Here's a list of shows you should be watching. One of the shows is Kid Nation:
The controversial premise of this reality show -- children trying to survive on their own in a ghost town -- was never really resolved, but the fascinating collection of 40 kids, ranging from 8 to 15 years old, has made it shockingly compelling viewing.
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The kids established a curfew after a night of sugar-induced partying, debated and compromised on the nature of existence and religion, held elections, dealt with their growing trash and rodent problem and even slaughtered a few chickens. All in all, the question really should be, 'What hasn't happened in Bonanza City?'
I have to agree with this reviewer. My kids refuse to miss the show (even my 15 year-old). Sometimes I decide I'm too busy but then I'll start watching because it's so compelling. The kids shock you with their maturity (mostly), compassion and ability to forgive. They shock you by choosing the reward that's good for them, not necessarily the fun reward. Their parents must be so proud of their kids (for the most part :-)
The interaction between the kids is interesting and not staged, making it easy for my kids to see how to resolve issues in a mature manner. The story involving religion was pretty fascinating. The town council (who generally make the decisions for the town) decided to impose an ecumenical service on the town. Until they choose to do that, there really wasn't much problem with religion but after they proposed the service arguments broke out all over the place. The kids didn't want to do it, there were atheists and Christians who were opposed. The Hindu, agnostics and some of the Christians and other kids wanted to do it and couldn't understand why the other kids would oppose it. In the end no one showed up for the council's service but some kids got together to pray and then when they won their challenge, they chose religious texts over a miniature golf course. Over the text, kids were able to share about their religion with others.
It was an interesting microcosm on the debate over religion. Even at a child's level, religion can divide when a believer is forced to compromise their faith. That's a message that we all should learn.
