For parents, finding shows to watch with their kids can be tough. Depending on your children’s ages, you might have to navigate a lot of different preferences and maturity levels. But you don’t have to settle for watching the same cartoons over and over again. Shows like DC’s “Stargirl” prove that TV shows can be an interesting and exciting experience for both children and adults.
Authentic But Appropriate
Something that many shows tend to get wrong when trying to appeal to children is erasing the authenticity of interactions and situations. While not appropriate for children under a certain age, “Stargirl” manages to maintain the nitty-gritty realities of life while still having a lighthearted and positive tone. Creator Geoff Johns‘ writing includes extremely sparing uses of curse words, contains scenes where adults drink, and, like any good superhero show, includes lots of action sequences, fight scenes, and explosions.
Depending on your child’s specific needs, these situations might not be appropriate watching material – but in the context of the show, none of the “adult content” is egregious. Instead, it serves to make the show more realistic and avoids the overly-positive tone that a lot of kids’ shows tend to have.
Good Core Values
At the end of the day, what’s most important for the content children consume (and adults, too) is the existence of good core values at the center of the plot and character motivations. “Stargirl” knocks it out of the park in that category – from the main character, Stargirl’s alter-ego Courtney Whitmore, to all of her high-school friends, everyone in the show’s main cast has extremely noble ideals and sticks to them throughout the show.
The heroes come up against obstacles, but manage to overcome them by persevering and sticking to their values. It’s easy to imagine a situation where a teenager is presented with the opportunity to become a superhero and grabs it for the glory and power that are guaranteed – but Courtney’s motivations are noble and selfless from the start.
Excellent Production Design
Let’s face it, most parents don’t want to watch kids’ shows because they just aren’t all that well written or produced. But show creator Geoff Johns has put all his creative power into ensuring that “Stargirl” is a story that includes both excellent pacing and fantastic production design. The show has a retro feel that’s going to appeal to adults’ nostalgic sides with ice cream parlors and vintage cars while including plenty of special effects for the kids.
While the show has its flaws, the true anchors that hold it together are the excellent writing and the believable acting of the star, Brec Bassinger. In spite of her young age, it’s easy to see why the show has been centered around her character, and why all her friends decide to rally around Stargirl to help save the world. This show can guarantee a pleasant watching experience for adults and younger tweens alike, so don’t hesitate to add it to your family’s viewing list for the next movie night.
