My TV Show Review on Liberty's Kids
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- 7 min read
Happy Independence Day, my friends.
This is your patriotic entertainment media critic here with another review.
And, bless my soul, today marks America's 250th anniversary!
Sound the trumpets! Light the fireworks & firecrackers! Wave the American flag! Roast the marshmallows!
Anyway...
Today, to celebrate this momentous occasion, and for my 35th TV show analysis, I'm gonna give you guys my critique of "Liberty's Kids".
Here's the rundown of it:
During the late 1700s, a trio of children play witness to America's dramatic change from a British-controlled territory to an independent nation. The group consists of a 15-year old English girl named Sarah Phillips, a 14-year old American boy named James Hillar, and an 8-year old French boy named Henri. Together, they're a team of newspaper reporters working at the Pennsylvania Gazette, and their goal is to write about the various events in America so that the rest of the world can know the truth about what's happening.
In the midst of this, the children's boss and friend, Benjamin Franklin, works to help make a positive difference for America on a hugely impactful scale. Their other friend & co-worker at the press, Moses, is also striving to inspire significant changes that'd lead America towards a better future.
Earlier this year, I frequently made plans for what I'd like to review on Independence Day. I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to analyze at first, mainly because there were many options I considered based on their themes about freedom & independence. But, after it dawned on me that 2026 would be the 250th year since America gained independence from England, I decided to review something that openly revolved around the American Revolution and its aftermaths. "Liberty's Kids" immediately came to my mind the most as I thought about it more, so the choice was easy to make.
Like so many other people who grew up during the 2000s, "Liberty's Kids" was a show I watched here and there. I saw it back when PBS showcased the series in reruns during the weekends, borrowing VHS releases of the series from the library, and seeing episodes of it while attending public school. Whenever I even thought about "Liberty's Kids", I'd be hit with a welcoming sense of nostalgia towards it. Last year, I also got to revisit the series for fun, having discovered that it was available on YouTube through a homonymous account.
In preparation for making the critique, I rewatched "Liberty's Kids" using Amazon Prime while it was available for free. I know I could've easily used YouTube again, but I felt that using a secondary source to watch the show from would further help me figure out what to write about it.
So, what do I think of "Liberty's Kids" in words? Especially as an adult?
Speaking honestly here, the main thing I can't deny is that "Liberty's Kids" wasn't without some flaws. The nitpicks weren't bad enough to cause any significant detractions from the program as a whole, but they were noticeable to where they'd affect my personal rating for the show.
Here's what they are:
*In some episodes, there was an animation error or two that viewers could easily pinpoint. A prime example comes from near the end of "Sybil Ludington", which featured Benedict Arnold becoming unusually small as he's walking across the street after leaving the Pennsylvania Gazette.
*Throughout the series, brief footage is reused. Most notably, after "The Shot Heard Round the World", the close-ups of British soldiers preparing to fire their guns & their rifles shooting with only the muzzles being shown are repeatedly used in other episodes featuring battle scenes.
*The show covers the majority of historical events spanning from 1773 to 1787, but the character appearances remain the same throughout the time gap. The biggest examples arae James, Sarah, & Henri. They played witness to America's origins & birth as an independent nation, but the trio never aged past how old they were in 1773.
When it comes to the animation errors & reuse of footage, it was easy to see that they were a result of the show team working with limited resources. I just wish they weren't so conspicuous. As for the lack of change in character-appearances...depending on how old they already were, I believe the adults can be given a free-pass. The children, not so much. I know "Liberty's Kids" is just a cartoon, but because it was meant to be something with realism, the children's lack of aging is incredibly befuddling. The lack of explanation for it hardly helps the matter, that's for sure.
Outside of these nitpicks, though, "Liberty's Kids" is still one of the most awesome PBS Kids programs I've ever watched. And with good reason too!
For instance, the storytelling and direction for the series was spectacularly spot-on.
With "Liberty's Kids" being a PBS Kids program, I frequently took note of how the educational aspects of it were being used & executed. And in all the times I rewatched the series, I noted that the show used a very unique approach in teaching American history. The informatory intentions were there, but the production team ensured that they'd be fascination to watch. Not to mention they delved into what life during the late 1700s was like, and provided education on various military tactics, which was a great bonus.
