Tots Talk Back

April
2007

Even
preschool television is no longer a passive experience, with shows for young
ones embracing interactivity as a means to standing out in a crowded
marketplace.

By
Katy Elliott

Parents
wanting ten minutes’ peace while their preschooler watches television
apparently need to leave the room. Interactivity is no longer confined to
playing games online or even to that bygone activity of playing or chatting
with a friend, sibling or parent. Children no longer sit passively in front of
the box. They leap about, shout at and engage with the on-screen characters,
who, in turn, pause and wait for the suitable response from the young viewer.

“Nickelodeon’s
discovery of participation and ­interactivity with Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go! and Blue’s Clues has now transferred to most channels,” says
Christopher Skala, the senior VP of production and programming at HIT
Entertainment. “Mums now profess confusion when kids sit down passively and
watch a show.”

“I
think it’s part of the secret sauce,” says Brown Johnson, the executive VP and
executive creative director of Nickelodeon Preschool, the general manager of
Noggin and the driving force behind Nick’s groundbreaking interactive
properties. “It’s why Nick Jr.
is so successful. We started exploring it very carefully on Blue’s Clues and continued it with Diego and Dora.”

“Preschool
programs are more and more interactive, with live-action hosts, animated or
puppet lead characters, directly engaging kids by asking them to answer
questions, get up and dance and solve puzzles,” says Linda Kahn, the senior VP
of international TV sales and merchandising at Scholastic Media.

Sheldon
Wiseman, the president and CEO of Amberwood Entertainment, agrees that
interactivity is key if a show is to break through in what has become a very
crowded marketplace. “The show has got to have inclusiveness so children feel
part of what they’re seeing on the screen.”

GETTING
INVOLVED

“Television
is less about a child seated static in front of the screen and increasingly
more about interaction,” concurs Maïa Tubiana, a VP and executive producer at
MoonScoop. The company’s new preschool series Lamimila focuses on unleashing children’s imagination by
using materials such as different types of paper in creative ways to tell a
story on screen. Children are shown how to use their own materials to create
stories at home.

Millimages
launched a show at Cartoon Forum three years ago called Louie, about a small rabbit and its friend; it was
“sweet and beautifully produced,” according to John Reynolds, the company’s
U.K. managing director. But it could not rouse any broadcaster interest,
Reynolds says. Once the rabbit started interacting with the viewer, Louie began to sell internationally, and France 5 has
just commissioned 39 new episodes. “We just wouldn’t have got [it commissioned] without that,” says Reynolds. “The common consensus is there has to be this
element.” Reynolds is waiting to build up a solid ratings history before trying
to sell the show into the U.S.

KEEPING
THE FLOW

But,
as Beth Stevenson, the executive VP at DECODE Entertainment, warns, children
still sometimes want to watch the TV as a passive activity, and broadcasters
will still require a mix of both interactive and linear stories. “If you end up
with too many shows that are derivative of those iconic Nickelodeon shows, kids
will get exhausted with them.”

She
points out that once children get to the age of four or five they are seeking
more intricate storytelling that should not be interrupted by posing questions
to the viewer: “We found with Franny’s Feet, if we stopped every 15 seconds, it would bring
the story to a standstill—it just gets buried.”

Nickelodeon’s
Johnson, however, does not believe that to be the case. “I don’t think
interactivity is interruptive,” she says. The viewers feel like they’re
important to the show. It makes them feel smart and enhances their ­learning.
They are participating.”

Few
shows are being launched today without a web component, which offers even more
activity and interactivity. “The websites often contain rich experiences with
games and downloadable materials for kids and accompanying activities for
parents and teachers,” says Scholastic’s Kahn. “The viewing experience
frequently continues online with show clips or full episodes…. Websites are
critical, as kids are platform agnostic and expect to experience a program in
many different forms on many different screens.”

“Even
with the smaller broadcasters, the second question they ask is, What have you
done in relation to the web?” says Millimages’ Reynolds. “Broadcasters feel if
you’re not willing to support your program, then why should they?”

“In
this day of multiplatform programming, all creators and producers are
developing properties with multiple technologies, such as TV, broadband, mobile,
etc., in mind,” adds Kahn. “For example, more young children are using mobile
phones in some sort of extended viewing experience, including ring tones,
wallpaper or simple animation.”

Preschoolers
increasingly have access to their parents’ mobile phones for games and texting,
so it makes sense for kids’ brands to be extended to the device. “We constantly
strive to extend the learning experience by placing our content where children
and caregivers need it most and, ideally, where they can enjoy it together,”
says Jennifer Monier-Williams, Sesame Workshop’s VP of international TV
distribution and sales. “For example, a child might enjoy a clip of Elmo
singing his ABCs through the screen of mom’s mobile phone, while mom is paying
for groceries at the supermarket.”

