philros nellya frowyn
Salomon Thoj
A Black second grader with supernatural powers faces off against a villain, while simultaneously navigating the challenges of growing up. Raising Dion boasts nuanced and racially sensitive subplots, relatable peer interactions and mostly tame content (i.e., very mild violence and PG portrayals of bullying). Nevertheless, the intensity of the show make it better suited for the older tween and teen crowd.
This interactive comedy for tweens and teens encourages social media use by directing them to engage on the namesake site, but the content of the episodes also focuses on key related issues, which means that watching it with your tech-savvy kid could be an excellent conversation starter.
Is it Cake? Is a family-friendly baking competition in which adult baking enthusiasts try to trick the judges with insanely lifelike edible creations. Whimsical and wildly entertaining, this one is a fun and appropriate watch for all but the youngest kids.
Peril and light scares are offset by comedy in this clever TV series in which a group of teens battle monsters and villains in a post-apocalyptic world. There is a notable absence of adults in the show (hence the name), but the shenanigans are mild and the suspenseful storyline promises to keep tween audiences on the edge of their seats.
Much like the movie by the same name, Selena: The Series is based on the true story of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, a Tejano music sensation who was tragically murdered at the peak of her career. Although the murder is central to the story, the series has more to do with her rise to fame than the unfortunate circumstances of her untimely death. Nevertheless, this one is better to watch with slightly older kids.
This animated series is a feel-good celebration of music with groovy, vibrant visuals, positive messages about diversity and self-confidence, and a killer soundtrack that features all the best hits from the soul genre.
Odds are, you remember reading the iconic Captain Underpants series back in the day, so you know your entire family will love watching the hijinks and adventures of the Captain, George and Harold unfold. The fourth graders have a penchant for pranks and comics, and turning their principal into the infamous underwear-donning superhero.
Set years after the events of the Karate Kid films, this series follows the rekindling rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso. Following the reopening of the Cobra Kai karate dojo, the family can meet new characters and see some of their fave characters from the films as Johnny seeks redemption in this dramedy.
Tom Ellis plays the title character in "Lucifer," a series now in Season 5 on Netflix. He's on "vacation" in Los Angeles and running a bar, trying to figure out why God banished him to hell. (Netflix/John P. Fleenor, 2020)
A Netflix series, "Lucifer" centers on Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis). The devil himself has tired of hell and takes a vacation in Los Angeles. His "vacation" has already lasted five years when the show begins. This is a rare show that embraces religion and the struggles of faith.
I'm a sociologist of religion. So, while I am not a theologian, theology factors greatly into my work. All of my intellectual interests seem to come together in this one show. "Lucifer" is one-part police procedural, one-part melodrama about a charming, oversexed, devilishly handsome playboy, and one-part exploration of the dichotomy between faith and reason told through the lens of a family drama and a love story.
The police procedural piece is weak, even sloppy. For example, in an early episode, Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) cross contaminates evidence by examining roughly a dozen pieces of evidence at the episode's murder scene. Decker, the show's female lead, then scrolls through the victim's cell phone instead of turning it over to the cyber unit all while wearing the same gloves!
Lucifer's work with Detective Decker as civilian consultant isn't enough to raise the quality of the police procedural aspect of the show. Even the oversexed handsome playboy component becomes tiresome after a while. Admittedly, I quickly rebound from that. What keeps me going back for more is the layered exploration of faith and reason within the context of dysfunctional family dynamics.
After thousands of years spent punishing souls, Lucifer left hell and reinvented himself as an L.A. nightclub owner. He will tell anyone who will listen that he is not evil. Rather, he punishes evil at God's behest. It is an existence that Lucifer didn't seek, and frankly, loathes. He loathes himself for his hellish work, God for casting him out of heaven to do it, and what humans think of him because of it.
The early seasons are rooted in a type of theology of omniscience, where God as an all-knowing, all-controlling, distant creator makes all of the decisions, leaving everyone else to guess as to God's will. Lucifer believes that he was banished to hell because God was punishing him. He doesn't know and aches to understand the reasons for this punishment. The show intimates early on that God cast Lucifer out of heaven because he was the only angel strong enough and capable enough to take on the thankless task of punishing the souls condemned to hell. But Lucifer can't, or won't, see that. His myopic viewpoint only allows him to see that he was the one cast out of the Silver City while his angelic siblings were allowed to stay. This is the foundation of the tension Lucifer has with his brother, Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside), God's most dutiful angelic son.
