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Of 235 TV Shows Watched, Common Sense Media OKs 42 Of Them For Kids

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Today the group Common Sense Media is releasing its 2018 list of best TV shows for children and families. The nonprofit studies how media and technology affects kids. NPR's Mandalit del Barco has more.

MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE: Among the programs to earn Common Sense Media's seal of approval are kid versions of reality shows "American Ninja Warrior Junior..."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR JUNIOR")

LAURIE HERNANDEZ: The ninjas will kick things off on the sonic swing.

DEL BARCO: ...And ABC's "Dancing With The Stars Junior."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "DANCING WITH THE STARS JUNIOR")

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: It feels amazing. Thank you for - the judges, for being so nice.

POLLY CONWAY: The way that these shows present the spirit of competition is something really joyful.

DEL BARCO: Polly Conway is a senior TV editor at Common Sense Media, which has been making recommendations since 2015. This year, Conway and a team of six reviewers watched 235 different series and specials. They rated them on how educational they are how and well they show empathy, teamwork and diversity. She says they found many of the positive TV role models are female. For example, Disney's new "Marvel Rising" series features a Muslim girl named Kamala.

CONWAY: She is Ms. Marvel, a superhero, and she works along with a bunch of other superhero girls, including Ghost Spider and Squirrel Girl. To see them in action is really exciting.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "MARVEL RISING")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) What do you guys think? Let's go.

DEL BARCO: Of the 42 recommended shows, Netflix tops the list of networks with 14, including the anime series "Dragon Pilot."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "DRAGON PILOT")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) You know that I'm a brand-new D-Pi. But I swear, right here and now, that I will not let you down.

DEL BARCO: Common Sense Media says it honors characters like this who show strength of character and stay true to themselves. Mandalit del Barco, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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As an arts correspondent based at NPR West, Mandalit del Barco reports and produces stories about film, television, music, visual arts, dance and other topics. Over the years, she has also covered everything from street gangs to Hollywood, police and prisons, marijuana, immigration, race relations, natural disasters, Latino arts and urban street culture (including hip hop dance, music, and art). Every year, she covers the Oscars and the Grammy awards for NPR, as well as the Sundance Film Festival and other events. Her news reports, feature stories and photos, filed from Los Angeles and abroad, can be heard on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Alt.latino, and npr.org.