I'm not sure why this came to mind, but I started thinking about all the high quality educational programming there used to be for kids when I was a toddler and "spring chicken," and I wonder if today's shows for children are equivalent in content and caliber. My favorite programs included Reading Rainbow, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, Ghostwriter, Sesame Street, and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. As far as I know, all of these shows except for Sesame Street have been discontinued, although some reruns may be on PBS from time to time. One of the major problems in maintaining these types of shows on the air is, without a doubt, funding.
What would be today's substitute for my beloved shows of yore? From what I've seen, Blue's Clues appears to be a worthy peer. I don't feel I can say the same for Teletubbies or Barney and Friends, two gag reflex-inducing excuses for shows. When I have little kids, I hope that there will be at least a few viable options for them to watch, be entertained, and learn information in a different visual format, and I also hope they'll be able to look back fondly at the educational programming of their childhood as I can.
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