Family/Tween Friendly TV Shows

[robinb]

I am so tired of just watching reality TV (AR, DWTS, Top Chef, etc) with my 11-year old DD and I am looking for some different programming options that both of us would find interesting. SHE would watch the Disney Channel 24/7 if she had the chance. We currently watch:

No Ordinary Family
Castle (although the body count was high on Monday)
The Middle (we just started watching)

So, what other shows do you watch with your tweens?

 

[Hannathy]

House, Bones, Psych, Big Bang Theory, Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares.

 

[hsmamato2]

RobinB- your daughter is getting so big! been watching you post for years now! my ds11 likes petkeeping with Marc Marrone,The Middle,Modern family,sometimes the office or old Seinfeld episodes(depends a little on some content)
he isn't into Disney type shows except Phineas and Ferb,still Spongebob,Invader Zim,etc.
He doesn't watch any 'rough' shows with murder,etc-just not his thing. dfe. noticing a change to more 'mature' type shows for him though.... I think he's watched "The Good Guys" once or twice with us..kind of a crazy show but mostly ok for him....(dvr and skipping is our friend)

 

[IUTBAM]

We don't have cable, and I'm too lazy to hook up the digital antenna, lol, so almost all of the TV I watch with my teenaged DD is either movies on DVD, or TV series on DVD. I watch my "must have" show (Grey's Anatomy) online the day after it airs.

My DD (who is almost 18, lol) loves watching Full House on DVD...she says it reminds her of when she was little and we used to watch it on Nick at Nite. We also enjoy watching the OLD Bevery Hills 90210 series, Grey's Anatomy, Seventh Heaven, and Gilmore Girls.

 

[luvmy3]

Mythbusters
Hows that made
AFHV
Animal Planet shows (I don't know the names of any of them)
Cupcake Wars
Chopped
American Idol
We don't really watch network sitcoms or dramas. I watch things on Disney and Nick with her but its getting harder and harder to sit through those shows.

And I just realized I no longer have a tween, she's officially a teen

 

[K and K's Mommy]

I've got a DS 11. We don't watch a lot of t.v. with the kids but I Tivo The Middle and Modern Family. I think he would like both and most of the time they are family appropriate.

My DH and I also watch Big Bang Theory. I use to love it, but this year has been more grown up humor in my opinion. Even my DH commented that they seem to be gearing it more towards the 20 something crowd.

If you can find reruns of The Cosby Show, they are great!

 

[Hoodie]

There seems to be a big hole for any type of "family friendly" TV lately.
I discovered The Hub and fell back in love with The Wonder Years and Doogie Howser (they also have Family Ties. It's like watching TV 20 years ago!) As I've been watching it really hit me how horrible most shows are right now.

It also hit me how old I am!

 

[Magpie]

Our family likes watching TV shows on DVD - skip all the commercials and get the whole season at once!

At the moment we're working our way through the Fifth Series of Dr. Who, which is a huge hit. Steer clear of Torchwood - that'd be a little too dark for your daughter (the last season - Torchwood: Children of Earth - traumatized my husband).

Also popular on DVD with our family... Sherlock (new series from the UK, a modern twist on the old detective), and the Mentalist.

And for older series, my kids both enjoyed the original UK series Life on Mars (NOT the American version!), and all of the seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Firefly. Because Joss Whedon is a god.

As for stuff that's currently on TV, we do make sure to record Glee each week and, of course, Castle (though I didn't care so much for the last one, until right near the end when it got fun again). And if you like Nathan Filion, then you HAVE to rent Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

 

[Magpie]

There seems to be a big hole for any type of "family friendly" TV lately.
I discovered The Hub and fell back in love with The Wonder Years and Doogie Howser (they also have Family Ties. It's like watching TV 20 years ago!) As I've been watching it really hit me how horrible most shows are right now.

It also hit me how old I am!

It's all in how you define "family friendly". Me, I don't recall ever having trouble finding stuff on TV to watch with my kids. Of course, having a PVR, and not watching all that much anyway, helps a lot.

 

[minniebeth]

I hear you robinb! My DH and I keep talking about the sitcoms we so loved and were family friendly! I do miss a lot of them! My kids do love the reality shows like AR and DWTS, Survivor, Top Chef, but they do get repetitive season after season.

Even though it's a reality show, my kids are hoping that 9 by Design on Bravo comes back, they really liked it. They also like Sarah Palin's Alaska on TLC.
My DD8 loves 19 Kids and Counting because she loves to see baby Josie. We like to watch Travel Channel's shows when they're actually about travel. (All reality still...)

My DD13 won't admit it, she says she watches with my DD8, but I know they both like the reruns of the old Little House on the Prairie series on Hallmark Channel.
Other than that, I can't say there's all that much out there that's not reality and family friendly! I'm interested in what others have to share as well!

