Nickelodeon
Does the world need another TV show about a secret group dedicated to protecting society from the spooky things we’re not supposed believe in? It does, if the show is Nickelodeon’s The Troop, which blends scary with funny in a way that’s perfect for capturing the attention of your middle schooler and her older sibs.
From the satisfying first episode, in which a character who thinks he’s bombed an aptitude test discovers instead that he’s uniquely qualified to battle the paranormal, the show and its characters are engaging but still age appropriate. There’s none of the snark and dark of Buffy here. There’s also no gore, although the creators succeed at getting the occasional jump and even shriek out of younger viewers. (Don’t worry, it only looked like the giant worm ate the construction worker.) The Troop is fun programming that a tribe of kids of varying ages can enjoy together.
—KJ Dell' Antonia
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