Kids' TV better than grown-up stuff

If I were to sit down in front of my TV and look for some entertainment to get me through a few minutes, I'm more likely to check out children's programming than shows aimed at more mature audiences.

Lately, I've taken to watching "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Before that it was "Jimmy Neutron," "Animaniacs" and "Pinky and the Brain." What these four shows have in common is that they are adult entertainment (not porn, but entertainment aimed at adult minds) that is stuck on the kids' channels, but I don't care.

In general, I'll take an animated movie over a live-action one any day. Every so often I will grab something like a "Shrek" DVD and put it in my home computer, plug in the headphones and enjoy the sound editing. When you consider how much computer graphics went into the most recent "Star Wars" movie, that one should qualify as an animated feature, too.

My kids got me to watching Avatar, and they introduced me to a serial shows more heart and intelligence than 90 percent of what's advertised on network prime time TV. I don't even pay attention to nightly network fare anymore except when "American Idol" is on.

So if you want intelligent programming that does not insult your adult mind, check out the kids' networks first. Remember, Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner cartoons were aimed at adults as much at kids. That's why we remember them.