44 new york | december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020
when my fourth-grader asked if he could watch a show about kids being terrorized by
otherworldly creatures, I made an impulsive decision. I told him yes, but we would watch
together and if he felt nervous at any time, we could turn it off. He never got scared. In fact, he
was so engaged in the story that he wanted to keep going. For a kid more attracted to YouTube
videos than novels, it felt like a breakthrough. If I had gone by the Common Sense guidelines on
Stranger Things, he might not have felt that joy of being sucked into a story. JEN CHANEY
STRANGER THINGS
WHERE TO WATCH: Netflix | EPISODE LENGTH: 42–77 mins.
The animated series
follows the exploits of
a pair of child
inventors over the
course of a very
eventful summer
vacation. The genius
of the show is that
the villain is its moral
center. Dr.
Doofenshmirtz is
incompetent not just
at science but at
being evil. He often
foils himself through
decent acts. A
divorced dad, he
longs to win the
respect and affection
of his too-cool
teenage daughter,
Vanessa, who is
embarrassed by his
ef forts at world
domination. Actually,
he’s not even trying
to dominate the
world, just
the “tristate area.”
ANDREW RICE
i studied the simpsons in high
school like it was a religious text. The
mix of high and low, the dense layering,
informed my own sense of humor. My
son’s indoctrination began when he was
6, with the episode in season eight when
Lisa tries to babysit Bart. Admittedly, he
was too young for most of it. The B-plot
about Springfield’s new outdoor mall
for yuppies was lost on him, except for
when Homer accidentally wanders into
the fountain. But he loved when Rod
and Todd Flanders are afraid of the
moth, and he got emotionally invested,
cheering for Bart but feeling for Lisa.
Maybe it’s a little self-involved to try to
make him love the things I love. But
watching my son take pleasure in this
thing that has given me so much plea-
sure was, in the recursive loop that is
parenting, a pleasure in itself.
IZZY GRINSPAN
The Simpsons
WHERE TO WATCH: Disney+
EPISODE LENGTH: 23 mins.
Phineas
and Ferb
WHERE TO WATCH:
Disney+
EPISODE LENGTH:
23 mins.
PEEP AND THE BIG WIDE WORLD
WHERE TO WATCH: Amazon Prime
EPISODE LENGTH: Two 12-min. segments per episode
What Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
is to social-emotional learning,
Peep is to ecology. Peep, a good-
natured chick, and Quack,
a grumpy duck, plus other
onomatopoeically named friends,
overcome gentle obstacles induced
in part by their general failure to
understand the natural world (a
real deficit if you’re a bird). In one
episode, they find a piece of
bread and save it for later, only to
discover when they return that it’s
moldy, which is bad for them but
good for their ant friends. But
where Daniel Tiger is a visual and
auditory irritant, Peep’s world is
delightfully quirky and genuinely
funny, due in no small part to
narration provided by Joan
Cusack. The visual style is graphic
and minimal—legs are sticks,
bodies are basically balls—and
Quack’s curmudgeonly disposition
provides just the right amount of
vinegar, which may be why, long
after my daughter has moved out
of the neighborhood of make-
believe, she’s still entertained by
Peep. GENEVIEVE SMITH
captain barnacles (a bear) and his
team of underwater explorers complete
missions to help unusual sea creatures.
Each segment features some idiosyn-
cratic aquatic animal. Your children will
know all the details about yellow-bellied
sea snakes that you barely skimmed on the last trip to the
aquarium. Where Octonauts wins out over all the watch-alike
animal-adventure shows is in its charming imagery and heart-
first emotional buy-in. Barnacles is the leader, Kwazii is the
reckless humorist, but the real heart of the show belongs to
Peso the Penguin, the sweet medical tech. Problems are always
surmountable, but Octonauts gives kids enough credit to let
those problems feel real before fixing them. Plus, its closing
musical number absolutely slaps. KATHRYN VANARENDONK
OCTONAUTS
WHERE TO WATCH: Netflix | EPISODE LENGTH: Two 12-min. segments per episode
PHOTOGRAPHS,
THIS
SPREAD:
COURTESY
OF
CBEEBIES
(OCTONAUTS);
COURTESY
OF
DISNEY
(PHINEAS
AND
FERB);
COURTESY
OF
NETFLIX
(STORY
BOTS);
COURTESY
OF
DISNEY
(SESAME
STREET).
NEXT
SPREAD:
C
OURTESY
OF
NETFLIX
(JOHN
MULANEY
);^
COURTESY
OF
DISNEY
(JUNGLE
BOOK
AND
LAD
Y^
AND
THE
TRAMP);
C
OURTESY
OF
NICKEL
ODEON
(P
AW
P
ATROL).
Nine Enthusiastic Recommen
for Shows to Watch With Yo
TRANSMITTED TRANSMITTED
________ COPY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC
2619FEA_KidsTV_lay [Print]_36339551.indd 44 12/17/19 10:19 PM
44 newyork| december23,2019–january5, 2020
whenmyfourth-graderaskedif hecouldwatcha showaboutkidsbeingterrorizedby
otherworldlycreatures,I madeanimpulsivedecision.I toldhimyes,butwewouldwatch
togetherandif hefeltnervousat any time,wecouldturnit off. He nevergotscared.In fact, he
wassoengagedinth y that hewantedtokeepgoing.Fora kidmoreattractedtoYouTube
videosthannovels, e a breakthrough.If I hadgonebytheCommonSenseguidelineson
StrangerThings,he t nothavefeltthat joyofbeingsuckedintoa story. JENCHANEY
STRANGER THINGS
WHERETOWATCH:Netflix|EPISODELENGTH:42–77mins.
