It's My Screen Time Too

In this episode, Katie unleashes some populist rage and Deborah expresses sympathy for the misfits on Disney Plus’ much-promoted “Secret Society of Second Born Royals.” We admit that our rating system is very much dependent on moods and context, and we bemoan the movie’s lack of zingers and selection of lame superpowers. In our Screen Time in the News segment, we discuss teens’ mental health and s...

Take a deep, calming breath, and join us as we review Disney Plus’ attempt at blending highly recognizable intellectual property with mindfulness and meditation: Zenimation. In Screen Time in the News, we see whether Deborah is skeptical of the Wall Street Journal’s claim that TV before bedtime isn’t necessarily a recipe for poor sleep. Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentim...

In this episode, we review a new Netflix show with a surprisingly genuine heart despite its truly bonkers premise: Julie and the Phantoms. We talk about coming around to fanny packs and jumpsuits, soundtracks we can sing along to, and what a good time it is to be a tween (TV-wise, at least). In Screen Time in the News, we run through the best reality TV to watch with our kids according to the New...

In today’s action packed episode, we interview Danny LaBrecque, creator and star of the show on YouTube voted (by us) most likely to give you serious Mr. Rogers vibes, Danny Joe’s Treehouse. We talk about creating thoughtful content for kids; consuming media with kids; and how TV can do more than focus on ABCs and 123s. In our main segment, we review Netflix’s new slow-paced, cuddly antidote to to...

We review Netflix’s new bite-size science show, Emily’s Wonder Lab, in which a charismatic scientist encourages our kids to make giant messes while also - maybe? - actually learning something. In Screen Time in the News, we discuss a Washington Post article about the pitfalls of constant screen time for kids during distance learning. Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimeto...

We revisit Animal Crackers with the movie’s writer and director, Scott Sava. He answers some of our biggest questions about the Netflix animated film: Where did those Ian McKellen musical numbers come from? Is it really okay to set a modern story at the circus? Why is Owen’s hair blue? In Screen Time in the News, we welcome some good news from the Hollywood Reporter that children’s shows are leadi...

We decide whether Disney Plus’ attempt to make the muppets appeal to YouTube loving kids is a success in the new show, Muppets Now. Plus, Deborah makes an impassioned plea for Miss Piggy’s dignity. In Screen Time in the News, we discuss a new crop of TV shows for grown ups made during the pandemic. Are we interested in seeing our own Zoom-centric lives reflected back to us on screen? Contact us an...

Shannon Vasconcelos joins us to discuss Netflix’s new movie, Animal Crackers, and whether a circus story makes sense for today’s audiences. Plus, whether lots of different hair colors count as diversity, why Ian McKellan gets two musical numbers in a non-musical, and whether hoary “bad dad” plot tropes will go out the window in post-pandemic storylines. In Screen Time in the News, we forgive a par...

We weep for the long ago days when we could hire babysitters and leave the house while watching HBO Max’s enthusiastic monstersitting duo, Esme & Roy. In Screen Time in the News, we explore parenting advice aimed at the men in our lives on Fatherly.com. Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.com Connect with us on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter or by email at mys...

We revel in Netflix’s reboot of our childhood favorite: The Babysitters Club. Reimagined for a new era but still faithful to the original, we can still get lost in important questions like: are we Kristy and Maryann or more Stacy and Claudia? We welcome some guest commentary on trans inclusion and discuss whether twelve year olds are really still considered reliable babysitters. Contact us and sub...

It’s been awhile since we covered a show we loved with as much ardor as Katie brings to UK export, Numberblocks. Listen as she raves about twelve, bags on three, and convinces Deborah to give nineteen a chance. In Screen Time In the News, we discuss Slate’s call for media mentors in this age of rampant online disinformation. Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.com Con...

We revisit the world of Fraggle Rock and discuss the Hulu Original, Doozers. What did we miss out on as children when we neglected to interrogate the inner lives of those tiny, radish loving architects? In Screen Time in the News, we discuss CNN’s town hall with Sesame Street, Standing Up to Racism. Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.com Connect with us on Facebook ,...

Are Pixar’s charming Forky Asks a Question shorts on Disney Plus enough to finally get us to watch Toy Story 4? In this episode, you may not learn “what is cheese?” but you will learn whether Katie can cut hair, whether Deborah was good at playground games as a child, and whether the Washington Post has anything new to tell us about the screen time debate. Contact us and subscribe to our newslette...

