The Youngest Ones

Ask a wide selection of specialists in preschool programming from around the world about the secret of success in this notoriously difficult market and there’s one thing that they’ll all agree on.
The cornerstone of every success story is good characters and storytelling. This is hardly rocket science, but a perennial truth of preschool television that any would-be producer ignores at his or her peril. As TV-Loonland’s managing director, Olivier Dumont, emphasizes, “It’s not very original, but it’s the quality of the writing combined with unique characters that really make a successful show.”
Josh Scherba, the VP of distribution at DECODE Enterprises, goes a stage further. “Obviously you need great stories and characters—that’s a given—but often shows need an interesting hook or angle to attract broadcasters and buyers’ interest.”
According to Scherba, there is one crucial factor. Producers must set their fare apart from the run-of-the-mill preschool animation. “There’s been a glut of middle-of-the-road preschool programming on the market in recent years, so these days shows have to stand out.”
DECODE’s puppet series Mighty Jungle is a case in point, he claims. The show’s story lines were developed with the assistance of a group of 3- to 5-year-olds who were introduced to the characters and then asked to imagine what they might do. “The kids created the inspiration, and the puppets then act out the stories created by our writers.”
The other characteristics that are guaranteed to make a show stand out in an oversubscribed preschool market are outstanding design and production values.
International broadcasters are looking for shows with strong and recognizable design, explains Muriel Thomas, the head of international sales and co-productions at E1 Kids U.K., a point backed up by Patrick Elmendorff, the managing director of the Munich-based family-fare distributor Studio100 Media, who echoes, “In general, a show must have a fresh, clear and concise concept, a unique design with a distinctive and interesting visual style.”
And often a point of distinction is quality animation, whether it’s 2-D, CGI or stop-motion, which some feel is particularly adapted to young viewers and their imaginations. Stop-motion also gives a show a unique look, which helps it stand out in the crowded preschool arena.

EDUCATIONAL VALUES
Another common feature of successful preschool commissions is that they typically blend entertainment values with an educational element. That may be education with a small “e,” but some element of ABC’s, 123’s, conflict resolution or problem solving are boxes that many broadcasters are keen to tick with preschool commissions.
“More and more, broadcasters are looking for curriculum-based shows but with clear entertaining values, such as Dora the Explorer,” says TV-Loonland’s Dumont, a point backed up by The Jim Henson Company’s head of international sales and new programming, Sam Ewing. “Right now I think that broadcasters realize their audience wants more than anime or action shows. Especially in preschool, they want something that sticks to the ribs.”
Ewing’s rib-sticking content at this year’s MIPTV market includes Sid the Science Kid, The Jim Henson Com­­pany’s first series for PBS Kids that features a practical in-school science curriculum, and Dinosaur Train, a CGI-animated series fostering key concepts in natural science, natural history and paleontology.
Geraint Marsh, Chorion’s senior VP of TV sales, declares that educational elements are never far from well-thought-out preschool concepts. “It’s all about getting children to do more than just sit and entertain themselves passively. We encourage them to educate themselves and use their imaginations. Education is an important criteria for successful preschool; some shows are hardwired with education content, others may have softer educational elements that are not so overt, but the combination of entertainment and education is key.”
Another important point to remember with preschool shows is that creative concepts have to appeal to two audiences: kids, on the one hand, and their parents or caregivers on the other. “It’s important for their guardians to enjoy the shows as much as the children themselves,” stresses Chorion’s Marsh.
Studio100 Media’s Elmendorff agrees. “We have several evergreen brands, such as Maya the Bee, Vicky the Viking, Heidi and Tabaluga, which are still very popular with families. The awareness generated by these classic characters is not only for the benefit of the kids, but also for the parents and the parental gatekeepers. These shows offer definitive values, give a positive feeling in the mind of the parents andare very popular with families.”

HEALTH CHECK
Another hot theme right now in programming targeting the littlest viewers is health, with many commissioners increasingly conscious of their responsibilities in combating the growing problem of childhood obesity.
“Shows that encourage kids to be healthy and keep fit, such as [the live-action and 3-D animated] Monkey See, Monkey Do, appeal to buyers,” says Alison Homewood, HIT Entertainment’s executive VP of worldwide TV distribution. “This series aims to get kids off the sofa and dance in the style of different animals.”
Bo on the GO!, DECODE’s preschool animated series made by the Canada-based Halifax Film, was also conceived with the goal of luring kids off the couch, featuring a super-energetic and inquisitive young heroine who encourages children at home to go on amazing adventures by actively joining in a variety of movements that assist her on her quest.
Hi-5, from Southern Star International, is full of music and is intended to give young viewers an interactive experience that is bound to get them moving.
While preschool producers are making efforts to slim down their target audiences, program budgets are slimming down all by themselves, as broadcasters are hit by decreases in advertising revenue.
You won’t have to go far among the preschool programming community at MIPTV this year before the R-word crops up. “The elephant in the room we really can’t ignore is the recession,” says HIT’s Homewood.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Tough times have induced changes in consumer behavior that will not be music to the ears of children’s producers or rights holders. “People are recycling old toys, buying fewer new ones and buying fewer DVDs,” warns Homewood.
One result has been to make some buyers ultracautious, introducing a new note of conservatism into the international marketplace. Owners of the more established preschool brands, from Chorion’s Noddy to HIT’s Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends, will be hoping to turn buyers’ reluctance to take risks to their advantage.
“HIT is protected to a great degree by the strength of the brand; when times are bad, people tend to take solace in the tried, trusted and recognized,” says Homewood. “Established properties tend to fare [well in] bad weather better than newer ones.”
Chorion’s Marsh, who oversees preschool brands such as The Mr. Men Show, confirms that in a risk-averse market, buyers gravitate toward established properties. “People are looking for shows where they feel there is a track record for success. We are able to show them something that gives a certain reassurance.”
With broadcasters tempted to go for the familiar, adaptations of established children’s literary characters are likely to find favor, adds TV-Loonland’s Dumont. “The merits of book adaptation are prior brand-recognition,” he asserts. Two of TV-Loonland’s major preschool brands are based on existing series of books: Penelope and Little Princess. “If the series of books was successful, it’s because the concept has been tried in one media, which means less risk has to be taken by the producer in developing [the TV series]. This publishing heritage often times means quality in the minds of parents and TV-station executives alike.”

