Kids Incorporated

I remember when Kids Inc. The first time around when it was aired on Sat. evenings at 7. The show was sappy & sweet But it let pre-teens get a tast of the music of that time. It was innocent and glad we had it. Now youngsters get a tast of pre-teen strippers like Brittney and Christina. Kids Inc. was Right place right time!!!

As someone who was born in 1985 I have many found memories of Kids Incorporated. I only caught the later seasons, and maybe some of the earlier ones on reruns, but I know that when I was a kid I really liked it. It's one of those shows that, if you weren't around back then, you're probably going to find a lot to criticize. The kids all sing songs that were popular at the time, and sing them pretty well IMO. Some of them are even still around today. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Fergie, Mario Lopez, and Eric Balfour to name a few. Aside from the music, the kids also dealt with problems, and helped each other to solve them. I hate to repeat myself, but it really is one of those shows that you had to be there for in the beginning. The fashion and hair are pretty awful, but I view it as a sort of time capsule. A way to revisit a time long ago. If you're part of the 2000's crowd, and can look past the fashion and hair, and enjoy it for what it is, then I applaud you. It really is a good show.

What many negative people fail to point out is that Kids Inc. was nominated for many Emmys, and its stars won Youth In Film awards several times. It ran for 9 seasons because it was clearly a fan favorite.

Kids Inc. gave countless numbers of kids the chance to live out their fantasies and contained none of the sex or violence that runs rampant on TV. Instead of whiny, 5-octave-too-high tunes like Kidz Bop, it featured REAL kids, who actually sang. In its later seasons, it dealt with topics that actual kids were dealing with, and didn't downplay them. They used music that was current AT THE TIME, and judging the show out of context is not right. Unlike other live-action kids shows, the small, recurring casts gave us a chance to identify with the characters and watch them grow.

If this is going to turn into another Jump the Shark site, I'd like the link to my site "The Little Site That Could" removed, please.

KIDS Incorporated is what would have happened had the 90210 gang been a kids band in the 80's.

The KIDS were actually a neverending Menudo-style lineup of tweenie-boppers, who performed as the house-band at a Peach Pit style malt-shop/hangout for rugrats. They sashayed across stage in their large, over-sized, neon colored blouses and tight black leggings. They rocked out on their guitars and keyboards, with enough dramatic energy to suggest that they thought the instruments *really* were plugged in, and they *really* were playing them. The KIDS covered our not-so-favorite hits from Casey's Top 40, and we tuned in every week to see which songs they were going to put to a slow torturous death.

KIDS gave us Marta Marerro, before she washed the 20 lbs. of 'L.A. Looks' out of her hair and became pop-goth princess Martika. I prefer the old Martika, in all her satin jacket, giant brooch-wearing, neon leg-warmer glory. She was sassy and saucey and we worshipped her and her Crayola make-up, and we kept hoping her pirouettes would go awry and she'd fly off stage.

And you had to love "The Kid" (no, he was not played by Prince). "The Kid" marched around with attitude and threw shade and impersonated Diana Ross. Luvvem! There was also this dude named Riley, who made way-awesome yogurt-frappe' and seemingly loved steroids. I think he owned or managed the club or something. He helped the KIDS through life-altering crises like:

*Which song should the band do tonite-- "We Got The Beat", "Rhythm Of The Night" or "Gloria?"

*Stacey is like, sooooo tired of being a back-up singer. If she doesn't get to sing lead, like, NOW...she is going to barf out her retainer and go solo!

*Ohmahgawd...there's a leprechaun next to the gelatto machine and he's all like, "Where's me lucky pot-o-gold?" (I loved that episode...the leprechaun was "Isaac", the evil dwarf guy from "Children Of The Corn"!!!)

Damn I miss this show. We hated the KIDS and we loved them too. We sang along with them and then secretly wished the roof would collapse on top of them. The Saturday morning TV universe is a stark, empty void without KIDS intoxicated.

Disney or MGM should bring the reruns of this show back on the air...it was such a good show and unfortunately back in the day when Disney was a pay channel, not many kids could watch the show (I only caught it when we got the Disney preview). Now that Disney is a regular cable channel, at least show the reruns so that kids today could see what it is to be a REAL teen band that actually plays instruements.