Some
companies are now using the web to launch properties with sneak previews and
pilots. “As new technologies emerge, the ability to reach and build an audience
via these alternate channels, prior to TV, will just increase,” points out
Kahn.

Go,
Diego, Go! was the first Nick show
to be launched via a nontraditional multiplatform route, appearing first on
VOD, then online, then on Noggin and finally as a series on Nick Jr.

“Online
seems to be the cost-effective way to pilot your preschool property,” notes
Billy Macqueen, a co-managing director of the British independent kids’
producer Darrall Macqueen, which is 75-percent owned by Australia’s Southern
Star Group. “Instead of spending £50,000 to £80,000 [$100,000 to $160,000] on a
five-minute pilot, you can go onto the web for £5,000 [$10,000].”

But
Macqueen warns that Flash animation renders colors flat and digital, while
webpage impressions do not always give an accurate impression of audience
enthusiasm. The company has produced a TV pilot for a 2-D hand-drawn animation,
The Rory Stories, and is now
trying to pull together the financing. “We will spend the next two years with
it on our books. We won’t get involved in the Flash rush. You’ve got to have
confidence.”

HAVING
FAITH

Confidence
in your property is a highly desirable trait in a world in which broadcasters
are seeking instant hits, says Charles Falzon, a cochairman of CCI
Entertainment, whose properties include Harry and His Bucket Full of
Dinosaurs and Erky Perky.

“What
I really find is that the patience level for brand building and letting a line
find its audience has decreased,” says Falzon, who has a distinguished career
in kids’ TV and was formerly the president of Gullane Entertainment, once home
to Thomas & Friends.
“There’s a general impatience. But we’re developing things that are long term,
and we’re very methodical about it. Everyone needs to trust their instincts.
Europe was a lot more patient in the past.”

Kids’
executives across the world are also noticing a trend toward more genre-specific
programming, perhaps in response to retailer demand. “Previously that was the
case for ­6 to 12 -year-olds, but not so for preschool,” says Emmanuelle
Namiech, the director of co-productions and acquisitions at Granada
International, which co-produced and distributes Pocoyo. The preschool series has sold to more than 100
territories.

“The
influence of retailers is leading to greater segmentation,” Namiech explains.
“I would also say that volume is key. Normally in the U.K., the traditional
formula is to have a first series of 13 or maybe 26 episodes, making sure you
have loyalty from the viewers and have enough episodes to get them interested.
But we launched [Pocoyo] at
MIPTV 2005 with 52 episodes, and we’re currently in production with the second
batch of 52.”

Another
emerging force is the need to get the music spot on. Yo Gabba Gabba! is made by
W!ldbrain and The Magic Store and is set to air on Nick Jr. in the U.S. in the fall. The 20-episode
live-action magazine-style series uses music and song to highlight simple life
lessons and universal experiences in the lives of preschoolers. It stars DJ
Lance Rock and five toy monsters: Brobee the little green one, Foofa the pink flower bubble, Muno the cyclops,
Plex the robot and Toodee the blue cat dragon. Children are encouraged to play
and dance when they hear the words “Yo Gabba Gabba!” It goes into production in
April.

“There’s
no doubt preschoolers are developing a more sophisticated taste for music,”
claims HIT’s Skala, who will be observing the success of the show. “Yo Gabba Gabba!’s use of hip-hop is quite trendy but beautifully
done. Two years ago, most people would have said it wasn’t appropriate. Now we
need to keep an eye out and make sure the music in our shows is not perceived
as old-fashioned.”

“Yo
Gabba Gabba! puts the funk in
preschool,” adds Nickelodeon’s Johnson. “My philosophy on music is never dumb
it down. We really make an effort to offer a rich, wide variety of music. Music
is one of those nonverbal ways of engaging a child in the show.” She points to
the music in the hit preschool property Backyardigans as spanning genres from tango to tarantella, the
operetta tradition in Wonder Pets!
and now ’80s music and hip-hop in Yo Gabba Gabba!

GLOBAL
VIEW

Nickelodeon
has also been a pioneer in highlighting cultures and languages in its
programming—a trend that it is continuing with the new animated (and
interactive) preschool series Ni Hao, Kai-lan. It’s the first Nick Jr. property to feature an intergenerational
Chinese-American family. Animated by Wang Film Productions in Taipei, Taiwan,
and in consultation with Nickelodeon’s block in China, the series invites
preschoolers to explore Chinese culture and language via a five-year-old
Chinese-American girl named Kai-lan.

“I
went to a research symposium ten years ago that talked about kids who spoke
another language being sometimes embarrassed,” explains Johnson. “Cultural
heritage wasn’t a thing of pride. My [reaction] was, This is terrible. We must
make the ability to speak a language empowering. The world is getting smaller.
When I step out into Times Square no one’s speaking English. That is the
impetus behind Dora, with
Spanish integrated into the show. Diego continued that tradition.”

