Parent-Friendly Kids' Shows on Disney & Nick

Television Shows that Kids and Adults Can Enjoy Together

Sep 16, 2009

Watching television with your child can be annoying, but Nick and Disney air some shows that are written with both kids and adults in mind.

Geared toward tweens and teenagers and airing on the Nickelodeon networks, iCarly focuses on a junior high-aged girl named Carly, her two friends Sam and Freddie, and the comedy web show that the three of them write and air weekly. The role of Carly is played by the talented Miranda Cosgrove, who has many acting credits to her name, including a role in the successful film comedy School of Rock with Jack Black. Rather than relying on recycled sitcom plots, iCarly’s writing is fresh and modern, and parents will likely find themselves laughing along with their kids, especially at the antics of Carly’s older brother Spencer, played by the talented and funny Jerry Trainor.

SpongeBob SquarePants, airing on the Nickelodeon networks, is a cartoon centering on the antics of a friendly, yellow square sponge named Sponge Bob and his dimwitted pink starfish friend, Patrick. Patrick and Sponge Bob are often foiled by their grumpy neighbor, a squid named Squidward. SpongeBob SquarePants is clever and witty in much the way that the old Looney Tunes cartoons were, and adults and kids of nearly all ages can appreciate the humor.

Phineas and Pherb, airing on the Disney networks, is a cartoon about stepbrothers who create amazing inventions over summer vacation. Their bossy older sister, Candace, is always trying to foil their plans, but somehow, in every episode, the inventions disappear before Candace can tattle on her brothers to their mother. Add in the boy’s pet platypus, Perry, who secretly lives a double life as a spy, and the show has the makings for wacky antics that grade school-aged kids and parents can enjoy together.

Based on the Olivia books by Ian Falconer and airing on the Nickelodeon networks, the cartoon Olivia stays true to the books by featuring the adventures of a precocious girl pig named Olivia. Olivia has a big imagination and even bigger ambitions that make for entertaining, true-to-life family situations that kindergarten and pre-k kids, and parents, will identify with.

The Penguins of Madagascar airing on Nickelodeon, is based on the feature films Madagascar and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Penguins features a military like waddle of penguins that like to undertake various reconnaissance missions in their zoo. The Penguins of Madagascar has also brought back the eccentric King Julian, a lemur with a hilarious air of entitlement, to round out the show.

This cartoon airing on Nickelodeon stars the precocious character Bessie, voiced by talented ex- Saturday Night Live star Amy Pohler. Bessie lives with her single, hippie mother in San Francisco, where she boldly, and blithely, faces a school and Girl Scout-like troop (the Honeybees) that is often snooty and exclusionary. Mighty B features wild and wacky humor with original story lines.

Disney has created this sharp live action show about two friends who are determined to become professional skateboarders. Zeke and Luther are good kids who try to do the right thing, but are often caught up in “boys will be boys” situations. They’re held in check by Zeke’s younger, but smarter, sister Ginger and Zeke’s grumpy, ex-astronaut neighbor

Reginald "Jumpsuit" Johnson. Zeke and Luther is aimed at tweens and young teens.

The copyright of the article Parent-Friendly Kids' Shows on Disney & Nick in Children’s TV is owned by Amber Fraley. Permission to republish Parent-Friendly Kids' Shows on Disney & Nick in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.