Amenadiel's presence in Los Angeles is a persistent reminder to Lucifer of the difference in their positions. This, coupled with Amenadiel constantly coercing Lucifer to return to his post, gives way to an existential crisis that leads the devil to therapy.
It's in the therapy scenes where the show really blossoms. Lucifer explores his feelings toward his father, his brother, Decker, and, in Season 2, his mother. In Season 1, we see Lucifer struggle as a son who only wants his father's approval. His desire for simple communication and not receiving it creates massive insecurity. Drinking and sex are the key coping mechanisms he uses to compensate. Lucifer's fractured relationship with God leaves him despondent. It's a feeling to which many people can relate. However, unlike humans, Lucifer doesn't just believe God exists. He knows it. Consequently, the one-sided relationship pains him in a way that doesn't resonate with humans who similarly seek communication with God.
This element of the show deepens in Season 2 with the introduction of Ella, a forensic scientist at the police department. She's a woman of deep faith, one who understands that even her moments of doubt are crucial to her Catholicism. Because of faith, she believes that which she does not know. Yet she struggles in her belief far less than Lucifer and Amenadiel, who believe precisely because they know. All three desire, even yearn, to tangibly experience the Presence in their lives. Each reacts differently when it doesn't happen. Ella continues in her belief that is strengthened by doubt. Amenadiel, ever the dutiful son, persists in his effort to do God's will while struggling to admit to himself that he's not sure what that is. And Lucifer finds new ways to engage in the same filial rebellion.
One reason my weariness of the charming playboy shtick doesn't last is because just when I begin to find it tiresome, there is a pivot that reignites my attention. For instance, sex is the currency Lucifer initially uses to pay for his therapy sessions with Dr. Linda Martin (Rachel Harris). This clear, gross lapse of ethical judgment on her part is mitigated by the fact that Lucifer uses his powers to manipulate her and spark a desire for him. However, she is not so befuddled that she can't see what is obvious to everyone except the devil himself. Lucifer is in love. Late in Season 1, Linda sees Lucifer and Chloe interacting and gains insight into him that she could not have seen in therapy alone. She immediately halts their sexual relationship in favor of an exclusively therapeutic one. It's an act of self-respect and self-preservation. It's one thing to regularly have sex with a man knowing that both of you are in it for a bit of fun. It's quite another to regularly have sex with a man knowing he is in love with another woman.
By Season 5, the show has transitioned to more of a theology of self-actualization, where with help from Martin, Decker and Amenadiel, Lucifer realizes the control he has over his own life. It is abundantly clear by this point that Lucifer and Detective Decker know they are in love with each other. Even with this confidence, he can't bring himself to be vulnerable enough to say the words. That metaphor deserves an essay of its own!
[Tia Noelle Pratt is a sociologist and the president and director of research at TNPratt & Associates, an inclusion and diversity consulting firm in Philadelphia. She is currently working on her first book, Faithful and Devoted: Racism and Identity in the African-American Catholic Experience.]
If your little one likes cars, turn on Cory Carson and watch him explore the roads of his hometown, Bumperton Hills. While the Netflix original series has 6 seasons, your kid will be excited to learn there are also lots of seasonal specials featuring Cory the adventurer.
Based on the iconic baby-sitters club book series, this family-friendly Netflix series follows a group of friends who form a babysitting club and offer their wonderful services to the community. Mostly follows the original storyline.
Greenhouse Academy is an exciting teen drama series set in an elite boarding school where students balance academic pursuits with unraveling mysteries and uncovering secrets. With its blend of suspense, friendship dynamics, and teenage romance, the show keeps viewers hooked as they journey through a world of intrigue and personal growth.
When the Baudelaire kids lose their parents, the orphans are sent to live with their repulsive distant relative, Count Olaf (played by Neil Patrick Harris). Based on the book series and movie of the same name, Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events, is a very visual tale.
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