Children not exploited or endangered in making of reality show, says CBS

KID Nation, the CBS reality show that fanned concerns about child endangerment and exploitation, subjected its young stars to nothing more dramatic than homesickness and a pulled muscle in its debut episode.

Whether viewers were entertained by Wednesday’s hour — in which the most thrilling line was “We got the Port-A-Potties. Yeah!” — remains to be seen.

Filmed over 40 days during April and May in a movie-set ghost town in the high desert just south of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kid Nation gathered 40 children aged 8 to 15 and gave them the task of organising and running their own lives.

From the start, the kids are put through the physical and emotional wringer. They’re told to drag supply wagons through the desert, while the youngest ones confront fears of being isolated and away from their families.

“I think I’m gonna die out here because there’s nothing,” one eight-year-old frets as Kid Nation gets the party started.

“There’s no President Bush. There’s nothing,” observes another dispirited youngster.

CBS kept the finished product under wraps and away from critics, allowing media speculation and criticism to help promote the show.

There were allegations the production may have skirted New Mexico’s child-protection laws and that youngsters faced unsafe conditions, which CBS and the show’s producer denied.

No injuries other than the muscle pull were shown Wednesday. But one mother has complained to authorities that her daughter was splattered with cooking grease and four other children accidentally drank bleach during production.

The show confirmed the incidents occurred but said first aid was immediately provided.

The kids compete for a weekly solid-gold star, worth $20,000 (€14,209), that goes to the most deserving child.