Kid Nation

Critics far and wide are critical of this CBS show for good reason. CBS started out by telling New Mexico officials they were running a "Summer Camp". KID NATION starts out forcing kids to haul heavy wagons full of supplies thru the desert a mile to a movie set built on the ruins of a failed old west town. I dont even remember adult Survivor contestants doing that! They could have at least have provided pack mules or horses. Upon arriving they chase goats and other animals around then scream, bicker, cry and yell alot. The only "supervision" are a few unseen camera people, though most cameras are mounted and unmanned. The kids proceed to argue about everything, are excited at having port-o-johns available (went into one once and the smell almost knocked me out!) and have a general store stocked with candy and softdrinks. Just what a bunch of hyperactive kids with ADD need - SUGAR! The kids are divided up into 4 teams and do various tasks (one involved some wooden tower thing), talk into the camera. I only saw bits and pieces while channel surfing but what I saw was awful - couldnt stand watching more than 1 or 2 minutes at a time. An 8 year old cried and went home and a girl got a gold star. The end. This sure doesnt sound like any summer camp Ive ever seen or heard of. Camps without running water and proper sanitation are shut down by the Health Department in every State Im aware of. This show demonstrates why Survivor/Big Brother type shows should be limited to adults. Most people have heard about the bleach drinking incident, heaven only knows what else went on but the parents signed a contract not to reveal anything under penalty of a $5,000,000 lawsuit. Check the User News links for details on all of this.





Overall, this show is just plain boring and would be even duller if they did the show with proper adult supervision (camp counselors like in a real summer camp) and puts kids at risk just so parents could collect $5,000 per kid. I wouldnt leave the safety of my child to some untrained cameraman. CBS skillfully evaded child labor laws by calling this show a Summer Camp - I think thats just plain wrong as child labor laws exist to protect children from exploitation by huge billion dollar companies. Fortunately the controversy has States scrambling to strengthen their laws so something like this wont occur again inside the U.S. Again, using adults for shows like this is one thing, using children as young as 8 is another. Even if this show was retooled, it would be more appropriate for Disney Channel or Nickelodeon than primetime network TV. I predict a short life for this show.

I was glued to my television and it was almost like an emotional rollercoaster...One minute an 8 yr old kid is so homesick he's crying, it's heartbreaking, the next minute the goofy kid is saying something so adorable you can't help but laugh. LOVE IT!


It had a Lord of the Flies feel where the kids must govern themselves except the difference is that there were already appointed leaders. They realize how hard it is to be a leader while the other kids learn how hard it is to be a laborer. I really think this show is going to be great, and I can't wait for the next episode. They are adorable, smart and funny kids thrown into an experience they would never expect. I think it's an awesome concept and I wish Jimmy didn't go home!

Someone at my work described this show to me as kids unsupervised in the desert; I envisioned "Lord of the Flies," but I got with the first episode was more like "Survivor, Jr."





It turns out the kids are not as unsupervised as I'd hoped. The Dad-like host shows up to issue challenges and to provide rewards. It isn't the total anarchy I'd hoped to see. And there seems to be this focus on teaching viewers about team-work. I wanted "Lord of the Flies," and I'm getting Outward Bound instead.





This show is campy, and has reinforced my opinion that other people's kids are annoying. Yet, there was something a bit redeeming about it. I'm not a fan of "Survivor," and this show is essentially "Survivor - Desert Midgets" minus some of the gamesmanship that title would entail. Nonetheless, I think I'll tune in again next week. This show is fairly borderline to me, and the next episode will determine which way I decide.





Besides, in its time slot, what else are you going to watch?

A reality show for kids. And that it is rare that they show a reality show that features all kids and no adults, except for the host, Jonathan Kersh. Who does his best not to interfere. Really it is a good show. Afraid that it wouldn't be a good show as it exploit kids and child abuse to come of it. Despite the controversy, it shows that these kids are overacheiving and want to be hard workers in the process. Of building their own "nation" hence the title. They are divded into four teams. Oldest is fifteen years old and the youngest is 8 1/2. All ages, all nationalities, with one goal. To win the $20K!

Here is a show that, while not perfect, delves into uncharted territory and comes out rather successful.





This show is controversial, and it's easy to see why. Forty kids left to fend for themselves for forty days? Not really your average summer camp. Split into four groups, the kids must complete challenges which determine their class for the next few days... and their pay. Each group is led by a council member, who incidentally is also a child. Every three days there is a town hall meeting where kids can discuss problems, decide to go home, or win 20,000 dollars.