AT THE TOY STORE
Another feature of the economic downturn is a closer focus on the merchandising and licensing potential of preschool properties. With advertising revenues falling, broadcasters are trimming programming budgets and cutting license fees, which means that producers have to work harder to finance their productions.
Since the license fee often doesn’t cover the budget, producers are always looking to DVD and licensed-product sales to increase their revenues. 
“With advertising down and acquisition budgets cut, broadcasters are looking for new ways of bringing in money,” says HIT’s Homewood. “There’s a new, more careful focus on ROI [return on investment].
“Successful licensing and merchandising is a virtuous circle,” she continues. “Once the TV is off, it’s in everybody’s interest for kids to carry on the experience by using toys which are connected to the characters.”
In some cases, children’s brands benefit from extensions on platforms such as online and mobile, but with preschoolers the focus is firmly on the key merchandising staples of toy and DVD sales, because of the limited access younger children have to the Internet and mobile phones.
There’s little doubt among preschool experts that, far from being cynical marketing exercises, toys and brand extensions help children become more engaged, producing more immersive and stimulating play.
It’s a fact that kids tend to engage more with brands that offer comprehensive opportunities for involvement. Like many children’s commissioners and producers in preschool, Cecilia Persson, Turner Kids’ VP of programming, acquisition and presentation in EMEA, sees Ragdoll’s In the Night Garden as a prime example of the total immersive approach. By extending the concept far beyond the confines of the popular HD live-action series, with a range of toys and brand extensions, the property became one of the top ten performing toy licenses last year.
“At this age, attaching a toy to a program seems to have a positive, reinforcing effect,” says Persson. “It helps children copy what’s on-screen and helps achieve our overall aim, which is to have shows that actively encourage kids to do things with the caretakers they spend time with.” 
There are few surprises when it comes to the key territories for preschool, with the U.S., followed by the main European markets such as the U.K., France and Germany, standing out on most producers’ lists.
But the big trend in recent years has been the rapid rise in the importance of Asia as a region with huge potential. This is hardly surprising when countries such as China have fast-growing econ­omies, and equally fast-growing consumer cultures.
“The U.S. is the single most important territory, with something like 50 percent of the world’s consumers, but Asia in terms of its growth potential is definitely the future,” says Homewood.
She confirms that HIT invests a lot of time and effort on its Asian strategy. Homewood has, in fact, just returned from a trip to China, where HIT has launched Thomas & Friends on the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
“It’s a megadeal for us,” says Homewood, who was amazed by the scale of major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, both with close to 20 million people, numbers that dwarf European territories such as Denmark, with a population of about 5 million.
Chorion has also had success in China, striking a deal at last year’s MIPCOM with China’s second-largest media player, Shanghai Media Group, to jointly develop new animation programs for children. SMG will also be Chorion’s business partner in China for the new preschool show Olivia, which begins broadcasting this spring, with SMG handling the show’s promotion and marketing, home entertainment and branded merchandise in China.
“The deal showed our interest in the Chinese markets and working with local producers,” says Chorion’s Marsh. “We are looking to establish longstanding partnerships with traffic going in both directions.”
Scherba singles out Korea, where DECODE has a number of preschool broadcast deals, including Super Why! on the Korean broadcaster KBS. “Korea puts a big emphasis on preschool, and it’s good for us because English is a second language there.”
The growth in the importance of markets such as China and Korea only serves to underline another golden rule for globally successful preschool properties: shows that are too culturally specific may have limited export potential.
A show like Wonder Pets!, featuring the endearing adventures of three classroom pets set to music—mostly opera—easily crosses cultures because of music’s universal appeal to young children. Wonder Pets! is produced by Little Airplane Productions, also the creator of 3rd & Bird, about animals living in a forest, and equally culturally neutral.
The preschool market is certainly crowded. But catchy animation, lively music and, above all, engaging characters and story lines, are still the must-have ingredients to a successful show aimed at the youngest viewers.