 

[minniebeth]

It's all in how you define "family friendly". Me, I don't recall ever having trouble finding stuff on TV to watch with my kids. Of course, having a PVR, and not watching all that much anyway, helps a lot.

It's true that everyone's definition of "family friendly" is different
But I can tell you that all my DD13's friends watch: Jersey Shore, Skins, 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Pretty Little Liars, The Bachelor, all the Kardashian family stuff, etc. I know there's a lot more along that line.

I'm like no, nope, definitely no way to those shows for her, and thankfully, she's really not interested anyway. The only show I really have to buck her on is Pretty Little Liars. I told her I would watch them first and then see if I would compromise with that one.

Just wish there were some more shows with positive messages in them or at least make you laugh!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

What are her interests? My dd's love Discovery, History, Science, and Syfy channels. They are not into ANY "reality" TV.

The only network TV my 14yodd will watch is NCIS, Bones, Big Bang and Supernatural.

IN general they do not watch much tv although my dd has discovered my Netflix streaming and is going through all the Dr. Who available.

 

[lovesmurfs]

No cable here. Current series: Castle, Chuck, Psych, Mythbusters, White Collar.

For past stuff, we get series on Blockbuster. We've been through each of the Star Trek spin-offs, etc. and Monk. Personal favs are some of the great 70's and 80's shows: Murder She Wrote, MASH, Magnum PI.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

I know exactly what you are talking about with the Disney channel. I'm so sick of Zack and Cody and the wizards!!

I don't watch much TV with my kids, but when I do we like to watch Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Billy the Exterminator, Pawn Stars, Family Game night, and America's Funniest Home Videos. When I want them to clean their rooms, I throw in an episode of Hoarders to show them what the house would look like if we let things get piled up on the floor.

 

[bicker]

"Give the people what they want." Unfortunately, too few people want family-friendly television.

There have been several attempts. For example, back in 1991, Paxson Communications was founded and by 1998 set forth on their firm intention of providing that kind of programming. Despite an impressively wide reach, the network suffered from consistently low ratings and mounting financial costs. By 2005, the attempt was definitely a failure, and the network renamed ION. ION does have a sub-channel, though, that still presents older rebroadcasts of family friendly programming. That's one of the single best sources.

 

[mjkacmom]

Modern family, glee, the office, 30 rock, parks an recreation (so glad that's coming back!), the biggest loser, law and order, the mentalist, medium (I guess that's over), bones - actually there aren't many shows I don't let ds12 (almost 13) watch (with us). Dd14 watches whatever she wants - she and her gf's have a pretty little liar night at someone's house.

If ds had his way, we'd be glued to the history channel every night, and if DH got involved also, the soccer channel.

 

[mjkacmom]

It's true that everyone's definition of "family friendly" is different
But I can tell you that all my DD13's friends watch: Jersey Shore, Skins, 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Pretty Little Liars, The Bachelor, all the Kardashian family stuff, etc. I know there's a lot more along that line.
upsidedow

I don't know if dd watched teen mom, but I hope she does. Being a teen mom doesn't look like that much fun, after watching the show a few times.

 

[kristina87]

Glee, Modern Family, anything on TLC or Travel Channel

 

[Magpie]

It's true that everyone's definition of "family friendly" is different
But I can tell you that all my DD13's friends watch: Jersey Shore, Skins, 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Pretty Little Liars, The Bachelor, all the Kardashian family stuff, etc. I know there's a lot more along that line.

I'm like no, nope, definitely no way to those shows for her, and thankfully, she's really not interested anyway. The only show I really have to buck her on is Pretty Little Liars. I told her I would watch them first and then see if I would compromise with that one.

Just wish there were some more shows with positive messages in them or at least make you laugh!

Interesting! My 14yo (almost 15) daughter must be hanging out with a different crowd, because I've never heard her mention any of these shows. Even her "cool" older friend (17, bleach blonde, expensive tastes in clothes) says her favorite show is Bones.

My daughter's best friend at school is the one who recommended Sherlock to us, and who got her interested in watching the Mentalist.

So I think we're all totally out of the loop here... The only shows I find myself objecting to are the crime ones my husband watches, like Criminal Minds. I think they're too gross, and portray a really negative view of the world. Luckily, the kids aren't interested in those. Every evening we watch the news together for an hour, and usually the Daily Show, too. And then if we have time and they don't have a ton of homework to do, anything we've recorded, or an episode from a DVD.

Honestly, I'm not feeling a lack of TV programming. If anything, we don't have enough time to watch it all!

 

[Mama-san]

It's funny (and a little scary ) to me that my DD11 is really into "Say Yes to the Dress" and "Four Weddings".