Video -- CBS' Kid Nation, a First Look
Yeah, I meant that literally.
There was a lot of chatter about the production possibly skirting employment issues by choosing a wise location for this thing, and I think for the most part that was some people in the press trying to make news out of nothing.
James Hibberd writes about the show here at TV Week:
When rivals first got wind of the concept, they declared the production an impossible endeavor: From a legal, labor, public relations and logistical standpoint, this show should never have worked.
Yet CBS, long considered the most conservative of the broadcast networks, quietly and without mishap shot the first season of "Nation" before the media had even a whiff of what’s become one of the most talked-about series of the fall—and seemingly stayed within the lines of applicable labor laws in the process.
How’d they do it? By literally declaring the production a "summer camp" instead of a place of employment; by taking advantage of a loophole in New Mexico labor rules two months before the state legislature tightened the law, and using a ghost town that wasn’t exactly a ghost town.
CBS.com has it's page up, and you can click here for more. This could be interesting TV, and it could also push every button I have regarding grade school bullies, etc. And, you can apply for season two right now, but I think if you are, you should ask your mom or dad first.
And, as you know, it's not really my bag, these kinds of shows. An unscripted "reality" show with no sex? How will that work? Why will people stay interested?
Those are questions that come from a guy who knows that every one of these shows doesn't cast an ugly person unless they have to.
