Kids' shows for adults, can there really be such a
thing? There's a kid in all of us
somewhere, particularly us overgrown geeks.
No matter how old we get, we're never quite willing to sacrifice those
lasting shreds of immaturity that drive our obsession with all things
science-fiction and fantasy.
So, even as we age, nostalgia grows for the TV of our past. Some of us are fortunate enough to re-experience franchises and properties
through the younger eyes of children, young friends and family. Sure, they might not be cool enough to have
watched the original ThunderCats, but
as long as Lion-O swings his sword and cries to the heavens we won't hold that
against them.
But, kids shows aren't only for kids, right? The young audiences of some of our favorite
classics have grown up to start new series of their own, and reinvent all the
wonderful humor and action in profound new ways! Nowadays the best kids' shows incorporate
humor for all ages and bring better sci-fi and superhero action than half the
movies out there!
So what are the best kids' shows for grown-up nerds to
watch? Who can we plop the youngin's in
front of, but still watch to get our own geek on? Superheroes save, lightsabers swing and The
Count will count when it comes to our list of the best kids' shows, but we
want to hear your thoughts!
Have you found yourself surprised by how good a kids' show can be? What shows have brought
your generations together? Hit us up in
the comments section below with your own stories!
Kids' Shows For Grown-Up Nerds
Kids' TV shows get better and better each year with deeper storytelling and more layered writing, so check out our list of kids' shows grown-up nerds would love.
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By Kevin Fitzpatrick August 19, 2011 |
| 6 | Total Drama |
Given the sad state of reality television today (they're not only giving Snooki her own realty series, but the CW's H8R forces people to articulate why they hate her), us adults could use a break from the latest real... top... whatever.
Enter the various seasons of Total Drama, which interestingly manages to slip by with a "G" rating in America despite its original Canadian airings containing cursing, nudity and innuendo. So while adults can appreciate the more crass humor, we can also expose children to the horrible future of TV at an early age! Face it, they're going to have to learn about Snooki sooner or later.
| 5 | Transformers: Prime |
We all get tired of Shia LaBeouf and Michael Bay sooner or later, that's why we're glad to have the bots back on the tube for Transformers: Prime. This time, it's a bit more accessible than that bizarre anime-styled Transformers series that was set in the future. Plus, we're pretty sure it was actually illegal to take the voice of Optimus Prime away from Peter Cullen.
But, don't let the human kids and friendly faced robots fool you, there's plenty for adults to love. Parents have actually complained that the series displays too much violence for children, with its surprising amount of robot gore and several instances of human torture and death! Just like how we felt watching the second Transformers movie!
| 4 | Young Justice |
Remember all the cutesy anime-style humor of Teen Titans? Okay, now picture the exact opposite of that. Given a much more gritty and realistic makeover, Young Justice has carried on the torch from Bruce Timm's DCAU as our new favorite DC continuity.
The major Justice Leaguers play their supporting roles well enough to make their appearances that much more memorable, while the Young Justice crew still offer plenty of personality to keep things interesting without pandering. Did we mention the action? Start watching to get a better sense of how sophisticated the tech and fight sequences become, then nod along as your youthful companions scream "look, superheroes!"
| 3 | ThunderCats |
Just when you thought a remake (reboot, re-imagining, or whatever else you'd like to call it) could never hold a candle to the original, along come the thunder, thunder, ThunderCats! It's only a few episodes into the new series, but ThunderCats has already made headlines as a fresh re-imagining of the series, paying plenty of fan service and delivering inventive sci-fi /fantasy all its own.
Young fans will find plenty to latch on to, with the clever interplay of big damn heroes with big damn weapons. Additionally, fans of the original series owe it to themselves to see the new direction the classic series is going, and to explain to younger viewers just why they find themselves so disturbingly fixated on Cheetara.
| 2 | Sesame Street |
Please, it's Sesame Street! If the nostalgia factor isn't enough to get you watching with or without your kids, how about the topical parodies that make their way into the series, such as True Blood?
Not to mention all the attention-grabbing news the series has been making over the past few years, everything from Katy Perry's boobs to whether or not Bert and Ernie would be walking down the aisle! Though, if nothing else, one could always use a refresher course on counting.
