Franklin and Friends

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Friendly animal pals have positive social messages for kids.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this series has strong positive messages about friendship, family relationships, problem-solving, and citizenship. The diverse cast of animals will be familiar to anyone who's seen the show's predecessor, Franklin, or met the characters in the books that inspired the shows. Although Franklin and his pals are slightly more grown-up in this incarnation, they're still open to learning new things, discovering the world around them, and expressing themselves in creative ways, all of which set admirable examples for kids.

  • The characters' experiences offer opportunities to learn about their surroundings and about how to become better citizens. Positive messages throughout the stories are sure to stick with kids who tune in.
  • Each story illustrates a theme that's relevant to preschoolers' daily lives, including responsibility, keeping promises, working as a team, being part of a family, and solving problems. The characters are a diverse bunch of animals, each of whom brings unique qualities to the group.
  • Franklin and his friends aren't without their faults, and sometimes problems arise in their social interactions that cause them to seek out an adult for guidance. They always acknowledge their mistakes and correct their behavior, though. Grown-ups are models of kindness and patience.
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

FRANKLIN AND FRIENDS is the second TV show based on the friendly woodland characters from the popular children's books by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark. This series follows a more grown-up and confident Franklin (voiced by Graeme Jokic) and his neighborhood friends as they experience the ups and downs of life through their daily adventures at school and at play. Familiar faces like Snail, Rabbit, Beaver, and Bear return with Franklin, as does his family, plus a new character named Aunt T, who teaches Franklin about expressing himself.


Is it any good?

 

Preschoolers have long enjoyed the endearing characters and delightful stories of Franklin, and this vibrant CGI series just enhances what was already so well done in the original show. In fact, the characters' personalities need no embellishment at all , and kids who already know them from the books or TV show will find the transition to this show a natural one.

While Franklin and his pals are older and wiser now, they still hit bumps in the road and have to solve the problems they encounter. This is great news for their young fans, who get to see how they work through squabbles with one other and troubles that pop up along the way. Even better, the young characters have a ready pool of grown-ups available to offer guidance when it's needed to make responsible decisions that illustrate their commitment to friendship, community, social skills, and good citizenship.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about friendship. How do Franklin and his friends show that they value their friends? How do they cope with troubles that arise between them? What qualities are important to you in your friends? 

  • Kids: How do the characters set good examples when they solve problems? How do they use teamwork to come up with a solution? What do they do when they disagree?

  • Who are some of your favorite characters from books? Are they also on TV? How does meeting a character in a book rather than on TV inspire your imagination about him or her?


This review was written by Emily Ashby
Kid, 11 years old
February 18, 2012
 
This isn't the Franklin that I love!
This is just a terrible CGI animated TV series based on Franklin. Now, the original Franklin is MUCH better. So don't waste your brain cells on this rip-off. Just watch the original. This is not the Franklin I loved when I was little. So just go with it.

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Teen, 13 years old
February 15, 2012
 
Kids will be entertained parents and teens will be bored
It does entertain kids 2+ but dont try to get your 13 year old to watch it chances are you will be denied

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Teen, 15 years old
March 2, 2012
 
Not as good as the original!!!!!!
Not as good as the original!!! The characters look like robots!!! What was nickelodeon thinking??? They must have been drunk when they did the animations for this! They should've just continued making the old ones! The old ones were a gazillion times better!

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Parent
April 3, 2012
 
still good but love the old version!
Its a great show for kids to learn socialization skills and life lessons

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This review was written by Emily Ashby
This review was written by Emily Ashby
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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