Forty kids, forty days, one ghost town and zero parents. That's the formula for the new reality program Kid Nation slated to appear on CBS this fall.
It's being called the "Lord of the Flies" of reality television, but it's unlikely that CBS - or its lawyers - would allow for this experiment to devolve into that kind of chaos. The show's initial previews show that this might be more of a Junior United Nations-type experiment in diplomacy and self-government for the group of kids, who range in age from eight to fifteen years old.
Nevertheless, despite that rather dry description, the previews also make the show seem surprisingly compelling, and seem to indicate the show might have some real depth beyond its catchy premise.
The forty kids take over the ghost town of Bonanza City, NM. This is no vacation or summer camp. They have a goal: to create a workable society. Yes, an actual mini-Kid Nation. They are solely responsible for the running of the town, and have to make do without a lot of modern conveniences.
The kids cook, haul water, hand wash laundry, run a store and kick back at a root beer saloon. Duties are assigned - or won - based on weekly competitions between four main teams within the town. There is also the possibility of winning the role of "Upper Class" which one assumes involves a lot more candy and a lot less lantrine cleaning.
The town as a whole can also win weekly rewards, like a library or video games. Which prize the town selects is determined by a rotating, four-person city council that meets every three days.
The same city council is also responsible for voting for the Gold Star Kid. Each vote will reward one town kid with an actual genuine gold star, worth $20,000. (Possibly part of the way the producers were able to convince parents to let their kids participate in this venture?)
Unlike CBS's other flagship reality programs The Amazing Race and Survivor, no one is eliminated or voted off. You only go home if you ask, so that option is available to any homesick kids.
The previews, however, seem to show that most of the kids were eager to stay and actively participate in trying to prove that kids are capable of working together. One of the Kid Nation previews CBS is offering shows one young man calming down a raucous town meeting with a surprisingly articulate and earnest plea to the kids to remember that they are there representing all kids and to work together to prove what young people can do together.
Kid Nation is currently slated to appear this fall on CBS on Wednesday, at 8/7 PM, but times for these fall shows can change, so check back in your local listings as that time approaches, and come back here to BuddyTV for updates and news!
- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Images courtesy of CBS)