM that was on CNN said there wasn't really any recourse NM can make towards CBS at this point. After the show aired NM law became more strict so there wont be a season 2 there. It's disputable if CBS broke any laws. Their lawyears interpreted the law, and then didn't bother to ask permission by the sound of it.

There's a few things the media is doing to spin this thing. In the one instance the CNN reporter read the actual news on it in which one parent has complained, and then proceeded to repeatedly say that parentS are complaining. She also left out the part in which no wrongdoing could be found to support the single complaint. It's so slanted, but I realized that if they report it as if kids were not mistreated, then they have no story.

[Adam West]

My kid's have been watching this show and I caught the episode last night.

When Mallory and her sister were featured I mentioned that someone on the website was friends with their parents.

It was cool to see her win $20,000 and your friend and his wife were on TV. The overall show is so/so but my kids like it.

My 12 year old made a comment about the 15 year old bully on the show. He wished there was an old jail cell there in the ghost town that they could throw him in and make him sit there until the show ends.

[Comic Book Geek]

Yup. Those were my friend's girls. It's hard for any of us to judge weather the show's good or not... We're just like "Hey look it's Olivia!" We meet at a local place with big TV's for dinner and the show each week, and Morgan, the other girl up for the star from last night who is also from Indy was there. It was a great episode for all three of them. Good kids.

As for Greg the bully, I have it on good authority that if they'd been able to they would have locked the kid up and kept him there... except when the outhouses tip over.