TV and Good Role Models?
"Take guidance from Cody. I have found that the young of this species are the most valuable allies."
"Under Pressure" (season 1, episode 2), Transformers: Rescue Bots series
Bashing TV shows for supposedly turning our kids into mindless couch potatoes is popular.
But I beg to differ. Children's TV programming varies.
Transformers: Rescue Bots may be cast aside by many as another action-packed series about nothing.
This animated series, however, is witty, educational, and, yes, action packed. Its theme song is also very catchy.
The show is set on the fictional island of Griffin Rock somewhere off the coast of Maine. The Rescue Bots—Blades, Boulder, Chase, and Heatwave—are sent to Earth by Optimus Prime, their leader. They adopt identities of first response vehicles—a helicopter, a bulldozer, a police car, and a fire engine, respectively. Optimus Prime partners them with the Burns Family who are first response rescuers.
We, the audience, watch the bots and the people as they find ways to collaborate, restrain their egos, face various disasters and deal with them, as well as get acquainted with Earth's cultures.
And we, parents, also learn a lot together with our preschoolers as long as we are open and willing. We bond with them by watching together. And we also have something to discuss later.
