HBO show for infants is criticized

An HBO special premiering Saturday features a diaper-clad maestro conducting an all-animal orchestra, but the cute images and world-class score haven’t deterred critics from assailing “Classical Baby” as an inappropriate attempt to introduce infants to television.

HBO is proud of the animated half-hour show, which was developed by award-winning producers in consultation with a Harvard Medical School child psychiatrist, offers music by famous composers and is intended to be watched by parents and babies together.

“To leave a child alone in front of a TV as a baby-sitter is terrible,” said the consultant, Dr. Eugene Beresin. “The whole idea of this production was to find and create a medium that could help a parent and child interact.”

Critics, though yet to see the show, are unconvinced that any TV is good for children under 2.

“There’s mounting evidence that too much TV is harmful,” said Susan Linn, a psychologist and founder of the Boston-based Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood. “It’s a battle parents are going to be fighting with their children until they leave home, so why would you want to get babies started on watching TV when they’re not even asking for it?”