Shake It Up (Disney Channel Series)

Title: Shake It Up
Channel: Disney Channel
2 seasons
Starring Zendaya and Bella Thorne

The last of the Disney Channel sitcoms that my sister has recommended (and I don't think I shall review anymore). I thanked her for her input, but I don't think I'll be taking her advice for items to review (at least not with T.V. shows).

Description:

'Shake It Up' follows best friends Rocky and CeCe (both girls) as they go through the typical Disney preteen/teen girl life of school and boys. The only difference; these two girls are back up dancers on the hit T.V. show "Shake It Up, Chicago!". The episodes usually focus on the girls lives as dancers on the show, their romantic lives or their ongoing battles with the vaguely German sounding twins Gunter and Tinka.

Review:

Just awful. I tried hard to find some sort of redeeming quality within this show, but found only negatives. The show is poorly written and extremely predictable (not a new thing for 'tween', cookie-cutter 'Hannah Montana' imitations). But I found this show so bad that it bordered on offensive. The girls only care about boys and dancing (not the best role models) and are constantly getting in trouble, seemingly always on the verge of getting kicked off of their dance show. The girls wear unbelievably age inappropriate clothing and their are virtually no discernible adult role models. A bad show, with questionable marketing ploys and children acting and dressing way older than they ought to, with a conspicuous lack of adult presence; a terrible mix.

Good Luck Charlie (Disney Channel T.V. Series)

Title: Good Luck Charlie
Channel: Disney Channel
2 Seasons
Starring Bridgit Mendler

Another Disney Channel program that my 'tween' sister recommended I watch. I watched two or three episodes over the course of an evening (had some nice quality time with the siblings).

Description:

'Good Luck Charlie' follows the life of teenager Teddy and her large, often crazy, family. The title of the show is derived from the fact that each episode of the show ends with Teddy recording a video of advice for her infant sister Charlie, for when she's all grown up (each ending with the phrase "Good luck Charlie). Teddy's family includes sister Charlie, brothers P.J. and Gabe as well as their parents. The episodes usually revolve around Teddy's social life or happenings at her school. The family is often depicted in crazy situations, with each member of the family milling about trying to solve their own problems. Teddy is repeatedly required to be the solid rock of the family; her level head tends to save the day.

Review:

Unlike the other shows that I have reviewed from the Disney Channel, "Good Luck Charlie" has some nice, adult, role models (even if they are sometimes incompetent). The parents on the show are usually important in terms of storyline and often have kind words of advice for Teddy to aid in her teenage troubles. While a little predictable and not-so-funny at times, 'Good Luck Charlie' is a pretty entertaining program that has more in terms of substance than other Disney Channel programs.

The Suite Life On Deck (Disney Channel T.V. Series)

Title: The Suite Life on Deck
Channel: Disney Channel
3 seasons
Starring Cole and Dylan Sprouse

Now in its' third season on the Disney Channel, "The Suite Life" is a very popular show marketed toward the 'tween' age group. Starring twin brothers Cole and Dylan Sprouse, the show is a spin off of "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody" which was also on the Disney Channel.

Description:

"The Suite Life on Deck" follows twin brothers Zach and Cody as they and their friends deal with life aboard a cruise ship. They partake in many of the same activities as other kids their age (at least their other television counterparts) yet with the twist of taking place aboard the S.S. Tipton. The show is mainly concerned with the brothers and their social interactions with their friends and the crew of the ship. Their group of friends include London, the rich-ditsy type of girl whose parents own the cruise ship and who is constantly out of touch with how people with less money cope in most situations and Bailey, London's smarter and more in-control roommate who is often a love interest. The ever-bumbling and pushover adult-figure for the kids is Mr. Moseby, a very cautious and rigid man with an English accent.

Review:

Falling in line with the Disney formula, which has proven successful with shows like "I-Carly" and "Hannah Montana", "The Suite Life on Deck" doesn't stray too far from the familiar. The kids live in a highly unrealistic world and events on-board are often outlandish and impossible for life aboard a cruise ship. Most of the characters are simply filling cliched stereotypes and rely heavily on these stereotypes for the show's humor and story lines. The character of London is really a tough pill to swallow (especially for us adults) as she is portrayed as a helpless, not-so-smart young girl who is rich so everyone does everything for her; not what parents probably would like their kids to be emulating. The only adult figure of any prominence on the show is Mr. Moseby, who provides more as a walking punchline than as a role model and is constantly being steamrolled by the children into doing as they wish.

Overall, not surprising given the other Disney channel shows that I have watched, but really nothing here that I could try and enjoy, or that I would recommend a 'tween' watch. Not something horrible that kids should be kept away from, but not much positive to write home about either. While I feel like I sound like a broken record, this show and "I-Carly" were very similar in how I felt after watching; a little cranky. My little brother and sister really like these shows and could watch them ad nauseam, which to me is a little bit worrisome.

ICarly (Television Series)

Title: ICarly
Channel: Disney Channel
5 Seasons
Starring Miranda Cosgrove

Currently in its' 5th season, ICarly has been an extremely popular show among tweens. My younger brother and sister (12 and 10 respectively) are huge fans of the show and the reason for my exposure to the program.

Description:

ICarly follows the life of Carly, a young girl who lives with her older, kooky brother Spencer in a trendy loft apartment in Seattle, WA. The show stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly and centers around a video blog that Carly and her friend Sam star in, with their friend in charge of the camera work. Sam is most often portrayed as a brash, tom-boy like girl who constantly picks on Freddie who is the brunt of many of Carly and Sam's jokes. The episodes usually find the trio involved in some sort of conflict or uneasy circumstance, often times involving their website and online T.V. show, which by the show's end is usually resolved and the general dynamic from the beginning of the show is restored.

Review:

After watching ICarly several times with my younger sister, I was left with a couple questions; where are her parents and where are the adults in general? The lack of adult presence in the show makes it so that Carly and her friends can basically do whatever they like and they are often portrayed as meeting together at a smoothie restaurant (very similar to the coffee shop in 'Seinfeld'). They speak, dress and act much older than the characters age would indicate (although the actors themselves are probably older than their characters or audience would indicate).

While some of the sight gags were amusing, and one overweight character named Gibby really got a rise out of my sister, I have to say that this is not the kind of programming kids should be watching. While not harmful in the least, the jokes are sort of dumbed-down and the characters fail to face any really difficult situations (or even realistic ones). Not a horrible show that one should never let their kids watch, but there are just so many better things that a tween could be spending their time with.