Either Kid Nation is a great idea for a reality television show, or a prime example of the downfall of American society.  Perhaps both.  I know when I first heard about the concept for Kid Nation, I thought (like I'm sure others did), “Really?  CBS made a Lord of the Flies reality show?  What the hell?”  For those unaware, Kid Nation is an upcoming CBS reality show in which they took 40 kids, ages 8-15, to an abandoned town in New Mexico and filmed what happened when they were left alone for 40 days.  It's an undeniably enticing concept, but one that wouldn't seem to be, you know, legal.  Well, since the show finished airing, there have been various complaints from parents of the “contestants” as well as outside inquiries into the legality of the whole production.  Today, CBS spoke out and defended Kid Nation.

From Zap2it.com:

Janis Miles, the mother of a 12-year-old girl who was burned in the face while cooking, filed a complaint in June in Georgia, where she lives. She has asked for an investigation into "abusive acts to minors and possible violations of child labor laws." Her complaint was forwarded to Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano, who on July 20 posted an item on his department blog revealing Miles' claims and stating he had found no criminal wrongdoing related to the production.

CBS issued a statement to The Times on Tuesday, in part to dispute the "course of action being taken by one parent in distorting the true picture of the 'Kid Nation' experience." The creator of the show, Tom Forman, and a CBS lawyer also defended the production.

"These kids were in good hands and under good care with procedures and safety structures that arguably rival or surpass any school or camp in the country," the CBS statement read.

At this point, it looks as if CBS should get through this without any legal ramifications.  Parents knew what the show entailed prior to allowing their children to participate.  No children were seriously hurt.  One girl sprained her arm, one other was rushed to the emergency room after drinking bleach, but there were no broken bones or long-term injuries.  Parents were given detailed updates by producers every three days, according to CBS, although the children were not allowed to call home.  The kids were given the option of leaving at any time, and a few did.  After the forty days had ended, producers met with all the parents and explained what had gone down during filming and what they could expect in the months and weeks leading up to Kid Nation's premiere. 

It looks pretty air-tight for CBS.  The child abuse claim feels extremely fraudulent, and the type of thing a shameless gold-digging parent would attempt.  I'm not entirely defending CBS, though.  This entire enterprise makes me feel a bit squeamish and CBS was walking a tightrope of good taste by allowing this show to be produced.  That being said, if you're a parent and you allow your child to go into the New Mexico desert alone for 40 days in order to be filmed by network cameras, you lose your right to complain about anything.  They surely signed countless CBS waivers and were aware of any possible dangers that the situation might bring.  Also, even though this might seem like terrible publicity, I guarantee CBS is happy with all the news coverage.  Ratings can only benefit. 


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of CBS)