Free Republic

A TV station has come under fire for a Lord of the Flies-style documentary examining how children as young as eight would cope without their parents for a fortnight. Boys And Girls Alone has drawn comparisons with reality TV show Big Brother and William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, in which a group of schoolboys stuck on a deserted island try to govern themselves with disastrous results. The British program shows children crying because they miss their parents, fighting and splitting into factions where some are bullied. Broadcaster Channel 4 defended the program, which it said featured bickering, disagreements...

How Many Five Year Olds Could You Take In a Fight? This short survey will tell you approximately how many five year old children you could fight at once. Results are based on physical prowess, training, swarm-combatting experience, and the flexibility of your moral compass. Here are the ground rules: You are in an enclosed area roughly the size of a basketball court There are no weapons or foreign objects Everyone is wearing a cup (so no kicks to the groin) The children are merciless and will show no fear If a child is knocked unconscious, he is "out." The...

NEW 'KID NATION' PROBE By Post staff writer August 28, 2007 -- ONE of the TV industry's biggest unions is launch ing its own investigation of the controversial CBS reality series "Kid Nation." The American Federation of Television & Radio Artists says it wants to find out if any of its rules were broken during the filming of the show in New Mexico. "Kid Nation" - which features 40 kids ages 8-15 who inhabit their own small town without parental supervision - has come under scrutiny recently because of allegations that some of the kids were injured during production and...

CBS encamped 40 kids in an abandoned New Mexico ghost town for more than a month. The kids performed on camera for more than 14 hours at a stretch, seven days a week, making their own meals. They were filming during the school year, yet no studio teachers were present. They were working on a major television production, yet no parents were on the set. The show is CBS’ upcoming reality series "Kid Nation." 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...