Children's television in 2009 is so much better than I recall.
Just take a look at the listings on TV2 and TV3 any time after 3pm and, if that's not enough, then flick through the Sky schedule - there are channels devoted entirely to the younger set.
I spent some time recently immersing myself in the Sky channels to see what kind of programmes are offered, whether there is any real educational value to these and whether the kids of 2009 are getting value on the box.
The short answer is yes.
The range and variety of programmes is huge.
Any channel on your Sky remote between 40 and 45 has a young person's theme to it - Disney, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and the Playhouse Disney offer an absolute smorgasbord of shows.
Even though they are fun to watch, what impressed me most was the educational element contained in many of them.
Take programmes such as Bo on the Go, Wordworld and Special Agent Oso.
Not exactly household names but they are more than fluff and fun for the kids.
Each encourages the young viewer to think about how they interact with people on a daily basis, examines how to make simple decisions and gets their grey matter ticking over.
On a totally different subject, doesn't the way the two main channels present their weather segments just annoy you a bit? It drives me nuts.
Why the need for voice-overs or other presenters? Just show us the graphics and the fly-overs.
We can all read! In this time of recession, maybe TV One and TV3 could save a few hundred thousand dollars by axing the likes of Jim Hickey.
Just a thought.
Don't miss: Jonas, Disney Channel, Monday, August 31, 5pm: This suggestion for anyone aged under 18.
The very mention of the name Jonas is likely to send teenage girls into fits of adoration.
The Jonas Brothers are huge apparently, right up there with the likes of Miley Cyrus, so I'm told.
This is a sort of reality series, taking a look at the lives of the three young men.
Don't bother: Maxed Out, Living Channel, Wednesdays, 10pm: An overseas version of our Money Man, which is an awful series in its own right.
In this series, a "money coach" tries to help people who have formed bad "relationships" with money.
The best thing to do here is turn the TV off and save power.
