By Leah MarieAnn KlettAssistant editor Friday, November 29, 2024

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Kirk Cameron and Brave Books have launched a new venture in children's entertainment, a show the “Growing Pains” actor hopes will become a significant, Bible-based player in the battle for children's hearts and minds.

At the green carpet premiere of the new series “Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk” on November 14, Cameron told The Christian Post that he hopes the series fills a critical void in children's programming because it mixes moral lessons with family-friendly adventures. The series will be available for free to stream on the Brave Books YouTube channel in early 2025.

“With this show, we hope to reach the hearts of children and reach the heart of biblical and moral lessons that parents really want their children to learn,” the 54-year-old actor told The Christian Post.

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The “Left Behind” star said he has repeatedly heard from parents that they are “tired of all the indoctrination and the undermining of good, healthy family values ​​that we see from Disney and Nickelodeon.”

“We want to be one of the tools in their toolkit to help reinforce the lessons they're already teaching them at home, lessons about forgiveness, about the value of every life, prenatal life, disabled life and elderly life. We. want to teach kids about courage, about the importance of family and teamwork and facing your fears,” he said.

The series follows Iggy, an iguana, and his mentor, Mr. Kirk (played by Cameron), in adventures that teach biblical values ​​through engaging storytelling. With a production team featuring veterans of “VeggieTales” and “The Muppets,” along with former Disney star Leigh-Allyn Baker, the show aims to rival the quality of mainstream entertainment by offering a distinctly faith-based perspective.

“The lessons are like Mr. Rogers level, but caring for the souls of children. And I can't wait for people to see it,” Cameron said.

Baker, 52, known for her role on Disney Channel's “Good Luck Charlie,” said she was drawn to the project after becoming concerned about the “visually and morally overwhelming” nature of modern children's programming.

“We wanted to create something that feels safe and enriching for both children and parents. This show is a return to the standards of classic programming, with contemporary relevance,” she said.

Baker said her stint at Disney marked the “last of the healthy freedom” in children's programming.

“We had norms and practices where we couldn't do certain things like show kissing. We had to be creative and have a balloon go in front of the teenagers when they started kissing. There were things that kept healthy entertainment healthy, and that completely went out the window. “

“I'm not sure who captured them, whether it was George Soros or what platform captured Disney. But they are a corporation, and people need to understand that Disney is not your moral compass in this world.” she added.

Jeremy Boreing, CEO of The Daily Wire and an advocate for conservative media, emphasized the importance of creating trusted platforms.

“Parents used to rely on networks to uphold basic standards, but that trust has eroded,” Boreing said. “Shows like 'Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk' provide not only quality entertainment but also a safe environment where parents can confidently let their children watch.”

Boering emphasized that “the problem is not that we lack wonderful content for children.” Rather, it's “that parents can't trust any of the platforms out there.”

“You can put your kid in front of 'Mr. Rogers,' but who knows what it's going to roll right into.” he said. “There are two big jobs for conservatives. We have to create content and build platforms so parents have a place they can trust and kids have entertainment they actually want to watch. Kids are a difficult audience because they don't care about them. The mission is not is concerned that “Adventures of Iggy and Mr. Kirk” has good Christian values. They want them to have fun enjoying the content.”

“This is ground zero in the culture war,” Boering added. “The left wants to prevent parents from being the ones to instill values ​​in their children. This is part of the way we fight that.”

The show's creators told CP that they aim to combat what they describe as a cultural agenda in children's media. Cameron and Baker expressed concerns about the subtle ways in which modern content introduces themes that conflict with Judeo-Christian values.

“When did children become political pawns?” asked Baker. “We want to give them stories rooted in timeless truths, not agendas.”

Cameron, a father of six, emphasized the show's potential to empower families.

“Moms and fathers are the best equipped to raise their children, but they need support,” he said. “Through engaging characters and stories, 'Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk' will help parents instill values ​​like teamwork, courage and forgiveness – things that children will carry with them throughout their lives.”

The series is part of a broader movement by Brave Books to provide alternative media for families. The company's founder, Trent Talbot, has positioned Brave Books as a countercultural force in publishing and entertainment, aiming to offer families tools to combat what they see as the decline of traditional values ​​in mainstream media.

“Whether we like it or not, screens are the dominant form of entertainment today, and if you want to change culture, you have to meet people where they are, and that's what we want to do with this TV show,” Talbot. told CP.

“It's a live action television show that really gets to the heart of things that kids are dealing with today, like forgiveness, trustworthiness, honesty, things like that, things that kids need to learn, and hitting it from a biblical perspective. We think that parents and believers will really appreciate it.”