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Mighty Machines
Common Sense says
- Online
- Educational
- 1998
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Mighty Machines is a must-see for kids who love things on wheels. Because it features scenes of live-action vehicles rather than cartoon ones, it's easy for kids to make the connection between the subjects on the show and the machines they see in their own communities. The first-person narration and dialogue hold viewers' attention by giving the machines personalities and emotions, but perhaps the show's best quality lies in the respect it gives to the important jobs performed by these diverse machines and their operators.
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What's the story?
MIGHTY MACHINES goes on the job with large machines and vehicles such as fire trucks, snowplows, airplanes, and tractor-trailers, to show viewers how they work and which tasks they perform. Each episode follows a group of vehicles through a typical work day, from maintenance checks to the nitty-gritty of the day's to-do list. The live-action show is narrated by voice-over dialogue between the different machines, who talk about their jobs, their equipment, and how their operators handle and care for them.
Is it any good?
Mighty Machines is a smart choice for kids who can't get enough of wheels and the vehicles they transport. It's like a series of field trips to enthralling places such as a fire station and the city landfill, and it takes full opportunity to show kids how machines are used to keep us safe, move us between places, bring us goods, and build our cities. In-between, it teaches them about different aspects of each vehicle's equipment and special features.
Although there's no shortage of TV shows on this subject, Mighty Machines' unique first-person narrative format sets it apart from its peers in a very appealing way. Not only do kids get the benefit of seeing actual machines (rather than cartoon replicas) in action, those machines' dialogue adds an element of human emotion that celebrates skill, hard work, and job satisfaction. And the next time your kids see one of these machines on the road, they'll have a greater appreciation for the need it -- and its operator -- fulfills.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the roles these machines have in our everyday lives. How do they improve our quality of life? Which ones build and maintain our towns? Which do you see in action around you? What would happen if they weren't around to perform their jobs?
Kids: Which machine would you like to operate? What could you do with it? Which special features make it your favorite? In what ways are these machines like people who perform unique jobs?
Use this series to get your kids' creative juices flowing by encouraging them to design their own mighty machine. Have them draw it, sculpt it out of clay, or build it with blocks. What job does it do? What will you call it? How big will it be? Where would it be used?
Kids: Which, if any, of the machines were girls? Do you think this subject interests girls as well as boys? Why, or why not?
TV details
- Premiere date: December 30, 1998
- Cast: Alan Bacchus, Edward Daranyi, Tee Schneider
- Network: Online
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: Cars and Trucks, Trains
- TV rating: TV-G
- Available on: DVD, Streaming
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.