Lucky you. Your kids are teething outside the cultural moment when the pudgy, preverbal, largely unbearable “Teletubbies” were omnipresent.
Parents of today’s preschoolers have an array of positive options readily available, thanks to video on demand, DVDs and DVRs. And the choices are more creative, diverse, educational and less influenced by Mattel than ever before.
In the bad old days of children’s television, activists had to fight the excessive advertising of sugary cereals and the blurring of program and commercial content. Shows were designed by toy marketers without input from the child psychologists, researchers and educators who are on call in the current kidvid universe.
With the technology to zap commercials, plus the huge archive of illustrious children’s programming on public TV and cable’s entry into the field, chances are you can find something worthwhile for Junior on the tube.
Honestly, who hasn’t parked the kiddo in front of a screen for the length of a shower? No matter what the narrow- minded anti-TV snobs say, a half-hour of preselected programming can’t be harmful. It might even spark creativity and open new worlds.
The proliferation of choices can be daunting. Herewith, top picks for entertainments that are not only safe for fragile kid sensibilities but are actually a means of learning:
Preschoolers
“A Little Curious,” HBO Family: A gentle morning option for preschoolers, with artful animation and sweet live-action sequences. I’m partial to Doris the Door, who reminisces about her childhood on a stoop in Brooklyn.
“Sesame Street,” PBS: An innovator for going on 40 years, the show boasts a constantly changing curriculum to address the “social-emotional needs” of modern preschoolers. Beyond Cookie Monster’s letter of the day, and The Count’s number of the day, there’s Rosita, a monster who offers a Spanish word of the day.
“Blue’s Clues,” Nick Jr: Animation combines with a live-action host in this stalwart that encourages kids to think along, sorting information, building self-esteem.
“Clifford,” PBS: Children’s author Norman Bridwell’s animated big red canine teaches life lessons on diverse Bridwell Island. The late John Ritter provided Clifford’s voice.
“Dragon Tales,” PBS: In these morality tales from the Sesame Workshop, animated siblings learn to overcome life challenges, with emphasis on Latino culture and bilingual characters.
“Dora the Explorer,” Nick Jr: Kids play along as the plucky female protagonist goes on quests to do good deeds, surmount obstacles and collect key objects. Her map speaks, her backpack speaks, and, of course, the animals speak. It regularly includes a Spanish- language component. (Dora’s adventurer cousin Diego got a Nick Jr. spinoff in 2005 called “Go, Diego, Go!”)
“Bear in the Big Blue House,” Disney: A fanciful and instructive musical puppet show, it features Bear as a gentle, 7-foot puppet presence who talks directly to kids, helping solve problems (even potty training).
“Charlie and Lola,” Disney: Based on picture books by Lauren Child, this series features lovely, British-accented tales and animation about siblings (like “I Will Not Never Ever Eat a Tomato”). Sweet but not so saccharine as to drive caregivers from the room.
“Johnny & the Sprites,” Disney: Tony winner John Tartaglia (“Avenue Q”) stars in this musical series with puppets helping the musician solve dilemmas (the importance of listening, sharing, etc.) Many of the musical numbers were written by Broadway notables.
“Peep and the Big Wide World,” Discovery Kids: Joan Cusack serves as narrator, tracking the adventures of a newly hatched chick and his friends, introducing simple science and math concepts. Part of Discovery’s “Ready, Set, Learn!” block, which launches a literacy-based program called “Wilbur” in April.
“Between the Lions,” PBS: An award-winning puppet show dedicated to promoting literacy, this playful and punning kindergarten-prep series conveys the joys of reading.
School-aged
“Reading Rainbow,” PBS: A long-running series designed for 4- to 8-year-olds, with host/producer LeVar Burton (“Roots”) offering themed episodes, some serious discussion of topics like poverty or prison, and recommendations for library books.
Animal Planet: There is ample programming here, especially “Blue Planet” and the BBC natural history series. But stay away from “Animal Precinct,” a reality show where cops rescue abused animals in grisly scenes.
“Kim Possible,” Disney: A smart, animated action-adventure show that parodies spy thrillers and features a high-school girl charged with saving the world, between doing homework and dealing with her family.
10 and older
“Hannah Montana,” Disney: A 14-year-old pop singer moves to Malibu, where she keeps her celebrity status under wraps as she tries to maintain some semblance of “normal” life. Billy Ray Cyrus and his daughter Miley star.
“High School Musical,” Disney: The original movie that became a gigantic hit on DVD and CD and is spawning a sequel, is about breaking free of cliques, exploring potential and finding oneself. In song and dance.
“Nick News” on Nickelodeon: Linda Ellerbee, talking media literacy and current events with and for young people, is a standout.
Also worthy are the long-running “Nature” and “Nova” franchises on PBS; certain Travel Channel shows, like the currently running “Alaska: Walk on the Wild Side”; and the new “1,000 Places to See Before You Die,” launching Thursday. And Starz’ new film, “Eloise in Hollywood,” based on the Kay Thompson children’s book series.
Watching with parents
“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Fox: The Jeff Foxworthy-hosted game show that families can enjoy without embarrassment. (Embarrassment is saved for the trivia game contestants.)
“American Idol” Fox: The early stages stress humiliation, but later in the season it’s about the singing. Excessively padded, it takes up too many hours a week for impressionable minds. Still, it’s better than most reality shows.
“Dancing with the Stars” ABC: Ditto, “Idol.”
Keep in mind that according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the average child watches three hours of TV a day, one hour more per day than the two-hour maximum of quality programming recommended by the Academy, and at least two hours more per day than suggested by your local TV critic.
TV critic Joanne Ostrow can be reached at 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com.