For
several years, American broadcasters have been putting more emphasis on the
imperative for curriculum-based educational programming than broadcasters
elsewhere. But certain producers stress that it is comedy that really attracts
young children—and preschoolers are more likely to learn if they are laughing.

“With
Lunar Jim we have zany
characters like Zed, who’s always falling over to make kids laugh,” says Alan
Gregg, the VP of production and distribution for children’s programming at
Alliance Atlantis’s international content distribution division. “In production
on season two, we’re trying to ramp up the comedy because that is so big for
preschoolers, at the same time as revving up the sense of adventure. There’s a
certain level of jeopardy and suspense.”

“In
the U.S., preschool shows often have a curriculum base, whether it’s a specific
content area such as math or science, or more issues-oriented—for
example, emotional literacy or nutrition and exercise,” says Scholastic’s Kahn.
“This ­curriculum-based programming does not have to be heavy-handed but must
be entertaining and genuinely fun for kids.”

As
always, financing children’s shows is tough, with producers unwilling to depend
upon license fees alone for their income. Merchandising income has become a
must. “TV is not quite enough to satisfy our business plan,” says Gregg.
“Licence fees have been dropping—it’s getting harder and harder to
finance shows. Budgets are going up. It’s important to have an ancillary
program. The caliber of partners—in our case, Penguin and Fisher-Price
for Lunar Jim—really adds
to the overall experience of the viewer.”

“No
matter what, kids must like the show first,” Kahn warns. “Publishing, licensing
and merchandising that are genuine extensions of the TV experience are key, as
they offer the kids another way to connect and interact with the characters.”

“What
makes a show fly is good storytelling, engaging visuals and charm,” adds
Macqueen. “That’s far more important than if it’s merchandisable.”

Millimages’
Reynolds agrees: “We’ve never allowed merchandising to dictate to us what we
do. We want to develop it, but the show and storytelling will always come
first.”

HIT
Entertainment is even offering a new property at MIPTV that exists only as a TV
program. A co-production with Nickelodeon, the 26×5-minute 2-D animation Wobbly
Land will be available as a
taster. “It’s a boutique property—quite unlike anything that HIT would
usually be known for,” says Skala. “It was quite inexpensive. It’s important
for me coming in to the company to show our commitment to creative excellence
and superlative business practice.”

BRITAIN
BRACES FOR CHANGE

As
the biggest independent kids’ producer in the U.K., HIT is more protected from
the current crisis engulfing children’s tele­vision in the territory. But it
is, nevertheless, having to rethink its business model. The media regulator
Ofcom’s ban on advertising junk food to children means broadcasters are
dramatically cutting back investment in new kids’ programming. Kids’ producers
are extremely concerned about the decline of children’s programming on the
commercial terrestrial networks ITV, Channel 4 and Five. ITV, which used to
invest £22 million [$43 million] a year in the genre, stopped commissioning new
shows a year ago in spite of Ofcom’s ruling that forbids it to cut the amount
of children’s hours it broadcasts each week. The multitude of kids’ digital
channels don’t offer British producers much more hope, because they are not
subject to the terms of trade and do not allow indies to share rights. So
producers are becoming ever more reliant on BBC commissions or having to raise
co-production ­money from overseas partners.

“Fifty
percent of the creative community will disappear from kids’ TV,” says Skala.
“The business model for preschool has essentially been broken. The U.K. was the
key financing market—you could not get your program financed without a
U.K. terrestrial or digital broadcaster. It’s also a question of not having
enough TV exposure to drive the sale of ancillary rights, and that impacts the
licence fees and retailers. It’s much more serious than market
rationalization.”

Skala
continues, “HIT’s success is predicated on the success of the creative
community. An interesting strategic discussion is how we cope with this.”

The
company is looking at cheaper production without sacrificing quality, more
co-productions and a range of options that include possibly launching its own
European channel.

“What’s
going on in the U.K. will affect foreign producers and distributors because
there’s less of the pie and therefore increasing pressure on the BBC to support
the domestic market,” says Alliance Atlantis’s Gregg. “We’re looking very
seriously at co-production. It gets you around the European content regulations
so a production becomes equally Canadian and European.”

Millimages’
Reynolds says that the sensible broadcasters, including many Scandinavian
companies, Super RTL in Germany and Nickelodeon, have already started
regulating ­themselves in terms of fast-food advertising, but that other
territories will follow the U.K.’s lead soon. It is also the case that digital
broadcasters elsewhere are dropping their licence fees “to a quarter” of what
they once were, while still expecting the same quality. “So where will the
money come from?” asks Reynolds. “We’ll all be crying, ‘Where have all the good
shows gone?’”