My Dad is Better than Your Dad on NBC

By Adam Shuler

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the massive success of Nickelodeon’s Double Dare inspired a slew of kid-centric game shows. Young contestants could have fun and win prizes, while young viewers could enjoy the cleanentertainment these games provided. However, the heyday of these games is long gone, and kids’ games are hard to find. Enter NBC’s My Dad is Better than Your Dad, which fills this long-standing void nicely. The new series continues to be an enjoyable hour for the whole family, and it is once again our Best of the Week.

As usual, four teams competed in challenges in pursuit of the $50,000 prize. The teams were made up of Roberto & Sophia Di Benedetto (Team Italia), Andre & Corey Walewski (Team 110%), Joseph & Joey Trevino (Team Computer Geeks) and Mike & Cameron Escalante (Team Sports). The first challenge had the dads diving into a large bowl of slime to retrieve letters. After sliding across the floor to give the letters to their kids, the pair had to unscramble all the letters to form a word. The second game had the dads release their harnessed children to a Velcro target, where the kids attempted to score the most points by sticking darts on the board.

After Team Computer Geeks was eliminated, the remaining three teams answered trivia questions. Subjects during this round ranged from Finding Nemo to Guitar Hero and even the Big Dipper. Team 110% was left behind, pitting Team Italia and Team Sports in the final round. Here, one dad fired newspapers at windows while the other dad defended the shots. Team Italia eventually emerged victorious, and moved on to the final round. Dad Roberto struggled with answering questions about his daughter Sophia, but he knew that Hannah Montana was her favorite artist, and that was enough to give them a prize of $10,000.

One difference in this show compared to kids’ game shows of the past is the enthusiasm of the kids themselves. Before, the bright lights and cameras may have wreaked havoc with their nerves, causing them to be quieter on TV. On My Dad, the kids are quite energetic and fired up throughout the hour. Their enthusiasm, combined with the dads embracing the fun atmosphere of the game, makes for great family entertainment. NBC recently announced a plan to implement more family programming beginning this fall. If their offerings are anything like My Dad is Better than Your Dad, families could have even more shows to feel good about watching together.

Best TV Show of the Week

The Parents Television Council - www.parentstv.org