The movie theater version of Star Wars: The Clone Wars may not have made much of a cinematic splash, but last weekend’s debut of the series on Cartoon Network was a whole ‘nother story.
(And not just because my daughter came flying downstairs to ask me to record it for her, after she’d gone to bed, either. I didn’t even know she was a Star Wars fan.)
No, it turns out that if you show it, they will come… in fact, they will come and make it the most-watched premiere in Cartoon Network history:
The new Lucasfilm Animation series scored as the most-watched series premiere in network history, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research. The one-hour new series premiere also reigned as the #1 program from 9-10 p.m. among all major kids networks in kids 6-11, kids 2-11, tweens 9-14, teens 12-7 and persons 2+, earning triple-digit increases compared to the same time period last year. The weekly, CG-animated series also attracted the largest tweens 9-14 audience for any premiere telecast of an original series in Cartoon Network’s 16-year history.
Not bad. Congratulations, Cartoon Network!
Meanwhile, Toon Zone keeps us informed about various Clone Wars news and freebies, including my favorite: An online graphic novel. Very cool.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year—time for the 
There are many, many things I love about summer, but the television programming isn’t one of them. When all of our favorite shows wrap up in the Spring, a sort of ennui settles over the TV until the new seasons begin. Because there are only so many reruns even the most dedicated couch potato can watch before you just have to admit that there’s nothing good on.
No matter what your political affiliation, you’d have to have been living under a rock to miss the Democratic National Convention this past week. Politics are on everybody’s mind, and our kids want to get in on the act. Finding ways for them to broaden their knowledge without exposing them to mudslinging is a great exercise for all of us—I know that since having to explain things to my children, it’s really changed how I view politics (and how).
I’m talking about gearing up to watch the Summer Olympics, of course, not about traveling to China with your children. My advice for far-away travel with children can best be summed up via two-pronged approach: 1) Just don’t do it, or 2) Benadryl. So, yeah, if you’re actually going to Beijing for the Olympics, have a wonderful time, but I have no suggestions on how to make that a smoother trip. Good luck!
If only there was some way to have the great kids’ shows you already love somehow spawn other great shows your kids would love, and then you’d be able to flip on the television and reason, “Well, we already enjoy X, certainly we’ll like Y, as well!”
Every now and then I come across another blog where I feel like I’ve met some kindred spirits. Usually it’s a place where someone confesses to letting their kids eat food they’ve dropped on the floor or something like that. (Uhhhh… not that I’ve ever done such a thing. Gross! But it makes me feel better about my own less-than-stellar parenting moments.)
I’ll tell you right up front, here, that neither of my children are teens. Nor will they ever be. I mean, I assume they will eventually become teens whether I agree with it or not, but as soon as my oldest hits the teenage years I fully intend to enter the Witness Protection Program, thereby missing most of whatever it is that teens do to their parents. (This is not a frivolous plan. It isn’t. Hey, who asked you, anyway?)
Do you know what you’re doing this Sunday?
I think it’s already been pretty well-established that I am a fool for all things muppets, so you’ll just excuse me if I’m overly excited about the next couple pieces of trivia.