children's show

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First Blue's Clues Host: Here's Why Steve Left

'I didn't know I needed closure until now,' fan says after heartwarming message

(Newser) - Steve Burns, original host of Blue's Clues, marked the 25th anniversary of the launch of the beloved Nickelodeon series with a heartwarming message for fans—and an explanation for his abrupt departure in 2002. In a video posted on the Nick Jr. Twitter account, Burns, wearing the outfit he...

Yup, That's a Giant Penis in a Kids Show

Danish Broadcasting Corporation's 'John Dillermand' arouses debate

(Newser) - A new TV show has premiered in Denmark about a man with the world's largest penis, which he can't always control. Did we mention it's a kid's show? The animated series that premiered Saturday on the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR), aimed at 4- to 8-year-olds, has...

Children's Television Loses a Beloved Voice
Children's Television
Loses a Beloved Voice
obituary
Mar 25, 2020 5:15 PM CDT

Children's Television Loses a Beloved Voice

William Dufris has died of cancer at age 62

(Newser) - "Can we build it?" "Yes we can!" Anyone familiar with the beloved Bob the Builder catchphrase will care about this. Voice actor William Dufris, who handled the show's title character and four others, has died of cancer at age 62, Entertainment Weekly reports. "We are...

Sesame Street Addresses Issue of Parental Addiction

Elmo's new friend has a mother with a problem

(Newser) - Sesame Street is taking a new step to try to help kids navigate life in America—it's tackling the opioid crisis. Sesame Workshop is exploring the backstory of Karli, a bright green, yellow-haired friend of Elmo's whose mother is battling addiction. The initiative is part of the Sesame...

Not Surprisingly, a 'Baby Shark' TV Series Is in the Works

Viral preschool hit is apparently not going anywhere

(Newser) - Just when you thought we'd reached Peak Baby Shark, Nickelodeon has come up with yet another way to make sure you're never able to get the song out of your head. The network is developing an animated series based on the tune, though there's no word yet...

You Won't See This Gay Wedding in Alabama

Alabama Public Television blocks episode of kids' show 'Arthur'

(Newser) - Alabama Public Television will not air the season 22 premiere of the PBS kids' show Arthur because it features a gay wedding. "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone," in which Arthur's third-grade teacher marries a chocolatier, earned praise for "the inclusion of an LGBT character as...

Help Preschoolers Sleep: Turn Off SpongeBob

'Sesame Street' and 'Dora the Explorer' are better bets

(Newser) - If your preschooler can't sleep, it may be time to change the channel. A study published in today's Pediatrics says young kids sleep better when they avoid shows aimed at slightly older children, USA Today reports. Different programming brought "long-lasting, significant reductions in sleep problems," says...

Glenn Beck Launching Children's Show

Liberty Treehouse to debut on GBTV Monday

(Newser) - If you think Sesame Street is too left-wing, Glenn Beck agrees with you—and he's offering an alternative on his Internet channel GBTV. Beck won't be hosting Liberty Treehouse, which debuts Monday, but the hour-long show will share his channel's conservative sensibilities, and won't shy away...

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Spin-off Coming to PBS

'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood' will feature original characters

(Newser) - Fred Rogers died in 2003, but Mister Rogers' Neighborhood will live on. PBS announced a new animated spin-off yesterday: Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood will follow the four-year-old son of the series' original Tiger. The show will take place back in the familiar Neighborhood of Make Believe, and four-year-old Daniel Tiger...

Thomas the Tank Engine Is Sexist: Prof
Thomas the Tank Engine
Is Sexist: Prof
WHO KNEW?
Dec 16, 2009 1:45 PM CST

Thomas the Tank Engine Is Sexist: Prof

Show OK for kids to watch, just tell them about Orwellian overtones

(Newser) - Not that you shouldn’t let your kids watch Thomas the Tank Engine or anything, but the show exhibits a “conservative political ideology” that “sidelines” female characters and discourages individuality. At least that’s the opinion of a Canadian political scientist who undertook a study of the classic...

SpongeBob at 10: Still Fun, Popular, and Inscrutable

(Newser) - SpongeBob SquarePants is 10 years old, and the “happy nonsense” of the show is “as popular as ever,” Alessandra Stanley writes in the New York Times. What’s more, the wacky, uncynical cartoon has managed to do it “without having disclosed any higher meaning to Bikini...

Relax, Parents: Tween Dora Still 'Wholesome'

New doll of beloved character had sparked short-skirt concerns

(Newser) - Dora the Explorer is getting a tween update in a new doll, which trades her baby fat for a more girly, urban look, Hispanic Business reports. After concerns were sparked by a silhouette preview of the doll sporting a very short dress, parents can breathe a sigh of relief: the...

PBS Unleashes Martha for Vocab Help

(Newser) - What if the family dog ate alphabet soup by mistake? Susan Meddaugh answered her 7-year-old son’s question by writing a book, Martha Speaks, which has now become a PBS show about the talking dog. PBS hopes it will teach challenging vocab—"diminish," "concoct," and "...

Muppets Spring Back to Life on YouTube

Appearance of Henson's famous puppets online has fans buzzing about comeback

(Newser) - The Muppets, largely in retirement since 1981, have been pussyfooting their way back into the spotlight via YouTube, France24 notes. In the past month, Sam the Eagle, the Swedish Chef, Beaker and others have set up accounts, uploading clips on a regular basis and sharing comments like "Meep meep...

Don't Expect Dora at Your Kid's Party

Copyright holders crack down on use of TV character costumes

(Newser) - Want to book Elmo for your kid’s birthday party? Better expect “Big Red Tickle Monster” instead, the Wall Street Journal reports. Corporations that control the use of children’s entertainment characters are targeting costume-rental services that offer unauthorized versions of their cash cows, resulting in lawsuits, grotesque lookalikes,...

Brit TV Star's Body Was in Rail Station 6 Days

Cops investigate why it took so long to discover the apparent suicide

(Newser) - A British TV celebrity's body was left hanging in London's Paddington station for six days, the London Times reports, in an apparent suicide. Mark Speight, 42, had been missing for a week and police are probing why it took so long for his body to be discovered. Speight was said...

Puppet Kills Bush on Hamas Kids' Show

Prez punished for helping Israel

(Newser) - In its newest anti-American educational video, a Hamas children's show broadcast in Gaza shows a puppet of a young Palestinian boy killing President Bush. The boy stabs the president with "the sword of Islam" to punish him for helping Israel, the Daily Telegraph reports. "You and the criminal...

17 Stories