Are our stomachs strong enough for a show about the science behind snot, farts, and belly button lint? Netflix’s single season Oh Yuck tests our constitutions while not teaching us very much at all. In Screen Time in the News, we discuss the fight between AMC and Universal provoked by the wild success of the digital release of Trolls World Tour. We follow up on our last episode with a chat about w...

Join us as we explore #DisneyMagicMoments, a hashtag and website Disney has created to keep us immersed in Disney content even as theme parks and trips to movie theaters become only fond memories during our time of sheltering in place. Character drawing tutorials, celebrity storytimes, goofy skits starring Olaf, recipes, crafts! If it involves a Disney property, they’ve got it. We’ll let you know...

We review our first sequel, Zombies 2, after reviewing the original way back in Episode 32. We decide whether punk rock werewolves are a compelling addition to the zombie-ridden, cheerleading obsessed town of Seabrook and whether stellar dance moves can make up for a lackluster plot. We discuss strides in women-led family films in Screen Time in the News and delve more fully into Kristof’s rock ba...

Cooped up inside and looking to see some spaces that aren’t our homes, we journey through some of the many virtual tours recommended to us by well meaning teachers, friends, and online publications. Is the Metropolitan Museum, the National Aquarium, or the International Space Station worth the online trip? Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.com Connect with us on Fac...

We explore whether Mystery Doug’s once weekly, bite-sized science lessons can entertain and educate us during emergency homeschooling. Could Tiffany Haddish or Carrie Bradshaw do it better? We sing the praises of Cosmic Kids Yoga, complain about YouTube Kids, share some COVID-19-necessitated distance learning stories, and - in our Screen Time In the News segment - rejoice that USA Today has confir...

Join us as we explore the Disney+ vault for the first time and watch the 1960 classic, Pollyanna. Will the relentless cheeriness of a plucky orphan combined with the filmmaking of old make us want to play the Glad Game? We discuss Disney’s complicated place in the streaming landscape in Screen Time in the News, and we take time to weigh in on important topics like Weezer covering a song in Frozen...

We trust LEGO Batman himself, Will Arnett, to lead us into primetime as we review the new reality competition series, LEGO Masters on Fox. Will bickering builders, tricky challenges, and harsh judging make us fans? In Screen Time in the News, we discuss Sesame Street’s new content for Syrian refugees, and Katie gives a side rant about parents as constant playmates in the otherwise charming Disney...

Classic adventure tale meets high school fish-out-of-water comedy as Dora the Explorer gets the big screen treatment in Dora and the Lost City of Gold. We’re so excited to review a movie that was actually released in theaters (and fairly recently!). We talk CGI monkeys, actors who play perfect dads, and the Brad Pitt Lizzo buddy picture we never knew we always needed. In Screen Time in the News, w...

We explore the world of preschool shows once again. In Screen Time In the News, we learn about the psychology behind the dreaded teletubbies. In our main segment, we review Netflix’s Puffin Rock, a charming show that sends us drifting on a cloud of relaxation to the sound of Chris O’Dowd’s narration as we learn that seagulls are evil and preschoolers should probably not be trusted to babysit their...

Inspired by reports of LGBTQ inclusion, we review Hulu’s The Bravest Knight. We talk trolls, knights, nostalgia for the water cooler TV shows of the nineties and early aughts, Rufus Wainwright style theme songs, and how it’s possible that Deborah doesn’t know who Ian McShane is. Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.com Connect with us on Facebook , Instagram , and Twit...

The new year is time for new projects, so what better show to start off with than Universal Kids’ home makeover show, Get Out of My Room? We explore whether interior design shows for kids are really any different than our made-for-grown-ups favorites on HGTV; decide which themes would drive us the most crazy when plastered all over our own rooms; and take time to fondly remember when they glued ha...

Last Christmas, we gave our hearts to Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles. Can the streaming service top it this year with their animated feature, Klaus? Also, we take a peek at Netflix’s other holiday offerings in our Screen Time in the News segment and give quick takes on Disney+ (home of Baby Yoda) and Frozen 2. Contact us and subscribe to our newsletter at www.myscreentimetoo.com Connect with u...