Drama
When Calls the Heart
This beloved Hallmark romantic drama about life in a small, 1900s Canadian mining town returns for its tenth season.
Welcome to the future, where opening boxes of toys and talking about them will earn you $22 million a year. Well, if you’re 7-year-old Ryan Kaji.
Ryan began his famous “unboxing” YouTube videos in 2015 when he was 4 with the help of his parents. Focusing primarily on toys, Ryan attracted millions of fans within a few years. Now, according to Forbes, Ryan has nearly 20 million subscribers and is the highest paid YouTube influencer in the world.
ButYouTube is just the beginning.
Ryan, his mom, Loann, and his dad, Shion, have recently entered the world of Nick. Jr with their new show Ryan’s Mystery Playdate. Created by media company Pocket.watch, this live-action preschool series takes Ryan’s YouTube tactics to traditional television.
Each 23-minute episode is broken into two segments, each based on Ryan trying to discover who he’ll get to hang out with at the end of the show. The segments focus on a combination of three hints, clues and challenges that will lead Ryan to his playdate for the day. The goal? To overcome silly obstacles, laugh along the way and, of course, to find his new friend.
Shows aimed at preschoolers typically have educational value. But the educational value found here seems to be dubious at best. While Ryan’s parents are evidently loving and encouraging, this show sticks more to color and fun as Ryan tries to solve the puzzle at hand.
In the first segment, Ryan and his parents complete challenges and laugh along the way. A professional dancer leaps in the air and her bare stomach is briefly glimpsed. Similarly, Ryan and his parents jokingly shake their rears as they dance.
In the second segment, Ryan and his parents conquer various challenges (one that includes a slightly sticky substance) and meet a balloon artist at the end of their quest.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
This beloved Hallmark romantic drama about life in a small, 1900s Canadian mining town returns for its tenth season.
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