‘Nick News’ To Honor Military Families
‘Coming Home: When Parents Return From War’ Premieres July 6
By Larry Barrett -- Multichannel News, 6/17/2008 8:17:00 AM
Nick News with Linda Ellerbee will honor U.S. military personnel and their families during the Fourth of July weekend when Nickelodeon airs a special titled Coming Home: When Parents Return From War, Sunday, July 6 at 9 p.m. ET.
The show will “honor the bravery and sacrifices of those men and women by honoring the bravery and sacrifices of their kids,” network officials said.
In Coming Home, viewers will be introduced to kids from around the country whose parents have been deployed. Says Michael, "When my stepdad went to Iraq, half of my heart went with him." Says Emily, "I don't think anyone who has a family member deployed really feels comfortable until the plane hits the ground and they're back." Says Kris, "It was great to see him come home and come through the door and be able to run up and give him a big hug."
When parents go to war, their kids must be as brave as any soldier. But what happens after the parent returns? "Soldiers have expectations about what their kids are going to be like. Kids have expectations about what their soldier-parents are going to be like. And they're all probably going to be wrong," Ellerbee (pictured) said in a statement.
Some kids are asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. Brenna and Michael's dad was killed in Iraq in 2004. "When the doorbell rings and there are three Marines," says Brenna, "you automatically know they're going to tell you your dad died." Michael says, "I know my dad is in a better place, but I wish he was still here because when he died, a chunk of my heart was basically pulled out."
Nick News, produced by Lucky Duck Productions, is now in its 18th year, and is the longest-running kids' news show in television history and has received more than 20 Emmy nominations and has garnered numerous Emmy Awards. Most recently, in 2007, Private Worlds: Kids and Autism won the Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programming.
