Thursday, September 6 12:00 AM ET

Fox Ups Kid Nation Ante with "Kid Army"

Hollywood, CA – In response to the publicity received by CBS's Kid Nation, the Fox television network has announced it will air a show entitled "Kid Army" starting in January.

In the show, a group of 40 children from ages 7-15 will train and plan a mission as an army unit all on their own.

"We'll supply them food, barracks and weapons, then it's up to them to train as a unit," said show producer Evan Drewson.

Drewson would not reveal what the mission for the kids would be, but hinted it might involve "an invasion of a central Asian nation."

Parents eager to see their children on television signed waivers clearing Fox of any liability in the injury or death of their children. Harriet Winthorp from Atlanta, Georgia signed her nine-year-old daughter up for the show.  "This will be a great opportunity for her to learn teamwork and how to fire a weapon," said Winthorp.

Drewson dismisses critics of the show saying that "they're constantly being monitored by unpaid interns," and that "we've lectured them on the dangers of grenades quite thoroughly."

Due to the legalities of letting children drive tanks or fire assault rifles, the show will be filmed on one of Rupert Murdoch's many private islands in the South Pacific.

It is rumored that NBC plans to start filming its own kid-based reality show named "Teenage Torture Tryouts."