What are your thoughts on PBS Kids?

[HunterMon17]

For those of you outside the United States and Canada, PBS Kids is the lineup of children's shows that airs on PBS, a public television network similar to the BBC.

It's actual showtimes vary depending on your local station, for instance mine used to air it from 3:00/4:00am to 6:00pm on weekdays and from 3:00/4:00am to 12:00pm on weekends when I was a kid.

There are no commercials on PBS Kids. Shows are never interrupted, and funding comes from government and private grants and donations. Sponsors are announced at the beginning and end of each show, but aren't allowed to really advertise anything.

PBS has aired live action children's shows since 1968, when it was still known as NET prior to changing its name in 1970. In 1994, they organized their children's lineup into a block called PTV Park and started airing animated shows. In 1999, the block changed into the current PBS Kids.

There doesn't seem to be much of a fandom for PBS Kids on the internet. Especially compared to Nickelodeon, Disney, or Cartoon Network. What are your thoughts and opinions on PBS Kids?

 

[Dr.Pepper]

I watched PBS Kids when I was younger. Magic School Bus was my obsession as an early elementary schooler. I have fond memories of watching Bill Nye with my dad, because for some reason my local PBS affiliate played it at 7pm. I also liked Arthur quite a bit as a kid.

I think the reason why you don’t hear much of a fandom because most of the shows are for a younger audience.

 

[HunterMon17]

I watched PBS Kids when I was younger. Magic School Bus was my obsession as an early elementary schooler. I have fond memories of watching Bill Nye with my dad, because for some reason my local PBS affiliate played it at 7pm. I also liked Arthur quite a bit as a kid.

I think the reason why you don’t hear much of a fandom because most of the shows are for a younger audience.

PBS recommends their stations to air their lineup of kids shows from 6:00am to 7:00pm.

Some start as early as 3:00am or 4:00am, some end as late as 8:00pm.

 

[dragoonanime]

PBS Kids was the best back in the 90's when it was the P Pals branding.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

PBS recommends their stations to air their lineup of kids shows from 6:00am to 7:00pm.

Some start as early as 3:00am or 4:00am, some end as late as 8:00pm.

I didn’t know that. Bill Nye was the only kid show I remember being on later than 4:00 or 5:00.

 

[LinusFan303]

I liked the idea of PBS KIds Go! Having a block for older kids was smart.

Some of the shows were good , some of them were favorites when I was young others not really. I grew up at first we had 3 PBS stations then 2 of them merged. So there were 3 then 2 blocks to chose from, I liked the PBS kids Go line up of Fetch! , Arthur, Postcards from Buster, Word Girl , and Maya and Miguel.( After the first, year, M&M was a show I could only see in summer since our station opted out of the main feed ,after the merger to have a local Homework show)

I always had cable so, they were kind of just another thing in the rotation. .

 

[EJLD4Ever]

There doesn't seem to be much of a fandom for PBS Kids on the internet. Especially compared to Nickelodeon, Disney, or Cartoon Network. What are your thoughts and opinions on PBS Kids?

There's a reasonable explanation for this theory.

There are a lot of children out there (many of whom are as young as early elementary school age) who generally pigeonhole PBS as a network for preschool shows such as Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers (RIP) and Barney--shows which they have long since outgrown.

However, after watching some of the newer PBS shows alongside my younger relatives I can attest that this is not true--there are also plenty of shows for school-age kids that have aired on PBS over the years, namely Kratt's Kreatures, Wishbone, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and of course, Arthur.

This reminds me that the Arthur episode "Arthur Meets Mr. Rogers" addresses this stigma--Arthur was embarrassed by having Mr. Rogers as a guest speaker at his school because most of his peers have outgrown the show.

Of course, in my time, there were only 6 major shows on PBS--Reading Rainbow, Barney, Lamb Chop's Playalong, Shining Time Station, Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street.

 

[HunterMon17]

There's a reasonable explanation for this theory.

There are a lot of children out there (many of whom are as young as early elementary school age) who generally pigeonhole PBS as a network for preschool shows such as Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers (RIP) and Barney--shows which they have long since outgrown.

