Liberty’s Kids is an animated historical fiction show that aired on PBS Kids from September 2, 2002 to April 4, 2003 with 40 episodes total. Created by Kevin O’Donnell and Michael Maliani, the show stars Reo Jones, Chris Lundquist, Kathleen Barr, D. Kevin Williams, and Walter Cronkite as Sarah Philips, James Hiller, Henri Richard Maurice Dutoit LeFevbre, Moses and Benjamin Franklin as well as Michael Santo as George Washington, Billy Crystal as John Adams, Ben Stiller as Thomas Jefferson, Michael Douglas as Patrick Henry and many more. The show received positive reviews with an 8.7/10 on TV.com, 7.9/10 on IMDb and a 5/5 on Common Sense Media. Of all the educational shows that aired during the late 90s and early 2000s, Liberty’s Kids stands out as one of the most memorable. But why is that? Is it because of that amazing theme song by Aaron Carter and Kayla Hinkle? Is it just that nostalgic? Or is there something more to this show than just being aimed at kids? We’ll, let’s not waste anymore time and dive right in.
Premise and Execution: Set during the rise of the United States of America (1773-1789), this show retells the events of the Revolutionary War through the perspective of 3 youths and a free slave working for Benjamin Franklin. This is a very interesting approach to introducing children to the events of the American Revolution, and it works wonders in practice. The show paints a somewhat tame version of the real life events that happened but doesn’t shy away from showing the politics at the time. From colonialism, to racism, even down to the battles that took place during the war, this show makes it clear that American Revolution was NOT at game. Despite all the heavy subject matter, the show maintains a lighthearted tone with clever humor and optimistic attitude from the main characters. It also helps that the animation is excellent, with the human characters having a simple but memorable look to them and their movements moving naturally.
Characters: Speaking of the characters, that’s the main hook of this show. The characters have their own distinct personalities and character arcs, making them likable and relatable in their own way. Sarah is the brave, stern but hopeful girl in search of her father, who was last seen in Ohio. James is the take action colonist orphan teen who poses as the direct opposite to Sarah, but they grow to respect each other. Henri is the eccentric orphan who may get in trouble at time, but is a loyal and helpful friend and ally to Sarah and James. Moses is a hard working man who acts as a guardian to the kids, especially Henri. He has a lot of charm and depth as a character, considering he’s a free slave living in colonial America. And then there’s Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s founding fathers and one of the greatest men in American history. This show portrays him accurately and respectfully as a wise, optimistic and kind man who was crucial to the foundation of America and how the government was to be run. A mentor to the kids and an inspiration to the audience, the show did the man who’s face is on the hundred dollar bill justice.
Where it Falters: Apart from some jokes not landing as well as others, the main criticism I’ve always had with this show is why the characters didn’t age. The show starts in 1773 and ends with George Washington’s inauguration in 1789. Sarah, James and Henri should be young adults by the time the war was over. It also really bugs me that Benjamin Franklin is seen with a cane in the final episode (as he was 83 at the time of the inauguration and would die the following year) and yet Sarah, James and Henri remain 15, 14 and 8 throughout the entire show. Seriously, it makes not sense.
Conclusion: Liberty’s Kids is amazing because unlike some educational shows, this one doesn’t sugar coat the American Revolution for kids. It has the right balance of dealing with serious topics such as racism and colonialism while still being lighthearted and fun. With memorable characters, great animation, accurate and respectful representations of the real life heroes at the time and of course one of the best theme songs every, Liberty’s Kids will indeed go down in history as one of the best kids shows of all time. Thank you so much for reading and I’ll see you soon ;)
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