CBS's already-infamous new reality show "Kid Nation" may invite comparisons to William Golding's 1954 novel "Lord of the Flies," but it appears closer to the 1994 film "Camp Nowhere." Some of the participants of "Kid Nation'" - the sassy redhead, the bully, the precocious boy who keeps them all together - mirror those of the Christopher Lloyd film almost exactly. If I didn't know any better, I might think this "reality" was based on that movie, but that's probably just wishful thinking.

The premise of "Kid Nation" is simple and somewhat perverse: 40 kids run their own town, make their own food and try not to kill each other for 40 days. The scant authority of this nation is in the hands of a four-youngster "kid council," which also have the power to reward a $20,000 gold star to its favorite kid each week.

The great thing about "Nation" is that at least some of the drama is real, because 8-year-old kids are not good actors. This appears to be the real deal, and the kids behave as immaturely as one would expect: arguing over who's supposed to do the dishes, pulling pranks, whining about homesickness.

But the most memorable moments of "Nation" come when the viewer realizes these are the kids of the 21st century; they are supposedly selfish and spoiled, yet when they are forced to run their own society, they work their little asses off. Indeed, watching the chaos turn into coherence over the course of just an hour raises an important question: Is it possible that a group of narrow-minded but eager kids could raise a better village than adults, whose actions are always fraught with ulterior motives?

When the "Kid Council" gave the first star to the unlikable Sophia - because she spoke her mind when everyone else was afraid to - it was a powerful demonstration that these kids are not as simple-minded as appearances imply. Like adults, many of them recognize the valuable skills of leadership.

Unfortunately, "Kid Nation" falls into the reality-TV trap of filling time with ultimately pointless contests. Dividing the kids into four competing teams is an interesting sociological experiment, but making these teams fill buckets of water is unnecessary, even if it recalls "Wild and Crazy Kids." It's too bad the show panders to the short-attention span of most TV viewers by offering such competitions and spends inadequate time delving into the various personalities of the first reality-show version of "The Little Rascals."

Don't expect "Nation" to be a "Flies"-esque parable of our own society - it's mostly entertainment. If the viewer can get over his own moral qualms and just laugh at the hungry 8-year-old who made it to the mess hall just as the last pancake had been served, he can experience one of the better reality shows of the last couple years.

"Kid Nation"

CBS

Wed at 8 p.m.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars