I just read USA Today's dismissive critique of CBS' "Kid Nation," which debuted last night. The controversial show features 40 kids between the ages of 8 and 15 tasked with taking over an abandoned New Mexico pioneer town to see if they can make a workable society where adults failed. No adults, no rules (well, some rules; read on). The show was attacked by parent watchdog groups prior to the premiere over the expansive indemnity waiver each kid had to sign (standard for a reality show) and a couple leaked incidences of child endangerment (all the kids are fine now). And now the show is being attacked by critics for lacking in entertainment value.

I must have watched a different program, because I loved "Kid Nation." Granted, it's just another reality show, this time subbing kids for adults. The staples are still there: teams competing against one another, hokey plot devices, lots of talking to the camera. But I've never seen this before. I've never seen kids left on their own to fend for themselves. I've never gotten to watch a peer group like this socially interact. And I've certainly never found a reality show this oddly inspirational.

That's not to say that "Kid Nation" is all fun and games. All of these kids learn real fast that pioneer life wasn't a big party. Sleeping on the floor, making your own food, cleaning the latrine --- it's hard work, y'all. And some of these kids, the younger ones especially, got awfully homesick awfully fast.

But as a group they persevered. A couple rose from the ranks to gain some control in the sea of chaos that comes with dealing with 40 squawking pre-teens. (It should be noted that none of the natural leaders were picked by the show to be the "town council," headed up by the ineffectual Mike, Laurel, and Anjay. Although I've got a big soft spot for wee Taylor, a 10-year-old beauty pageant girl.)

I much preferred the show prior to the kids being broken into four groups and then having to perform a rather elaborate reward challenge. And now each week the kids will be broken into a caste system of workers, cooks, merchants, and "upper class," which kind of flies in the face of the "no rules" thing. But that was kind of inevitable; we need drama, and since most of these kids seem to get along it had to be manufactured somehow.

I'll also confess to having trouble hating on 11-year-olds (shut up, Mike!) I've rather met. When I typically watch a reality show I delight in finding characters that piss me off and snarking on them with my viewing party. Know that it's a bunch of kids who are trying their best, I feel like kind of a jerk. (Still: shut up, Mike.)

But the critique that the show put children in danger (the USA Today critic mentions a specific instance of a 15-year-old "hitting" an 11-year-old, which didn't happen; he shoved him, and the kid totally deserved it), and that it's not entertaining...that I don't get. All of these kids are fine. This was taped months ago. And after catching two other premieres last night, this was by far the most entertaining. It's cheesy. It's totally fake. But it's also really sweet at times, and the kids are smart and engaging.

So shut up, critics. Just try climbing off the pedestal and watching something for what it's supposed to be for once.