Also, despite the main children's lack of aging being a major head-scratcher, the series maintained consistency with itself. It had an incredibly strong continuity structure. Every episode was relevant, and they were connected by overarching narratives that meaningfully contributed to the series. The overarching narratives in question were splendidly written & executed, and I could tell that a great deal of thought was given over how the episodes wouldn't get overcrowded or be all-over-the-place. Considering the fact that "Liberty's Kids" was intended to run for 40 episodes, ensuring an even balance in every story was definitely important.
The show's tone was equally enjoyable. A big thing I can't deny is that "Liberty's Kids" had powerful depth. All of the emotional, heartfelt, and dramatic scenes were naturally executed & carried genuine sincerity; and the dark, thrilling, & tension-filled moments were tremendously well-played. And to top it off, the show had a welcoming humorous side. The comedy is mainly child-friendly, but it was strong & creative regardless.
The themes & morals were well-done too.
Looking back, "Liberty's Kids" provided excellent insight on what war will cause. The Revolutionary War was a definite battle of good vs. evil, but America & England had to sacrifice so much in order to win. Both countries lost lives & resources during the war, and it was difficult for them to recover after it ended. Heck, despite winning the war & gaining independence from England, America was faced with new hardships to overcome, such as a financial crisis in their government. In a way, this series showed that while war can lead to positive outcomes, especially for the side that won, it can take a toll on both sides & generate devastating results.
Another thing I appreciated was that "Liberty's Kids" addressed the importance of honesty in the press. When James & Sarah were writing for the Pennsylvania Gazette, they interviewed & travelled with a variety of people rather than just the individuals they had the most in common with. Before they wrote stories about something, they investigated the subject for themselves & gathered the facts first. They didn't fabricate anything or allowed political bias to influence their reports either, because their goal was to spread the truth about the various events. These aspects alone display true reporting at its finest, and it makes me wonder why many news corporations these days don't have this kind of integrity.
The series explored other topics as well. The Revolutionary War was the perfect backdrop for tackling themes regarding freedom, liberty, loyalty, patriotism, belonging, treason, morality, and a variety of social issues. Each of these themes were marvelously conveyed & executed, and the lessons involving them were deeply top-notch.
Along with this, the animation was amazing.
Like I said at the beginning, some of the episodes have noticeable visual errors. But, for a show that wasn't made with the help of a big-top Hollywood distributor, the animation was stellar in every way. The visual style was relatively simple-looking, particularly with the settings & characters designs, and yet...it actually worked perfectly for this series. By using this approach, the animators further enhanced the program's intended sense of believability & realism while still giving it a cartoonish flair. Their dedication & passion for bringing "Liberty's Kids" to the screen was also easy to spot, and they clearly made excellent use of what they had in making every episode visually-investing.
Similarly, the show's music was magnificent.
Every time I watched "Liberty's Kids", I noted that Eric Allaman, Stephen C. Marston, and Craig Marks obviously wanted to make their episode scores ear-catching in all the right ways. Every melody fit the show's time period, settings, and tone like a glove, and the trio didn't refrain from giving the music a cinematic quality either. I loved how the various score pieces matched perfectly with the personalities, emotions, and developments of the various characters too. And, of course, Matthew Gerrard's music for "Through My Own Eyes" was absolutely smashing. Gerrard's melodies for the theme song were great enough to immediately get audiences pumped up for an episode, and they were profoundly catchy to listen to. Likewise, Linda Thompson's lyrics for the song were enjoyable, and the singing by Aaron Carter and Kayla made it all-the-more enchanting to the ear.
Finally, the voice acting, characters, and character development were fantastic.
When it comes to the various historical figures, I thought that the show honorably depicted everyone. I am currently rather rusty with my knowledge on them, including George Washington & Benjamin Franklin, but watching "Liberty's Kids" inspired me to do my own research on them someday. Each of the historical figures were shown to be individuals with great personality & development too, and the performers that the production team selected to play them portrayed their parts with fabulous finesse.
Plus, the original characters were enjoyable to watch every step of the way. Especially that of James, Sarah, Henri, and Moses. Each of the four characters in particular had compelling character arcs & personalities, and I enjoyed getting to see them consistently grow throughout the series. The performances of Chris Lundquist as James, Reo Jones as Sarah, Kathleen Barr as Henri, and Kevin Williams as Moses greatly aided their respective characters in standing out, that's for sure.
In conclusion, "Liberty's Kids" isn't 100% flawless, but it's still a truly worthwhile & tremendous show to check out. Everything about it was beautifully well-crafted & realized, and it's a perfect inspiration for getting people of all ages interested in researching American history.
So, I rate "Liberty's Kids" 4½ out of 5 stars.
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