Cartoon Network's new reality shows, kid style

"The Othersiders" features a Scooby Gang of five teenagers who travel to reportedly haunted locations and apply infrared cameras and EMF detectors (that's "electromagnetic fluctuation," not the '90s British band that recorded "Unbelievable") to assess the presence of unquiet spirits. They are "skeptical" enough not to believe that every weird thing they see or hear is a message from the beyond -- but they do believe in messages from the beyond, and tend to accept what they can't explain as evidence for the paranormal. In the pilot episode they bravely venture into L.A.'s own abandoned Lincoln Heights jail. Ruh-roh!

The best thing about "The Othersiders," which starts tonight, is the interaction among the kids, and teamwork is also at the heart of "Survive This," a Canadian import hosted by outdoorsman Les Stroud of Discovery Channel's "Survivorman." Stroud takes eight kids "from eight different walks of life" -- the City Boy, the Tough Girl, the Princess, the Hunter, the Motivator, and so on -- and leaves them out in the woods to fend more or less for themselves. "If the group is going to do well they'll need to work together," says Stroud, which is exactly the opposite of how it works on other TV survival shows. (Here, elimination is self-selecting.) In the opening episode a girl gets her lip caught in a pocketknife, but coming attractions promise worse injuries to come and no dearth of tears. This is the deepest of these shows.

Finally there is the basically critic-proof "Destroy Build Destroy," debuting Saturday and hosted by Andrew W.K., of "Party Hard" fame. (You may recall his bloody face on the cover of his album "I Get Wet" -- this may not be an animated cartoon, but Andrew certainly is animated, and he's a bit of a cartoon.) The best way to describe the show is just to tell you what happens on the one episode I've seen: Two teams of thematically grouped teens (Skaters versus Math Club this time) each wreck an SUV belonging to the other team. These are then rebuilt, with adult assistance, into Mad-Maxian battle machines. Tennis balls are shot at targets, and the winning team then gets to destroy the other team's vehicle. Leaders emerge. Dynamite, sledgehammers and a mortar are involved.

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robert.lloyd@latimes.com

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'Othersiders' and 'Survive This'

Where: Cartoon Network

When: 8 and 8:30 tonight

Rating: TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children)