It is in the meetings that the kids express themselves most. Some of their desires are juvenile, and you ask yourself "what?" and in some cases "why am i watching this?". But then there are kids that really shine and want to prove to themselves, each other, and everyone watching, that kids can build a nation better than any other. This show kind of makes you wonder what you would have done as a kid. It makes you wonder if you could stick it out, and it makes you wonder which one of those kids you would be. Would you be the one that inspires, or the one that is scared, or the one that causes havoc?





The structured four class system is less than ideal, but let's face it the kids can't go everything alone. Some people say that this ruins the kids' ability to create their own society, and in a way it does. However, the decision of what to do with their money lies with the kids alone, and they can spend it or disperse it however they like. From buying a rootbeer to pooling together to helping a friend. This show, however, leaves something to be desired. An older, more competent council probably tops the list. Not much older, but come on, have at least one be the oldest in the town! And, dealing with maturity, the kids are too young by far to make a great "nation." However, it would be very intriguing to see what a group of slightly older kids and teens could accomplish. They may just show us something that we can learn from. At it's core, the show is trying to give hope. It's about looking at children and seeing what they might be able to accomplish. But most of all it makes you wonder what, if given the opportunity, you might do if you had the opportunity to help create a mock nation. Would it work?

Let me start off by saying I'm not a huge fan of reality TV, and I've never watched Jericho, so my review has nothing to do with this show taking its place. I saw previews for this show on Sunday during the football game, and I thought it could be entertaining and informative. I've taken child psych classes, so it seemed like it could be an interesting social experiment.


Put aside, for now, the child exploitation and child endangerment that the producers should probably be arrested for, and focus on the show itself. My problems with this show started from pretty close to the beginning. If the kids were to make their own society, or nation, if you will, they should not have had leaders pre-picked for them. Start them off as equals and let the natural leaders in the group emerge. It would have been far more interesting to see who would stand out as the leader of the pack when they were pulling the wagons than to have 4 kids chosen for their politically correct demographics. Who cares if those leaders would be white, black, male, female, rich, poor, 8, or 15? Picking leaders because they are demographically representative of the whole is just dumb.


There was a comedic element in the whiny-ness and arrogance of the chosen "council", but it was quickly surpassed by annoyance. Is anyone NOT annoyed by the 4 kids they picked to lead? It's hard picking the most annoying kid, but it would come down to either Mike or Laurel.


I was supremely disappointed to see the 4 "districts" (Survivor tribes anyone?) as well. You don't start out trying to build a city by dividing the settlers into four groups. The same goes for the four classes. This was just pointless. Is the show about Survivor style competions or kids trying to make a society. In all the previews, it hails itself as some grand social experiment, kids trying to make their own town. Nothing is ever said of corny, contrived competitions. Let each kid gravitate to what he or she does best. For instance, everyone knows that Sofia should have been in charge of the kitchen. Why would you take someone away from a job they do well just because of a competition.


I guess my major problem with this show is that they spoiled something that could have been amazing, uplifting, and socially relevant by pandering to the Survivor demographic. Too much structure and enforced rules/order, exactly the thing it says it does not have. Also, one note on the child endangerment: I don't have a problem with the adult host and camera operators in the "Kid Nation". I understand they are necessary, so that complaint falls on deaf ears here. I do, however, hope that they had an adult medical advisor of some sort around. I've heard the leaked rumors, and since I don't know it for a fact, I'll ignore them, but when DK (or whatever the kid's name was) hurt his ankle, there should have been an adult like a paramedic or doctor there to look at it. Kids are not qualified to tell what is a "muscle strain" and what might be something much more severe. There is a point where the whole kids-only thing just goes too far, and medical health is that point.

This show is a joke. I really believed that they would let the kids create a society of their own. They're controlled, manipulated and influenced. The producers separated them into 4 groups, imposed onto them 4 classes and then created a reward system. This is far from a kid nation. This a social study of child interaction. I hope this show ends soon before we discover how sick it can get. The producers are pulling all the strings. The only reality here is the pain and tears that we see from the kids positioned into situations for our entertainment.

This show sucks and supermegahydra gigahydrobiglymegalystupid!!!! I mean if they dont have adults then who uses the camera!!!!!!!!!HUH HUH Answer that someone HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I win and every exclamation mark i write is how bad this show is! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! @! ! ! ! ! ! !! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! o my how come you have to write 100 words this isnt a serious real review where you get paid this is opinions.And opinions can be long or short.