Nickeloden has a show call Avatar: The Last Airbender and what a great show it is. I started watching when the show first appeared. Initially, my daughter brought it to my attention when I was reviewing other shows for suitability. The commercials looked interesting so I watched the pilot with my kids and we have all been hooked ever since.
The story is set on a world where there are essentially four “nations“ of people including Air, Water, Fire, and Earth Benders. It follows a 12 year old kid named Ang (who is the Avatar and is also the last air bender), his flying bison Oppa, and some friends he makes along the way. He is destined to save water and earth nations from the attacking fire nation. The first season just completed and during the season Ang met with many interesting people. Some were friends, some were not, all were well developed.
The animation is in the style of Anime and the drama and character development are as complex and as well-crafted as any made-for-adult television show. The writers cleverly focus on the characters and long-term storyline while making the individual episodes interesting and enjoyable. They never seem to lose sight of the “big picture” yet never bore the viewer with episodes that do not answer questions.
Contemporary television seems to be dumbed down unnecessarily. While there are certainly times for (and shows for) more immediate gratification and simple entertainment, too often we see programming that insults the intelligence of the audience, even when the show claims to be “smart television.” Avatar is able to break the mold of the “dumbed-down” show while still remain appropriate for kids.
In addition to great animation, excellent writing, and (my favorite) well-developed characters, Avatar teaches morality, character, respect, and honor. No, it's not a tree-huggin', bunny-lovin' kinda show. It focuses on balance (not surpising given its Anime background). In fact, the Yin-Yang theme is prominent in the season finale.
Although the season is over, I am sure Nickelodeon will show repeats throughout the year. I hope you can take a few minutes to enjoy this show. If you are already enjoying the show, please offer your feedback. I'd love to know what others think about it.