New Preschool Show Caters to Deaf Children

LONDON: Make, Shake and Jake, airing on Turner Broadcasting’s Cartoonito in the U.K., is presented bilingually in English and sign language, aimed at both deaf and hearing children. 

The program was developed and produced by Handle and Sprout, and includes themes of love, art, music and animals. Mel Make is played by Catherine Boot and Shaun Shake by deaf actor Nathan Rollinson. Jake, meanwhile, is a canine assistant dog for Shaun. In every show Mel and Shaun look at the wider world and what children are doing. In short inserts, children explore the real world and communicate with each other through speech and sign.

Turner Broadcasting’s VP of programming, acquisitions and presentation, Cecilia Persson, said of the commission: "We wanted to respond with a show that did more than overlayed a signer on the edge of the screen."