Saturday, December 1, 2007

Kid Nation amounts to nothing

Kid Nation didn't pan out as envisioned by the producers. According to the "Los Angeles Times," "The children of Bonanza City never came close to building a new town; the grown-ups who publicly stated they were investigating the production for possibly skirting child welfare and labor laws never got a probe off the ground; and CBS did not get the big hit it was hoping for." Since it premiered September 19, "critics have noted that Kid Nation doesn't live up to its hype because the children never built their own society. Instead, they followed instructions and suggestions by producers -- in the form of a mysterious journal -- at every turn." The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office began investigating CBS’ Kid Nation in late August, but after looking into the permit process and everything else, "officials now say they have dropped the matter." CBS and creator Tom Forman, who owns Good TV, have said all along that they did not break any laws during the production, which took place in April and May. This week, CBS issued the following statement: "Throughout the preseason controversy, we said the true story of 'Kid Nation' would be told through the episodes on the air and the voices of the 40 kids who participated. We remain confident that 'Kid Nation' was produced in a legal and ethical manner, and we stand behind the quality of what is on the screen." A second season for Kid Nation is questionable, although there has been casting and other preproduction activity. The show would be ready in the event of another pick-up.

The season finale is scheduled to air Dec. 12.

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