Fall T.V. Review of CBS's Kid Nation

As the Fall line up nears there is a lot of chatter about CBS's "Kid Nation" among TV critics and child rights advocates. The show advertises itself as 40 children being left to their own devices on a private ranch set up as a ghost town. No parents, no teachers, no electricity, and no indoor plumbing. The kids are expected to maintain their lifestyle by cooking, cleaning, and establishing rules for all to live by, but after production wrapped up questions were asked. Were the children exploited, even to the point of violating child labor laws? Were the parents negligent for letting their kids participate? How will this effect their schooling? Were there safe conditions?

During filming questions began to arise as to what was going on at the ranch. A tip off sent local police and labor investigators to the site, but by the time any real action was going to be taken filming had been completed and everyone was already gone. It has been discovered that the show did not violate child labor laws in the state of New Mexico, where it was filmed, but CBS admits that the state was chosen for its relaxed laws and it would not have been legal in many other states. Since that time New Mexico has strengthened their laws and filming wont be possible at that location anymore. After this season critics joke that sequels would have to be filmed in Cambodia.

At this point the casual television viewer doesn't really know what went on during filming. Reports state that the children worked from sun up to sunset to get everything done. Commercials show the kids arguing over killing their chickens and one child's voice is dubbed over offering their knowledge on how to kill and prepare it. Complaints also state that four children accidentally drank bleach and one girl had an accident that resulted in having hot grease splashed on her face. These incidents were treated promptly by professional physicians. The most alarming accusation to date is one that states CBS at some point breached its contract with the parents,but nobody is saying how.