Children's television series
Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed specifically for children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult-facing themes and are normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake, immediately before and after school schedules generally start country-by-country. Educational themes are also prevalent, as well as the transmission of cautionary tales and narratives which teach problem-solving methods in some fashion or another, such as social disputes.
The purpose of these shows, outside profit, is mainly to entertain or educate, with each series targeting a certain age of child: some are aimed at infants and toddlers,[1] some are aimed at those aged 6 to 11 years old, and then there are those aimed at all children.[2] The shows are aimed at 5-12.
History
Children's television is nearly as old as television itself.[3] In the UK, the BBC's For the Children was first broadcast in 1946, and is in anglocentric circles generally credited with being the first TV programme specifically for children.[4]
Some authors posit television for children tended to originate from similar programs on radio. Running with the UK example, the BBC's Children's Hour was launched as a radio broadcast in 1922,[5] with BBC School Radio commencing live broadcasts in 1924.
In the early 1930s US media landscape, radio adventure serials such as
Evolution of style in the US and beyond
Early children's shows included Kukla, Fran and Ollie (1947), Howdy Doody, and Captain Kangaroo. Another show, Ding Dong School, aired from 1952 to 1965. Its creator and host, Frances Horwich, would sit in front of the camera and simulate small talk with the viewing audience at home, demonstrating basic skills for the camera.
This practice lives on in contemporary children's broadcasting as a genre in of itself, with Australia's ongoing program Play School one example.
At one time, a program called Winky Dink and You took a more interactive approach, prompting its viewers to affix a clear vinyl sheet to their television and draw pictures to match what was going on on-screen. This format did not persist, nor was it replicated, due to a number of factors unrelated to its popularity: children whose parents did not buy them the vinyl sheet would draw with crayons directly on the television screen itself, potentially causing expensive damage; there were also concerns that having children within arm's length of a television screen of the era could expose them to harmful radiation.[7]
Later and more recognisably modern shows for young children include Sesame Street, The Electric Company and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. In the 1990s, more children's television series such as Barney & Friends, Blue's Clues, SpongeBob SquarePants, Bear in the Big Blue House, and The Big Comfy Couch were created.
A voluminous range of children's television programming now exists in the 2020s.
Notable successes outside the US include shows like
Canadian studio Nelvana is a particularly prolific producer of children's programming. Much of Nelvana's product is broadcast worldwide, especially in the US, where the similarities in dialect do not require any dubbing or localization.
Role of advertising
In the United States, early children's television was often co-opted as a platform to market products and it rarely contained any educational elements (for instance,
This practice continued in a toned-down manner through the 1980s in the United States after the Federal Communications Commission prohibited tie-in advertising on broadcast television. These regulations did not apply to cable, which remains out of the reach of the FCC's content regulations.
Due in significant part to the success of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,[9] the 1980s saw a dramatic rise in television programs featuring characters of whom toy characters were being sold to retail consumers in bricks and mortar stores, underscoring the value potential of manufacturing merchandise for fans of children's programs. This practice remains firmly embedded in the broadcast sector's business case broadly in the 2020s.
Commercial-free children television was first introduced with Sesame Street on PBS in November 1969. It was produced by what is now known as Sesame Workshop (formerly Children's Television Workshop, known as CTW).
Saturday morning cartoon blocks
In the United States, Saturday mornings were generally scheduled with cartoon from the 1960s to 1980s.
In 1992, teen comedies and a "Today" show weekend edition were first to displace the cartoon blocks on NBC.[10] Starting in September 2002, the networks turned to affiliated cable cartoon channels or outside programmers for their blocks.[11]
On September 27, 2014, the last traditional Saturday network morning cartoon block, Vortexx, ended and was replaced the following week by the syndicated One Magnificent Morning on The CW.[10]
Demographics
Children's television series can target a wide variety of key demographics based on age and gender. Few television networks target infants and toddlers under two years of age.[12]
Preschool-oriented programming is generally more overtly educational. In a number of cases, such shows are produced in consultation with educators and child psychologists in an effort to teach
Shows that target the demographic of persons 6 to 11 years old focus primarily on entertainment and can range from comedic cartoons to action series. Most children's television series targeting this age range are animated (with a few exceptions, perhaps the best-known being the Power Rangers franchise). Typically, programs are either 'for boys' or 'for girls'.
