Lackluster Disney skater show has little to offer tweens.
Longtime pals Zeke (Hutch Dano) and Luther (Adam Hicks) share a common goal: to make their fortune as professional skateboarders. In their (fictional) hometown of Pacific Terrace, boarding is a favorite teen pastime, but these two buddies believe they alone have the talent to make it to the big time.
Their optimism is often challenged by their friendly nemesis, Kojo (Daniel Curtis Lee), who takes issue with their claim to fame, and by Zeke's little sister, Ginger (Ryan Newman), who loathes her brother's childish hobby. But Zeke and Luther remain undeterred, and their single-minded ambition often lands them in some pretty zany adventures.
"Zeke and Luther" appeals to tweens' impressions of the ideal life, in which responsibilities are few, playtime abounds, and every outrageous situation is easily resolved within 30 minutes. Unfortunately, adults will take issue with that same improbable view of life, and parents may not like the show's non-messages about taking responsibility.
What's more, the series is surprisingly lacking in pizzazz, which makes its content flaws that much more noticeable. The characters are so one-dimensional that the bare-bones stories quickly become predictable and flat, and there's no attempt at beefing it up with any obvious positive messages or lessons learned.
Bottom line? There's nothing really worrisome here, but there are many higher quality choices for impressionable tweens.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the teen boys at the center of this series lead fairly unrealistic lives in which they have little responsibility and get unlimited time to goof around, skateboard, and get into outrageous situations. Much of their freedom comes from having no parental involvement to speak of, and often the only voice of reason comes from a younger sister -- who's portrayed as a disdainful goody-goody and who exploits the boys' naivete.
While there's no content that's really too strong for tweens, there aren't a whole lot of concrete positive take-aways, either.
Families can talk about what messages the show is sending -- is what you take away from it the same thing as what the show is trying to say? Does that matter? Families can also discuss career goals. Kids: What do you want to be when you grow up? What draws you to that job? What personal rewards do you expect to get from it? What kind of training and education will you need to succeed? Are you committed to working hard to achieve your goals, career or otherwise?
TV Rating: TV-Y7 Network: Disney XD Cast: Adam Hicks, Hutch Dano, Daniel Curtis Lee Genre: Comedy Debut: June 15; check local listings.
Reviewed by Emily Ashby.
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