A recent social dust-up illustrates that Hollywood has a ways to go when it comes to producing wide-appeal family entertainment.
On March 18, Matt Singer, editor of genre-entertainment website ScreenCrush — a far cry from a conservative media watchdog — tweeted what he considered to be a noncontroversial take as a father of a 5-year-old:
As a parent of little kids it would be great if there was literally *any* movie in theaters right now I could take them to.
— Matt Singer (@mattsinger) March 18, 2023
Many parents agreed with him, and movie theater operators saw the problem. Yet several commenters were taken aback, suggesting he take his youngsters to see the PG-13 “Shazam” sequel. Summing up its content, noting “villains use mind control to force a character to walk off the roof of a building and fall to their death,” he concluded: “It is not a movie for little kids.”
The TV landscape presents similar problems. During spring break, many viewers could catch up on top series like HBO’s “The Last of Us,” foul-mouthed comedy “Ted Lasso,” or whatever young-adult genre show Netflix has out this week. While reliable critics note the first two series have merit for adults, does every well-written show need wall-to-wall cursing and explicit violence?
Yet values such as honor, a strong work ethic, and selfless friendship can still be found in a few of those 2,000-plus TV series currently being produced. Granted, several TV picks listed here grapple with mature themes and