The teen demographic targets viewers 12 to 17 years of age. Live-action series that target this demographic are more dramatic and developed, including
Educational programming targeted at this demographic has historically been rare, other than on NASA TV's education block. However, some programming aimed at the demographic has had some tangential educational value in regard to social issues, such as the now-defunct TNBC block of sitcoms, which often tackled issues such as underage drinking or drug use.
Under-represented groups
According to at least one journalist, for years, Broadcast Standards and Practices departments of networks, Parental Guidelines, and campaigns by social conservatives limited "efforts to make kids animation more inclusive."[14]
One former executive of Disney, David Levine, said that "a lot of conservative opinion" drove what was depicted on Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, and other alike channels. Some argued that cable television, which began to pick up in the 1990s, "opened the door for more representation" even though various levels of approvals remained.[15]
Through the 2000s', advocacy group GLAAD repeatedly highlighted the lack of LGBT representation in children's programming in particular.[16][17][18][19][20] Two years later, they recorded the highest number of LGBTQ characters they ever recorded up to that point.[21]
In 2017, some said that LGBTQ+ characters in animated television were somewhat rare,[22][23] despite the fact that GLAAD praised the number of characters in broadcast and primetime television.[24][25][26]
From 2017 to 2019,
In their January 2021 report,
Channels
United States
In the United States, there are four major
- Nickelodeon, the first children's television channel, launched in 1979 (though its history traces back to the 1977 launch of QUBE's C-3 channel);[31] it consists largely of original series aimed at children, preteens and young teenagers, including animated series, to live-action comedy and action series, as well as series aimed at preschoolers, and appeals to adult and adolescent audiences with a lineup of mainly live-action sitcom reruns and a limited amount of original programming on Nick at Nite.
- Nickelodeon operates four digital cable and satellite channels separate from the main service: Subscription video on demand service Paramount+includes much of the Nickelodeon archives.
- Nickelodeon operates four digital cable and satellite channels separate from the main service:
- Cartoon Network, launched in 1992, is devoted primarily to animated programming. It primarily targets children 6–12, while its early morning Cartoonito is aimed at preschoolers and kindergarteners aged 2–6, and its overnight daypart block Adult Swim targets older teenagers and young adults, 18–34.
- Cartoon Network operates one digital cable: ) in the morning and family-friendly films the rest of the day.
- Disney Channel launched in 1983 as a premium channel; it consists of original first-run television series, theatrically released and original made-for-cable movies, and select other third-party programming. Disney Channel – which formerly operated as a pay-TV service – originally marketed its programs towards families during the 1980s, and later at younger children by the 1990s, and primarily at teenybopper females aged 13–16 between 2006 and 2017, before returning to families.
- Disney Channel operates two digital channels separate from the main service: teen dramas, some coming from Disney Channel.
- Disney Channel operates two digital channels separate from the main service:
Under current mandates, all
Canada
English-language children's specialty channels in Canada are primarily owned by Corus Entertainment and WildBrain. Corus operates YTV and Treehouse, as well as localized versions of the Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, and Nickelodeon brands. WildBrain operates Family Channel, as well as the spin-off services WildBrainTV and Family Jr. it has been majority owned and operated by British Columbia's public broadcaster Knowledge Network.
In French, Corus operates
On broadcast television and satellite to cable undertakings, children's television content is relegated to the country's public and designated provincial educational broadcasters, including
Aided by the cultural similarities between Canada and the US, along with film credits and subsidies available from the Canadian government, a large number of animated children's series have been made in Canada with the intention of exporting them to the United States. Such programs carry a prominent Government of Canada wordmark in their closing credits.
United Kingdom
The
Narrative Capital operate a number of children's channels under the
Ireland
Ireland has one dedicated children's TV service
Australia
Children's channels that exist in Australia are
Japan
Children's channels that exist in Japan are NHK Educational TV, Kids Station, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Nickelodeon (also under a block on Animax, known as "Nick Time") and Cartoon Network (Cartoon Network's age demographic is moving towards older viewers with shows such as Hello Kitty, Regular Show and Adventure Time)
Iceland
One of the most well-known children's TV programmes comes from Iceland,
India
In 1995, Cartoon Network became the first children's channel to be launched in India. Subsequently, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon arrived. Hungama TV (2004) was the first children's channel that had local content. Pogo and BabyTV came later in 2006. By 2018, 23 channels have aired in India.
