My Dad is Better than Your Dad on NBC

By Adam Shuler

A few weeks ago, this column remarked that it was nice to see a child competing on a wholesome prime-time game show, but that unfortunately such opportunities were brief and rare. Now, there is a new series that not only features children competing on a regular basis, but which also promotes positive family values. That series, My Dad is Better than Your Dad, premiered February 18th at 9:00 p.m. ET on NBC. On this new show, four pairs of father-and-child teams compete in physical and mental challenges to earn a cash prize of $50,000 – and the right to a little light-hearted bragging. This series is a great choice for Best of the Week because it combines good sportsmanship with family bonding.

Each episode of My Dad is hosted by Dan Cortese and features the four family pairs competing in a variety of challenges. The dads do most of the competing, though the kids often play an integral role in each challenge. The first game featured the dads obliterating a desk with a sledgehammer and piling the remnants in a glass case to see who could accumulate the heaviest load. The second game involved the kids being strapped to a harness and the dads hurling them across the room to a Velcro dartboard, where the kids had to stick an arrow to a corresponding score. The third game involved trivia questions; when the question was revealed, each child tried to be the first to buzz in, and their dad was responsible for giving the correct answer. The fourth and final game pitted one dad against another; one dad fired newspapers at a series of windows in an attempt to break them, while the other dad defended the windows against the oncoming projectiles. In the end, the team with the highest score moved on to a bonus round where the dad answered five questions about his child’s personality and interests, and received $10,000 for each correct guess.

My Dad is Better than Your Dad is awash in positive feeling and is a great viewing option for families. The kids rooted loudly for their fathers, and the dads showed great dedication to their children while they competed. Even when teams came up short in a challenge and had to be eliminated, there was no fighting or squabbling amongst the families. The interaction between father and child was distinctive among the competitive reality shows of today, and is perhaps the best part of this series. When Sara Kirby remarks that she loves her father so much “there isn’t a number to it,” it’s hard not to smile. My Dad is Better than Your Dad is highly enjoyable family entertainment, and a reminder that all series, even game shows, don’t need to peddle smut to be appreciated.

Best TV Show of the Week

The Parents Television Council - www.parentstv.org