However, after watching some of the newer PBS shows alongside my younger relatives I can attest that this is not true--there are also plenty of shows for school-age kids that have aired on PBS over the years, namely Kratt's Kreatures, Wishbone, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and of course, Arthur.

This reminds me that the Arthur episode "Arthur Meets Mr. Rogers" addresses this stigma--Arthur was embarrassed by having Mr. Rogers as a guest speaker at his school because most of his peers have outgrown the show.

Of course, in my time, there were only 6 major shows on PBS--Reading Rainbow, Barney, Lamb Chop's Playalong, Shining Time Station, Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street.

Right around the time those shows were airing, PBS had already expanded their children's lineup into a full-fledged brand known as PTV Park that aired for like 13 hours a day.

I agree that PBS Kids being for babies hasn't been true ever. Cyberchase, Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, Zoom, Electric Company, and Arthur prove that.

 

[dumbfoolkid5]

I see the cartoons on PBS uses flash animation if it's called that. But I wish there was a cartoon PBS would show that depicts life in Japan as a series.

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[Streaker Prower]

I Love Nature Cat, but Hate Caillou and The Berenstain Bears 2003

 

[Bigawesome2000]

I think PBS Kids is a great block/network. My station used to air PBS Kids shows from 6am to 6pm on weekdays, but in 2014, they cut it down to 6am to 5pm (kids shows also air from 2pm to 7pm on the secondary channel). While the majority of their shows are made for preschoolers, I’m glad they also make shows for kids who have outgrown those shows. PBS Kids Go was a great idea to bring in an older kid audience. Shows also air on my station on weekends from 6am to 10:30am, in which some shows that don’t air on weekdays air, such as Mister Rogers, Splash and Bubbles, Peg + Cat, SciGirls, and Cyberchase.

 

[dumbfoolkid5]

I do find it annoying to hear everyone call Pinkalicious by her full name. Doesn't anyone have nicknames besides Goldie the unicorn? I would've called her Pinks. And I would've given everyone first names. Just because the kids call grown-ups Mr Mr and Ms Doesn't mean the audience shouldn't know the first names.

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[Sam the Cartoonist]

During the times I didn't have cable as a child, PBS Kids was one of the few ways (besides Saturday morning/afternoon cartoon blocks) of getting my fix of cartoons, so it still holds a special place in my memories though some shows aged better than others. As for currently, I enjoy watching Arthur, Nature Cat, and Let's Go Luna.

 

[Streaker Prower]

During the times I didn't have cable as a child, PBS Kids was one of the few ways (besides Saturday morning/afternoon cartoon blocks) of getting my fix of cartoons, so it still holds a special place in my memories though some shows aged better than others. As for currently, I enjoy watching Arthur, Nature Cat, and Let's Go Luna.

Hey, you like Nature Cat as I do

 

[Sam the Cartoonist]

Hey, you like Nature Cat as I do

Yep, it's perhaps my favorite currently running PBS Kids show and one of the few ones that has a wackier sense of humor and dynamics you wouldn't normally see in a cartoon targeted at younger children while still being educational in a fun way.

 

[Streaker Prower]

Yep, it's perhaps my favorite currently running PBS Kids show and one of the few ones that has a wackier sense of humor and dynamics you wouldn't normally see in a cartoon targeted at younger children while still being educational in a fun way.

Plus It has a cast that features people that worked on Saturday Night Live, So that's the reason why it's recorded in New York City

 

[Streaker Prower]

I see the cartoons on PBS uses flash animation if it's called that. But I wish there was a cartoon PBS would show that depicts life in Japan as a series.

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Well Nature Cat uses Toon Boom Harmony, as the Show is listed on the TV Tropes Page on Toon Boom

 

[dumbfoolkid5]

If I could I could make the adults and kids on most of these shows have full names and address each other on a first name basis. That's why I like Molly of Denali most of the time. But I didn't see much of Alma's Way but it's alright so far. And Hero Elementary needs more backstories on the characters as well as full names for everyone. And lastly there needs to be more slang.

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[Sam the Cartoonist]

Well Nature Cat uses Toon Boom Harmony, as the Show is listed on the TV Tropes Page on Toon Boom

Wait, there's a difference between the two?

 

[Markus Nelis]

Only watched it once so I can't really say much right now.