User blog comment:Reading10/Do we really have a right to complain?/@comment-4618045-20131201002235

Even if Island was directed at older audiences, it was still advertised to the younger ones as well. They were aware of its existence and a lot even watched it.

Anyway, the thing that made Island great was its emotional connection to the characters. There was a good balance between comedy and drama.

The reason why you don't see strong characters or complicated plots on shows like Dora or Blues Clues is because the audience is very young and its main goal is to educate. Not just about numbers and objects, but to get a first glimpse of the world. Those shows teach toddlers about problems that arise and how they can be solved. This forms a good foundation in their development.

But once they get into the Cartoon Network age (the age for Total Drama), it's important to then place down the next building block. They need to start being introduced to issues that don't get resolved right away (or at all). I get that it's important to not overindulge on dark elements, but as toddler shows introduce its audience to the world in general, shows like Total Drama should introduce its audience to complexity; to expand their knowledge of the world.

And in order to teach that complexity, you need to start introducing them to an emotional connection with characters so that problems can start to arise. And it's the ultimate conclusion that will help enrich. Sure you can have some pointless and funny moments along the way, but it's for these reasons that Island was a great season.