Romania
Turkey
Children's channels that exist in Turkey are Cartoon Network, TRT Çocuk, MinikaÇOCUK, Minika GO and Zarok TV.
See also
- List of local children's television series (United States)
- Saturday-morning cartoon for an in-depth history of children's television in the United States
- Advertising to children
References
Citations
- ^ "Here Are 25 Shows You Can Feel Good About Your 2-Year-Old Watching". Romper. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
- ^ "Working & Filming with Under 18's Guidelines | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
- ISBN 978-1-4766-6874-1.
- ^ "For the Children, the first children's television programme - History of the BBC". Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Children & the BBC: from Muffin the Mule to Tinky Winky". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 June 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ "Little Orphan Annie | radio program". Britannica. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
- ^ Bob Greene (March 31, 2013). "Winky Dink and ... Bill Gates?". CNN. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (June 8, 2007). "Bob Barker on saying goodbye to The Price Is Right". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Gail (September 30, 2014). "Saturday morning cartoons are no more". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- ^ Bernstein, Paula (September 29, 2002). "Kid skeds tread on joint strategy". Variety. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Retakes Kids' Ratings Crown With 'Paw Patrol'". Bloomberg.com. 18 December 2013 – via Bloomberg.
- ISBN 0-8058-3395-1.
- Insider. Archivedfrom the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ Insider. Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Cook 2018, p. 6, 11–12.
- ^ Where We Are on TV Report: 2009–2010 (PDF) (Report). GLAAD. 2009. pp. 2–3, 11, 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-03-26. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ Where We Are on TV Report: 2008–2009 (PDF) (Report). GLAAD. 2008. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-03-25. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ Where We Are on TV Report: 2006–2007 (PDF) (Report). GLAAD. August 21, 2006. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-05-13. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ Where We Are on TV Report: 2014-2015 (PDF) (Report). GLAAD. 2014. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-03-28. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
- ^ Glass, Joe (November 3, 2016). "LGBT characters on TV will make up larger percentage than ever, study finds". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ Segal, Cynthia (June 30, 2017). "7 American Kids' Cartoons That Treat Their LGBTQ Characters With Respect". The Dot and Line. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ Sizer, Artistaeus (June 30, 2017). "We Need To Talk About LGBT Representation, Apparently". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- Toon Boom. Archivedfrom the original on April 5, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ Jusino, Teresa (June 2, 2017). "Why I'll Be Holding onto These Five Nuanced and Inspiring Bisexual Characters for Dear Life This Pride". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ Cook 2018, p. 7.
- ^ Where We Are on TV Report: 2018-2019 (PDF) (Report). GLAAD. 2018. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-04-10. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Where We Are on TV Report: 2019-2020 (PDF) (Report). GLAAD. 2019. pp. 5, 6, 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-04-08. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Where We Are on TV: 2020–2021 (PDF) (Report). GLAAD. January 2021. p. 40. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
- Insider. Archivedfrom the original on June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Viacom". www.viacom.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Hayes, Dade (July 10, 2019). "FCC's Vote To Ease "Kid Vid" Rules Draws Pushback And Democrats' Dissent". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
- ^ Eggerton, John (July 10, 2019). "FCC Gives Broadcasters More KidVid Flexibility". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
- ^ "Children's shows to leave BBC One". BBC News. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ "minimaxtv.ro – totul despre copii pentru copii". Archived from the original on 17 February 2005.
Sources
- Cook, Carson (May 2018). "A History of LGBT Representation on TV". A content analysis of LGBT representation on broadcast and streaming television streaming television (Honors). University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
External links
- Children's Television, online exhibition from screenonline, a website of the British Film Institute
- The 1950s–2000s Week-By-Week – includes listings and factoids for local/national children's shows.
- The future of children's digital television – an interview with Gloria Tristani Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
- Ryan Black, The Surprising Maturity of Children's Animation, The Reporter, March 4, 2016