"total drama island" has received critical acclaim. common sense media gave the show 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a "[c]lever cartoon reality show spoof", even though it also describes it as too intense for young children to watch. the series was nominated for a gemini award for "best animated program or series", shared by tom mcgillis, jennifer pertsch, george elliott and brian irving. debi enker of "the age" gave a negative review of the season's last episode, calling the art, design and writing "lamentable."