These days, now that Emma is a bit older, she has a better grasp of how to navigate Netflix with the PS4 controller and find what she likes. I still keep my ear out, however, in case she tries watching something new that’s not really appropriate for her age, or in some cases, appropriate at all (Netflix kids still gets a few not-so-good programs snuck in there because of the show’s classification). So standing in the kitchen, with my ear tuned in to the kid in the other room, I hear a familiar sound. It’s a slightly different tune, and a little voice, but it’s definitely the song “All You Need Is Love”. Naturally I think to my self “that’s really cool! She must be watching one of those mash-up shows that features cool music”.

But then I hear another one, the all to familiar tunes and lyrics to “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”….I must investigate. Sure enough, it was Beat Bugs.

An entire animated series for teaching valuable lessons to kids of all ages while utilizing a small section of the Beatles library? Count me in. In fact, we almost blew through the entire first season in that one sitting.

It’s an incredibly well put together animated series and the inclusion of Beatles music, whether its familiar to your child or not, is absolutely wonderful.

***MUST WATCH***

As a bonus, check out the post by our good friend Jeff Bogle from OWTK! He’s also a huge Beatles fan and loves sharing music with his kids. Read it HERE.

-B.K. Mullen

@BKMullen_

@PBDadcast

Especially because some of these shows clearly have a writing staff that is either of my age group, or just happen to have my Wife and I’s sense of humor. For example, in “Barbie: Life in The Dreamhouse” there are multiple references to the Stanley Kubrick film “2001: A Space Odyssey” and more. I’ll leave that for another post, but yeah, it’s real.

It’s all to real as well in a show she turned on at random one day called “Liv and Maddie”. The adventures of teenage twin sisters, one a jock, the other a Hollywood actress, now reunited back in their  hometown of Steven’s Point, Winsconsin. Played by the same actress (Dove Cameron), the sisters deal with everyday teen life as best they can with their different personalities and quirks as well as dealing with their sometimes abnormal family: two brothers and a Mom and Dad.

Without giving anything away, I’ll tell you this: Dove Cameron is amazing. Her ability to split into two very different girls albeit with some of the same underlying traits of a “small town girl” is expertly done. Although it may also be due to the writing crew, which I’m now a huge fan of, she is an absolute star and despite it being a tween show, shows depth. So too does her mother (Kali Rocha) who can show exactly how weird an average Midwestern mom can get.

Above all else, I will say this: This show is a lot of fun for the whole family.

Also: This is one of the best (BEST) representations of a realistic American family in a sitcom style show. Sure some of the situations may be ridiculous (like the youngest brothers’ endless tunnels throughout the house, and Maddie’s boyfriend Diggie living in a place called “Tundrabania”) but there is in each character the feeling that they were based on real people. Using a real person to model a character on can lead to very good connections with the audience, and this production team, actors and all, have nailed it. A must watch.

-Ben

@BKMullen_

@PBDadcast

#NetflixDiaries