Mattel’s Christopher Keenan

Christopher Keenan, senior VP and executive producer of global content development and production at Mattel, talks to TV Kids about what’s next for Thomas & Friends and what’s new in Barbie content.

Thomas & Friends has been a staple of preschoolers’ TV schedules around the world since the 1980s. The animated adventures of a blue tank engine received a major revamp in 2017, in time for the 22nd season.

TV KIDS: What lessons were learned from incorporating the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, faster-paced stories and more girl characters into Thomas & Friends?
KEENAN: With each new content iteration, Thomas & Friends has continued to evolve on many fronts. Working with the UN and their Sustainable Development Goals was an opportunity that the creative team embraced wholeheartedly, and we were able to tell relatable stories in season 22 that brought these goals to life for our target audience. The effort continues in our branded, short-form content. The introduction of six well-rounded, prominent female characters has also been at the forefront of these most recent seasons, and we couldn’t be more pleased with how well they’ve been received by boys and girls alike. And, of course, shifting to a shorter format has prompted a much quicker pace when it comes to storytelling.

TV KIDS: Tell us about Mattel’s Barbie content.
KEENAN: Like the content for Thomas, the content for Barbie is ever-evolving. When I joined Mattel, there was a long tradition of direct-to-consumer, long-form movies or specials, with Barbie “cast” as a fantasy character (such as a fairy, a rock star, a ballerina, a superhero, etc.), and there was very little content that showcased Barbie as herself. Since then, we’ve launched Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures, an animated series that focuses on Barbie’s life in Malibu at home with her sisters and parents and at high school with her friends, as well as Barbie Vlogger, in which this same character vlogs online about current events, female role models and issues that girls and young women face every day. The response from viewers has been amazing.

TV KIDS: What are some of the keys to successfully bringing the essential qualities of a toy brand to television?
KEENAN: While all the traditional rules apply (creating an engaging world, building strong characters, crafting relatable stories, bringing it all to life with a compelling execution), there is the added agenda of showcasing a play pattern—whether it’s role-playing or nurturing or construction or so on—so that the experience can extend to toy play when the screen is turned off. Kids love to tell their own stories with characters they meet on the screen, and toys give them the tools to do this. The more successful we are with organically embedding the character and story-driven content with elements of play, the more engaged kids are, whether playing with their favorite toys or watching their favorite programs.

TV KIDS: What new forms of storytelling excite you most in the kids’ landscape today?
KEENAN: As the platform landscape has splintered and expanded, so have the opportunities for bringing characters and stories to life in unexpected ways. Seeing a resurgence in 2D animation and stop-motion is as exciting to me as all the technical advances in CG. I’m also thrilled to see new creators bringing their ideas to life through inexpensive means and getting their work seen widely and quickly online. The doors have been opened to a whole new community of talented storytellers—and we need as many of those new voices as possible.