MTE reviews: The Hub

I don't remember exactly when it happened, but sometime last fall, we became aware of a new channel on our television lineup. The Hub came onto our radar when someone, probably JAM, discovered that they were airing the original episodes of Fraggle Rock. Thanks to the magic of the DVR, the kids were enjoying this wacky show that hubby and I remember so fondly from our own childhood, and it wasn't painful to watch a show with the kids for once. (I'm looking at you, the not-to-be-named irrationally-large-headed cartoon shouter. Adios.)

Since The Hub is positioned on our satellite TV channel lineup right in the midst of several other kids' channels, the shows it features caught the eye of the only child of mine who can read the onscreen guide. Soon enough, he was asking for permission to record the old episodes of Transformers, followed by a multi-episode special of an updated version called Transformers Prime. He was beyond thrilled when that special parlayed into an actual series with the same title, which is now another regular on our DVR. And I have to say that I love that all three kids watch recorded episodes of Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? together on the weekends. Pudge and Red have especially come to love two of the shows on the channel for younger kids- My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake.

Now, I should really preface this with the statement that we as a family are TV watchers, not that our set is always on, but we do all appreciate the entertainment that it can provide. I applaud some families' decisions to raise their children in a TV-free environment, but it's just not for us. I have fond memories from all stages of my life that include television shows that I watched with my family as a child, comedy stand-up and sketch shows with my parents as an adolescent, sitcoms that brought entire dorm floors together on weeknights, and series that still bring hubby and I to the couch in the evenings. For our kids, we opt to use a limited approach-- JAM can watch his shows on the weekends during naptime, and Red and Pudge each get to pick one show in the morning. Sure, I still battle a little mommy-guilt about this approximate 45 minutes of shows for them a day, but I'm usually right in the room with them, and I have to say that I've been pretty pleased with the content of the two shows they love- My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake.

We tried a couple other shows out, but some, like Pound Puppies, didn't make the cut for content that was a little too rude for my tastes. Some others are a little wacky and just not our style. The biggest downside to watching kids' programming on The Hub, in comparison to say Disney Junior, PBS or Nick Jr. is the commercial breaks throughout. They mostly consist of ads for their own shows or related toys and products, or those odd products like the ridiculous 'teach your infant to read' program or this fold-up portfolio that can hold an entire desk's worth of contents (which is actually kind of cool and would be a fabulous stocking stuffer if one's life partner really wanted to plan ahead...). I'm still very much anti-commercials for kids, and I've tried to explain to the kids how their sole purpose is to make them feel like they need to buy things. (Like that super cool portfolio. Just sayin. It's an effective ad, and I'm the perfect target audience.) So, we opt to watch only DVR'd shows, and the remote stays nearby.

I've actually talked a bit online about the fun the kids have had with The Hub, so I was excited to take part in a blogger online chat this week with Margaret Loesch, President and CEO of The Hub. While I've done a few product reviews, I felt like talking about this network is probably the most authentic review I could do, since it's already a part of our life. We received nothing in the way of compensation or expectations, but it was interesting to hear her talk about the mindset behind the network.

• The network was born on 10/10/10, as a partnership between Discovery and Hasbro, taking over when Discovery Kids went off the air. 

• The main intention behind the network is to provide programming that children and families can watch together. Loesch emphasized this especially in relation to some of their evening programing that includes good old shows like The Wonder Years, Happy Days and Doogie Howser, MD. 

•  While she couldn't share specifics, it's clear that the network is continuing to grow and seek out additional shows for which to provide a second life. May I humbly suggest Family Ties or Growing Pains?

I'm not without my hesitations, though. The fact that the network is partially owned by a toy company means that there will only be more and more pushing of products that tie-in with the shows. When she was asked about this very point, Loesch framed it as a way to engage children and extend their play. As an early childhood educator, I thought this answer fell a little flat, personally. My own four year old daughter does indeed have a couple My Little Pony toys, and thankfully, she is the type of (wacky) creative kid whose play is constantly dramatic and inventive, but there is the trend for kids to use TV tie-in toys to simply play out the episodes they've watched, which actually stunts their play rather than extending it. I'm opting to simply keep the toys to a reasonable amount and encourage her to continue drafting her own adventures.

I guess I came away from the chat with a realistic view of the network as a business-- commercial breaks and all. Like most things, I feel happy treating The Hub like a buffet-- there's a lot out there for consumption, but it's probably best to be moderate and take just the pieces you like best. For us, that means a couple of shows for the youngest of our bunch that focus on friendship, honesty, kindness and other pro-social messages important to their stage of development that are entertaining as well. The pre-teen gets to indulge in some shows that are perfect for him as well, and I've had the joy of being pleasantly surprised at the positive aspects of the content there, too. And maybe we'll even get to share some of our old childhood favorites with JAM sometime, too!

From one TV fan to you,