Force Your Kids to Watch.

In recent years, PBS' "Frontline" has offered up a brand of TV news magazine so incredibly superior to all comers, that one could anticipate it to force "peers" such as CBS' "60 Minutes" to go the way of ABC's "20/20" (the "Inside Edition" of prime-time television) or "Dateline" NBC (prime-time's "Hard Copy"). To its credit, "60 Minutes" has the resilience, testicular fortitude, and... say it with me now... journalistic integrity to continue to present stories about Tom Brady and refuse to deny Andy Rooney a platform to discuss the new things that he just doesn't understand... psst!!! ANDY! It might be the "aging" and not just that you're better than us.

"Frontline," on the other hand, actually devotes an entire hour (sometimes longer) to stories that actually deserve an hour's worth of my time and they manage to do it without commercials and ticking clocks that remind me just how valuable my time should be... seriously, "60 Minutes" is the only show on TV that likes to remind you that time is passing you by whilst you stare at the boob tube. Most other shows are smart enough to NOT draw attention to that fact. Here's a hint... if you want to know what's going to happen on "60 Minutes" this week, just go online to The New York Times and browse articles from approximately 3 months prior... shhhh... it's old news.

Bottom line, "Frontline" is the only TV news magazine which makes a concerted effort to add new insight to the stories it presents. I've never seen an episode that wasn't enthralling. From "Ghosts of Rwanda" to "The Mormons" to "Is Walmart Good For America" straight on to "The Undertaking," each episode is thorough, thought provoking and clear headed.

Tonight, they premiered "Growing Up Online" and it reminded me just how important this show is. While "Dateline, NBC" is out there hunting for sexual predators, PBS "Frontline" is actually taking the time to create a forum wherein the culture of internet youth is discussed and examined. It should be seen by EVERYONE and can be done so online... just spare 57 minutes or so.

The episode (nay, documentary) explores far beyond the existence of sexual predators (who have been there since the dawn of man) and gets to the generational gap. It discusses cyber bullying, teens wanting their "space" and even gets to eating disorders. In doing so, it provides more insight into the actual moral and societal problems than an entire season of "Dateline: To Catch A Predator" could ever hope to provide. How none of the producers managed to make it on screen without a double breasted italian suit is beyond me!... Take THAT Chris Hanson.

Before I give up on "60 Minutes" for all time, I would like to hear, just one more time, about how Andy Rooney's desk was given to him by a friend 30 years ago and is made from a single piece of Redwood... or is it Oak?... Maple?... Aww, who gives a shit, I stopped paying attention last century.