Family tv series

[holliscx]

Looking for some recs to watch as a family. I was surprised sometime last year when our kids, 8 and 10, summoned us to disclose what my wife and I watch after they go to bed. We told them we watch a cooking show called Top Chef and we were ordered to show it to them. Our kids are nearly caught up with all 17 past seasons. They absolutely eat it up (pun not intended) and it's been a special exercise in family bonding that I didn't see coming.

My son is pressing me for what's next. Honestly the first show that came to mind was Project Runway which I told him is basically Top Chef but substitute scallops for a mailman uniform. My kids were grinning at the prospect.

Bravo can get annoying. I find their gay and lesbian contestants almost caricatures. Like I don't care if you're gay just sear the scallop or sew a dress but Bravo has each gay contestant shout their gayness which I find fake and tiring as a viewer. I can't imagine if I were on the show boasting about how straight I am but I digress and Project Runway is exponentially more in that realm than TC because of the nature of fashion. It seems like Bravo hits you over the head with an agenda just speaking honestly.

We're looking for some show recommendations that Salonistas may have watched with their families. The only shows I remember watching growing up with my parents was The Cosby Show and a smidge of Dallas but I wasn't that into JR and Southfork Ranch.

We watched Top Chef in reverse chronological order and the censors were increasingly loose. So our kids may end up cussing like a NJ cheftestant losing restaurant wars but it could be worse. I'm not sure TC is appropriate for 8 and 10 but I think it was pretty wholesome if a little early to watch something with F-bombs flying in the kitchen.

What about the Simpsons? I wasn't a big fan but obviously I'm sure the kids would love it. It's brilliant. Is it appropriate for kids (age 8 and 10)? For example, I don't think Southpark is at all for my kids' ages.

Just curious what shows surprised you that your kids responded positively to. Thanks for any recs.

[rec head]

I think Bart and Lisa are 10 and 8 so it is perfect.

[Too Tall]

Heartland.

It puts my head to sleep, horses, more horses and most shows are about horses. What could be wrong with that?

[ElvisMerckx]

My kids are teens now, but at that age we picked up the box sets of The Andy Griffith Show, Star Trek (original series), Pee Wee's Playhouse, The Muppet Show, and Happy Days. Gotta say they are much better than today's offerings for that age group. And my kids loved all of them.

Similar to your experience with over the top caricatures on Bravo, we grew increasingly frustrated with Hollywood movies with "strong female lead characters" who suffered no faults, faced no challenges, and were better, stronger, smarter, and faster than their male counterparts. How can they keep making movie after movie where the lead character has a flat arc? Ugh.

[robin3mj]

My wife's cousin won one of the more recent seasons of the Great British Baking Show.
I don't watch it myself but have numerous friends (and their kids) who swear by it.

[j44ke]

You know that TV isn't real, right Hollis?

+1 for Simpsons.

Also like Futurama. They won't get the jokes but that's okay.

HBO has a series called "His Dark Materials" which is a science fantasy with talking animals and kids who are smarter than adults and suspense and chases and mysteries. I would have eaten that up as a 10 year old who was reading Tolkein, Watership Down, Dune and other books.

Same vein, "Tales From the Loop" is on Amazon. 10 year old me would have thought it was great. Robots, science, time travel, kids, scary parts. 8 year old might feel like they'd just done a hit of acid though.

Everything else we watch usually has a fairly high body count and plenty of nudity and is usually in French.

edit: And there is the whole Marvel Comics cosmos. You can pick and choose which episodes are good. The ones with Thor are often the best and most accessible. Thor is kind of hilarious.

[holliscx]

You know that TV isn't real, right Hollis?

Recovering Queer Eye for the Straight Guy fan here

[SlowPokePete]

Heartland.

Pretty funny you would mention this one.

I used to rarely (pretty much never) watch TV.

My wife, on the other hand, watches a shit ton of TV and movies.

But since I stopped smoking weed 3+ months ago (now that it is legal in NY lol), we've watched...

* Sex Education (awesome, but def not for the family, although a 10 year old would love it)
* Schitt's Creek (same as above)
* Breaking Bad
* El Camino
* Better Call Saul
* Bridgerton

My wife's son has the complete Sopranos, which is what I really want to watch, but it is Blu-Ray, and we don't have that kind of player.

Anyways, we tried Arrested Development (thought it was stupid), and since have landed on Heartland.

We've watched maybe four episodes...not sure I wanna keep going through 13 season omfg.

But maybe as a family type watch??

Seriously in search of something a little more edgy.

SPP

[Todd Amunrud]

Our youngest, 12, loves cooking etc... the first two seasons of Chef’s Table on Netflix were enjoyable.

[sbornia]

My wife and 9 year old like the Great British Baking Show.

[defspace]

HBO has a series called "His Dark Materials" which is a science fantasy with talking animals and kids who are smarter than adults and suspense and chases and mysteries. I would have eaten that up as a 10 year old who was reading Tolkein, Watership Down, Dune and other books.

I can confirm. As a 10 year old, I wore the spines out of those books.

[Saab2000]

Star Trek (original series)

I like this.

Star Trek, all versions, are good in my universe. They are not all about good vs evil. They portray scenarios with moral choices that aren't obvious at all. Sometimes they do have to wrap up a story a bit too cleanly but I love the cerebral nature of Star Trek.

How is it again that there is no money in Star Trek and the food comes out of nowhere?

The technology that existed in the original Star Trek that we use today is uncanny - communicators, talking computers, large screen video conferencing, tablet computers, even the Holodeck virtual reality simulation technology, etc.

I have no kids so I can't really advise too much but Star Trek is mostly G-rated and at worst PG. If they're not ready for it at 8 and 10 it won't be long until they are good with it.

[cny rider]

We recently discovered BattleBots and 2/3 daughters are loving it.
That's about the best we can generally do for any given show.
Big plus that I also find it entertaining.
If you have an inner engineering nerd you can't miss with it.

[Mabouya]

Can't beat the 70's, man!

[Too Tall]

Why do kids like cooking shows?

[SlowPokePete]

Why do kids like cooking shows?

they are always hungry.

SPP

[j44ke]

...
Seriously in search of something a little more edgy.

SPP

Tehran - iTunes

The Bureau - iTunes

Criminal - Netflix (3-4 episodes each from Spain, Germany, England, France)

Spiral - Netflix but might be Hulu now

[ZenNMotion]

The Umbrella Academy
The Good Place
Parks & Recreation
The Avengers (1962 vintage, I still swoon for Emma Peel since I was a pre-teen)

[bironi]

Pretty funny you would mention this one.

I used to rarely (pretty much never) watch TV.

My wife, on the other hand, watches a shit ton of TV and movies.

But since I stopped smoking weed 3+ months ago (now that it is legal in NY lol), we've watched...

* Sex Education (awesome, but def not for the family, although a 10 year old would love it)
* Schitt's Creek (same as above)
* Breaking Bad
* El Camino
* Better Call Saul
* Bridgerton

My wife's son has the complete Sopranos, which is what I really want to watch, but it is Blu-Ray, and we don't have that kind of player.

Anyways, we tried Arrested Development (thought it was stupid), and since have landed on Heartland.

We've watched maybe four episodes...not sure I wanna keep going through 13 season omfg.

But maybe as a family type watch??

Seriously in search of something a little more edgy.

SPP

Peter,
Add The Wire to your list.
By

[holliscx]

Why do kids like cooking shows?

Purely competition. My son will jump off the couch and pump his fist in the air to an elimination challenge winning soup by Melissa King.