New York Magazine - USA (2019-12-23)

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