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| Review: 'The Fresh Beat Band' |
| Reviews - TV Shows |
 I have a four year-old son, and when it comes to finding appropriate television choices for him, a lot of factors come into play. I would like for the show to have some educational value. And a musical element, since he loves singing and dancing. A commercial-free presentation is ideal. But it also has to fit my needs. Odds are that if it's a show he enjoys, I'm going to be watching every episode a thousand times. So with any luck, I'm able to find shows that fit his educational requirements and are still relatively easy to tolerate. There's no "Barney" in our household. No "Wiggles." Nope, I've mostly managed to convince him to watch "Word World," "Jack's Big Music Show," "Little Bill" and "Super Why." Unfortunately, a dangerous new competitor is hitting television screens on Monday. And if you're a parent like me, you're probably going to rue the day this new show ever was ever produced. Nickelodeon rolls out its new preschool live action series "The Fresh Beat Band" this week, and after having the review disc in my house for a couple of weeks, I can make two predictions. Your preschooler will probably love the show. And you will never be able to get those annoying, goofball songs out of your head. "The Fresh Beat Band" centers on four friends who attend music school together. They're colorful and catchy and completely captivating to preschoolers. They burst into song at every opportunity, as if they're starring in some odd Elvis movie. And for me, the songs are the big problem. Naming the quartet "The Fresh Beat Band" is apparently some sort of ironic in-joke, since nothing about the tunes they sing is fresh. The songs are kind of mish-mashes of styles and beats, and it's all so painfully dumb and silly. The two male leads are named "Twist" and "Shout?" Really? Why not just name the two female leads "Rock" and "Roll?" There's a lot of oddly awkward dancing and the less that's said about the faux rapping in some songs, the better. Still, as annoying as I find the show, I can't ignore the fact that it's a hit with at least the one member of the target audience I live with. He sings with the band, he dances along, he laughs at the dumb slapstick jokes and loves the colorful sets. And because I love him, I'll let him watch, although I can't promise that I won't be spending a lot of time in another room when it's on. "The Fresh Beat Band" premieres on Nickelodeon on Monday, August 24th, 2009. |
| Last Updated ( Monday, 24 August 2009 15:25 ) |