Theanimatedseries
followstheexploitsof
a pairofchild
inventorsoverthe
courseofa very
eventfulsummer
vacation.Thegenius
oftheshowis that
thevillainis itsmoral
center.Dr.
Doofenshmirtzis
incompetentnotjust
atsciencebutat
beingevil.He often
foilshimselfthrough
decentacts.A
divorceddad,he
longstowinthe
respectandaffection
ofhistoo-cool
teenagedaughter,
Vanessa,whois
embarrassedbyhis
ef fortsat world
domination.Actually,
he’s noteventrying
todominatethe
world,just
the“tristatearea.”
ANDREWRICE
i studied thesimpsons in high
schoollikeit wasa religioustext.The
mixofhighandlow,thedenselayering,
informedmyownsenseofhumor. My
son’s indoctrinationbeganwhenhewas
6,withtheepisodeinseasoneightwhen
LisatriestobabysitBart.Admittedly,he
wastooyoungformostofit.TheB-plot
aboutSpringfield’s newoutdoormall
foryuppieswaslostonhim,exceptfor
whenHomeraccidentallywandersinto
thefountain.ButhelovedwhenRod
andToddFlandersareafraidofthe
moth,andhegotemotionallyinvested,
cheeringforBartbutfeelingforLisa.
Maybeit’s a littleself-involvedtotry to
makehimlovethethingsI love.But
watchingmy sontake pleasureinthis
thingthathasgivenmesomuchplea-
surewas,intherecursiveloopthat is
parenting,a pleasureinitself.
IZZYGRINSPAN
The Simpsons
WHERE TOWATCH:Disney+
EPISODELENGTH: 23 mins.
Phineas
andFerb
WHERETOWATCH:
Disney+
EPISODELENGTH:
23 mins.
PEEPANDTHEBIGWIDEWORLD
WHERETOWATCH:AmazonPrime
EPISODELENGTH:Two12-min.segmentsperepisode
WhatDanielTiger’s Neighborhood
is tosocial-emotionallearning,
Peepis toecology. Peep,a good-
naturedchick,andQuack,
a grumpyduck,plusother
onomatopoeicallynamedfriends,
overcomegentleobstaclesinduced
inpartbytheirgeneralfailureto
understandthenaturalworld(a
realdeficitif you’rea bird).In one
episode,theyfinda pieceof
breadandsaveit forlater,onlyto
discoverwhentheyreturnthat it’s
moldy,whichis badforthembut
goodfortheirantfriends.But
whereDanielTigeris a visualand
auditoryirritant,Peep’sworldis
delightfullyquirkyandgenuinely
funny, dueinnosmallpart to
narrationprovidedbyJoan
Cusack.Thevisualstyleis graphic
andminimal—legsaresticks,
bodiesarebasicallyballs—and
Quack’scurmudgeonlydisposition
providesjusttherightamountof
vinegar,whichmay bewhy, long
aftermy daughterhasmovedout
oftheneighborhoodofmake-
believe,she’s stillentertainedby
Peep. GENEVIEVESMITH
captainbarnacles(abear)andhis
teamofunderwaterexplorerscomplete
missionstohelpunusualseacreatures.
Eachsegmentfeaturessomeidiosyn-
craticaquaticanimal.Yourchildrenwill
knowallthedetailsaboutyellow-bellied
seasnakesthat youbarelyskimmedonthelast triptothe
aquarium.WhereOctonautswinsoutoverallthewatch-alike
animal-adventureshowsis initscharmingimageryandheart-
firstemotionalbuy-in.Barnaclesis theleader, Kwaziiis the
recklesshumorist,buttherealheart oftheshowbelongsto
PesothePenguin,thesweet medicaltech.Problemsarealways
surmountable,butOctonautsgiveskidsenoughcredittolet
thoseproblemsfeelrealbeforefixingthem.Plus,itsclosing
musicalnumberabsolutelyslaps. KATHRYNVANARENDONK
OCTONAUTS
WHERETOWATCH:Netflix|EPISODELENGTH:Two12-min.segmentsperepisode
PHOTOGRAPHS,
THIS
SPREAD:
COURTESY
OF
CBEEBIES
(OCTONAUTS);
COURTESY
OF
DISNEY
(PHINEAS
AND
FERB);
COURTESY
OF
NETFLIX
(STORY
BOTS);
COURTESY
OF
DISNEY
(SESAME
STREET).
NEXT
SPREAD:
COURTESY
OF
NETFLIX
(JOHN
MULANEY
);
COURTESY
OF
DISNEY
(JUNGLE
BOOK
AND
LAD
Y
AND
THE
TRAMP);
COURTESY
OF
NICKEL
ODEON
(P
AW
PATROL).
Nine Enthusiastic Recommen
for Shows to Watch With Yo