PROGRAMME 10 22/2009/E

Eureka! – That’s quality!

Flashes of inspiration concerning quality in children’s television

Programme managers and produc- ers from Northern Europe and , who, for years, have assured a high level of quality in children’s television, talk about their key mo- ments, their Eureka! experiences, as well as about what they think is quality in children’s TV, and how this affects their work. Children in the middle of their world: son taking apart a dishwasher

little wires together – the big tubes of it. It is about finding the shots that Put the child and its together… I thought: This is in the are already speaking for themselves. competences in the middle middle of a children’s world. If I can A typical adult approach is to make catch this on tape and show this to the pictures speak by adding a lot of Jan-Willem Bult (KRO, other kids who were not there, they music, sound effects and voice-over Hilversum) will be as excited as those that were or by shooting a lot of pictures and (e.g. Baking a cake, Adriaan, Genji) there. using them to tell the producer’s story. My Eureka! moment After a couple of hours he cut his The most important thing is not to sit was not a children’s fingers and it started to bleed, so we behind your desk and invent a story programme. It hap- put a plaster on it. Beautiful shots of for preschool children. You must live pened when my son a very concentrated child, with his in the middle of those children, listen was 5 years old, and little eyes looking at a screw with a to them, observe them very well and our dishwasher was little plaster on his finger. The film is try to put all these things together into broken. I put it in the about learning by falling down once a story. Generally, that is not the way garden and because he was always in a while, hurting yourself a little bit most people work with or for chil- interested in mechanics, I gave him without being in danger, that’s life. It dren. When we work with children my toolbox and said: “Take it apart, is a chance for children to discover we are afraid of them. But it’s the do whatever you want!” So he took themselves by getting in touch with same with everything on TV: when the screwdrivers out and started to their talents and their inner worlds. television is based on fear nothing unscrew and totally rip the dish- And that’s how television for children good comes out of it. washer. And I took my camera out should be as well. To reach this level You can find the same in programme and I filmed it. Some friends from the of quality you have to place the child scheduling. Often people say some- neighbourhood came and I saw what in the middle, not us adults trying to thing like: “We want to be an alter- happened between the kids. make them tell our story, but children native to the commercial cannels.” Their eyes got excited, full of con- in the middle of their world in control Often the fear of losing an audience centration, passionate, there was of what they are doing. or not being watched is driving the quarrelling, they were going to get I’m not talking about an ethnographic schedules. This is a market approach that screw… They totally unscrewed 1:1 recording. It is about capturing the and not a mission. As public broad- the dishwasher and sorted its compo- story from the child’s perspective and casters we should know that we are nents: the little screws together – the professionally making the best out not alone in this world, so we do it as PROGRAMME 22/2009/E 11 good as possible in the context of this what quality in children’s TV means and simple, it can be humorous, enter- world. But instead of counter-sched- is a sad one: One morning a mother of taining, educational, or everything in uling soaps against soaps, let’s find a 6-year-old girl phoned me, she was one. But always, always told from a out how high quality dramas work: very upset, and my first thought was child’s perspective, and this implies better, especially in a world “with a that she had complaints about our pro- a total solidarity with the child. Chil- lot of the same programmes”! Instead grammes. But this was the story she dren shall be seen in, participate in, of copying the same genres, instead told: “I found my daughter in front of and make their voices heard in the of inventing new ones, let’s focus on the television watching a children’s programmes. a mission we believe in. What I did in programme, and I thought: ‘Gosh! I have met people from all over the my preschool programme was break- This is NOT something I want her world who work with children’s tele­ ing all the rules by putting in a lot of to watch.’ Apparently there had been vision and they are often passionate slow-paced single shows not always a film about sexual abuse and now a people, devoted to their audiences. at a strict schedule – and it worked. It psychologist was talking to older kids But ever so often frustrated because worked because I was focussed on the about the film. My daughter looked at of lack of resources to produce the contact with the audience. I didn’t do me and said ‘The lady told that no one programmes they know children what we know works, but improved is allowed to touch you if you don’t need. I have had the privilege to work our own way. I accepted that the want them to, if someone does you for public service in the Nordic coun- things we did were not good enough. have to tell.’, and then she started to tries where children’s programming Something I understood, when I gave cry. That was how I found out what has a strong position within the com- the toolbox into the hands of the kids was going on at her school.” This left panies. But this status does not come and they didn’t need me anymore. me with a feeling that if this little girl for free, over the years we have had And that’s what quality in children’s had been the one and only viewer a constant struggle within our com- television is: endless trust and de- watching the programme it would panies in order to be able to give our pendence on children! have been worth the effort. She under- audience what they deserve – that is: stood that she was not the only child the best! So keep fighting for high- in the world experiencing this, that it quality children’s programmes. Don’t avoid problematic was not her fault, and that she could topics, but try and see them do something about it. The impact through children’s eyes Children’s TV with real of television can sometimes be vital. children in leading roles Ragna Wallmark (UR, Sweden) Life is a challenge when you are 9 (e.g. Speak up; Ready, steady, grow) years old: you see and experience Kalle Fürst (NRK, Norway, now: My first Eureka! mo- things that can be both scary and hard Nordic Film) ment: I learnt to under- to understand. Grown-ups sometimes (e.g. Children’s supershow, Linus stand the importance tend to think, or hope, that children and his friends, The gift) of the perspective of are unaffected by the unhappy sides When I started as a director of youth the child when my son of life. But of course they are not. programmes in 1969, I was strongly and his best friend, Violence is part of most children’s influenced by the 1968 students’ revo- both around 6 years everyday life, violence at home, in lution. The same year my son was old, were playing with Lego and school, in their communities, and in born - and in the next years I observed while working hard on a castle they the world. Being a child is feeling with interest when he watched televi- were telling each other about a fam- afraid a lot. Children’s culture must of sion. It was not puppets, cartoons, ily picnic we had had together a few course reflect on this. No matter how or adults playing children that fasci- days earlier. I was eavesdropping on difficult a subject is, there is always nated him - but when there were other them and what I heard was the story a child’s perspective. children on the screen. He was my of quite a different picnic than the one Basically, quality in children’s pro- Eureka! moment – so when I started I had been at! They had experienced grammes does not differ from quality making children’s programmes in and seen things that I as a grown-up in adult programmes. Good quality 1974, I had a strong desire to create had not. A true lesson in child’s per- children’s programmes, with their something different from the tradi- spective! I ripped a script to pieces obvious children’s perspective, their tional children’s TV. I wanted to make and have since then always consulted respect for the child, and their readi- television that showed real kids – kids children before making any children’s ness to show the capacity of children, in everyday situations, kids in happi- programmes. Good children’s televi- raises the status of the audience both ness and in sorrow –, and I did this sion gives children a voice! in their own eyes and in the eyes of by making a docudrama where my The second Eureka! experience on the world around them. It can be short 6-year-old son played the lead. I was PROGRAMME 12 22/2009/E inspired by observ- Frank Oz playing ing what he wanted to Cookie Monster. I re- watch. member watching and Through this series listening and having came the mantra that the conscious thought: would influence my “There is nothing they following work: focus could be doing better.” on the child. Looking The sets and the light- at children as “hu- ing were exquisite, the mans-to-be” is based script was hysterical, on the idea that chil- and even the fur on dren are passive re- Cookie Monster was ceivers and childhood being groomed by a is only a preparation “Muppet Wrangler”. for adulthood – that’s Everything mattered. the old way. Viewing I tried very hard to children as “human replicate this type of beings” is about see- Kalle Fürst with his grandchildren: show real kids creative integrity and ing them as independ- attention to detail ent creatures with their own inherent – where they were dubbed into the when I started Little Airplane. But I value. Today children play the lead respective languages. That makes me also took a page from the extraordi- roles, both in drama series and maga- pretty proud! nary Nick Jr. Research Department, zine shows. In order to take children led by Dr. Alice Wilder. During my as “human beings” seriously, we have term as head writer on Nick Jr.’s Little to present children and adults from Everything matters bill, I was introduced to formative re- the same point of view – and not from search testing, which is to say, getting the adults’ elevated angle. Children Josh Selig (Little Airplane Produc- feedback from kids during the script are given roles where their opinions, tions, USA) phase and before the show went into wishes, and suggestions carry weight. (e.g. The wonder pets!, 3rd & bird!, production. “Ah-hah!”, I thought. “So Children should be encouraged and Tobi!) this is how they know who’s coming given the opportunity to accomplish Making quality chil- to dinner!” as much as possible on their own. dren’s television is At Little Airplane, we now have all By demonstrating that children “can not unlike cooking a our departments in-house. Everything do”, they encourage other children to quality meal. You need from writing to research to music to accomplish – and to try and achieve. a great cook, a great animation is done in our studios in Our programmes should be like a recipe, fresh ingre- New York and . This helps workshop in self-confidence. dients, and, perhaps us ensure that the final result is our •• To be visible – means you exist. most importantly, you need to know best possible effort. Anything less, •• To be asked – means you are im- who’s coming to dinner. It does no I believe, would be an affront to our portant. good to prepare a beautiful steak au clients, our partners and, more im- •• To be given a space in the media – poivre for a table full of vegans. Just portantly, to the young children and means you have a place in society. as a great meal depends on how all families who watch our shows. So, Children’s supershow became a great these elements come together, a great in many ways, Little Airplane Pro- success with the children’s audiences show depends on seamless communi- ductions is a kitchen where we cook – and in the international television cation between every creative depart- up tasty little shows like Go, baby! world as well –, for example by win- ment. In a world of global treaties, co- or our new series, Tobi! as well as ning the prestigious Japan Prix award. productions, and tax incentives this our big five-course meals like The Linus in svingen (Linus in the bend) kind of communication has become wonder pets! and 3rd & bird! And and Christmas in svingen (Christmas as rare as Brazilian tree frogs. I first we sincerely hope that our dishes will in the bend) are the first two children’s witnessed great children’s TV while not only be healthy but will also be drama series from Norway that have working on . I was a shy irresistibly delicious to parents and been sold for dubbing to other coun- 24-year-old writer and I was on the set children alike. tries. They went to Germany, Hol- observing my first “Muppet Day”. We Bon appetite! land, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark were taping a segment that featured