Image from http://superfora.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/the-yard/
For the past month and half I have been watching the 2011 television series The Yard via Hulu.com. The six-episode mini-series is about the lives of elementary school kids and their lives. The show is shot documentary style and much of the story takes place between the schoolyard and the interviews done by an unseen documentarian, Paul Gross. It has been one of the funniest shows involving children I have viewed since the cartoons of my childhood.
The Yard is seen through the show as its own separate society. It involves two crews; the main character Nick is the leader of the crew of kids that run the yard. Then there is Frankie; he is the leader of the crew of kids who run the lunchroom. Frankie and Nick are rivals but they have an understanding. The Yard takes the lives of adolescents, which we all know to be simple, and makes them more complicated. Nick spends much of his time doing his best to please all the kids happy and it takes a lot out of him.
Nick’s crew consists of: Suzie, the muscle; J.J., the brains and Nick’s brother; Johnny, the lieutenant; and Adam, the sidekick also Nick’s brother. Frankie’s crew consists of: two brothers, Pork Chop and Mickey. Finally, there is Mary, Frankie’s sister, and she is the leader of the girls. Nick has run of the yard and watches the on goings from the perch of the slide in the yard. Frankie and his crew hang by the staircase that leads to the yard. From there they beat up kids and when they aren’t doing that, they sell things to kids, such as: trading cards, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and etc.
After watching all six episodes of The Yard left me wanting more of these kids. This show touched on many world issues that adults would never think kids would experience. The writers of this show did an excelled job of taking the world’s issues and placing them on this school playground. The acting was excellent, every character added to the story and all the parts helped to boost the show. The Yard received four nominations. In 2011, the Directors Guild of Canada nominated The Yard for the DGC Team Award. In 2012, Devan Cohen, who played Adam, and Daniel Lupetina, who played Frankie, were both nominated for the Young Artist Award by the Young Artist Awards. The Young Artist Awards nominated the entire main cast for the Young Artist Award in the category of Outstanding Young Ensemble.
The Yard is a fantastic mini-series and should be watched and enjoyed. Every character in the cast adds to the show and makes for an enjoyable television series. I suggest it is a must see for anyone who enjoys a good comedy with kids that have potty mouths.