New Pre-School Television programme- opinions needed!

[Munchkinsugarpie]

Hi mumsnetters, I need your help with getting some research together! I'm raising funds to make a pilot for a brand new television programme aimed at what I believe to be a largely uncatered for pre-school child. I'd be so grateful, if you find this subject of interest, to hear your invaluable feedback on the following:-

1. Does anybody else feel that there is a definite gap in programming for our children aged approx. 18months to 2.5 ish years old? i.e. After 'teletubbies' they're not quite ready for a more advanced 'tweeny' type show. What can they watch?

2. If you could choose the content of a programme aimed at this age group, what would you like your children to see?

3. Also, please let me know if you disagree with me and believe that all pre-school stages are catered for - and with what.

I look forward to your responses!

I'd be interested to see what response you get. I don't have much knowledge of current childrens' tv, we try were poss to do activities with him rather than leave him in front of the tv. My ds is 18 mths now but equally likes teletubs & tweens. I've noticed he much prefers programmes where the characters appear to be talking to the viewer.

We've recently had a perfect excuse for extended tv watching when our then 21 month old was in traction for a month. It def helped our sanity and by some useful genetic precoding I'm not yet driven mad by the sound of the Thomas the Tank Engine theme tune.

Thomas became the great fav, he knows the characters from bedtime books and follows the action in the stories.

His language is coming along nicely but if something is has too much narration or talking he loses interest. Pingu and Yoho Ahoy are easy to follow and get hooked on. Things like the shiny show and the fab lab seem a big switch off. the 'cute' characters are not convincing or engaging.

I think my ds (29 months) watches too much tv as it is! But FWIW, he is also turned off by Shiny Show but he very much enjoys watching real-life tv - ie. the section in Teletubbies when their tummies become real televisions and turn-on to watch children doing some activity, and we have Rosie & Jim videos which he loves because they are going off doing real-life things (he is particularly hooked if anything mechanical is involved - tractors, buses, things being made in a factory - but that may be because he is a boy!)
Good luck with your new project Munchkinsugarpie.

Mine doesn't watch much TV either, I think at 2 she's too young to be plonked in front on the box. However, much to my dismay, she does love the Tellytubbies! Also at lunchtimes on CBeebies (is it?) there is a cartoon short called 'Spider' which she likes.

Personally Munchinsugarpie, I think that there is enough for pre-schoolers on the box. Tellytubbies used to have a double run in the mornings, which is probably far too much anyway for an 18 monther. Short bursts such as CBeebies in the afternoons from about 1pm to 1.15pm are fine, it gives you just enough time to wash the dinner pots and fits in with their concentration span. Any more telly aimed at their age will just encourage harrassed mothers to leave their children in front of the box longer. As it is, some adult programme will come on, our kids will get bored and we will be forced into doing something creative with them. Hard on us but much more beneficial to the toddler.

I agree that there is already plenty of TV aimed at this age group. My ds is 25 months and since he was about 18m he's enjoyed Teletubbies, Thomas and Postman Pat. A lot of the CBeebies output - Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben in particular, are ideal for that age group and also very good programmes IMO.
Although in an ideal world he wouldn't watch much TV, he and his brother constantly fight so the only way they'll be quiet for 5 mins while I put the dinner on or whatever is to put on CBeebies. However, as we have an open plan kitchen/living room I'm always there chatting about what they're watching so I don't feel that I'm just letting them watch TV on their own. Also, as ds is up for a 14 hour day, the whole time can't be spent doing creative stuff, reading or playing in the garden (though most of it is!) so a few well-chosen 20 minute slots with the TV on is OK I think.

My vote is with tweenies and the videos that are available. My ds loves tweenies but doesn't of course watch it all just the bits he likes which is fine by me. My dd always liked the bit with real children in the teletubbies but nothing else really and it seems to be the same with ds, plus I find childrens programmes are usually on at the wrong time for us so videos for preschoolers etc work well in our household. Real life is what interests children I find, whether it's on tv or on the street.

I quite like the idea behind the Baby Mozart videos. Something featuring classical music, perhaps even works of art (coming to life?) might be good.

dear mumsnetters, thanks so much for your responses, I've found it v. interesting that you all seem to have 'lumped' pre-school progs. together in the same age bracket. What I'd dearly love to know however, is whether you feel there's enough tv output (when you want it)to cater for the different stages of 18 months to 24 months. i.e. did anyone find that when the teletubbies was 'outgrown' , were your children ready for the tweenies? Or was it a tad too advanced for them? What do you think? You're all brilliant for taking the time to reply by the way! I'll have to credit you all in the research!

Mine loves tv! munchkins, yes, I definitely found a gap between the teletubbies and the tweenies - dd went off the teletubbies quite early on (18 months), although she still quite liked the real life sections. She has only just got into the Tweenies (but not a massive fan) and she's 2.7 now.

The gap was filled by Maisy, and the short cartoons like Spider, Williams Wish Wellingtons, Pingu. The Shiny Show gets a big thumbs down, but she has liked the Story Makers since the beginning. HTH.

Hi Munchkinsugarpie.
FWIW here's my boys viewing history from 12m up:
12 - 18m: slight interest in Teletubbies
18m - 2: Passions for Thomas, Bob the builder and Bod, quite liked Bear in the Big Blue House
2 - 2.5: Renewed interest in Teletubbies, quite liked Tweenies, still loved Thomas
2.5 - 3: Passion for Toy Story and related cartoons. Thomas obsession at last on the wane though replaced by love for Buzz Lightyear...
3+: Passions for Thunderbirds, Blue's Clues, Dora the Explorer, Little Bill, Jamie and the Magic Torch. Also like: Tom & Jerry, Spiderman, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (which is rubbish!)

So maybe there isn't that much for younger toddlers but I wonder if that's just because they aren't great TV watchers? I must say I don't think under 2 is the ideal age for watching lots of telly but if you've got a really innovative brilliant idea then I'm willing to be convinced!

Munchkinsugarpie, dd is 6 mo so is younger than you specify. She has no interest in The Teletubbies but likes the songs on Tweenies. She does like Baby Mozart. And horseracing and football. And synchronised swimming. But that probably wasn't what you had in mind!

At 10 months or so my son loved all the Words and Pictures type programmes on BBC2 schools TV. A little later he began to notice Teletubbies, which he still loves at 3½. He likes Tweenies a little better now. Real life programmes have always been more popular with him. His real favourite has always been Come Outside. He went through Thomas mania around 18 months.

He has absolutely no interest in cartoons except for Oswald (a blue octopus with a pet dachsund called Weiner!!) on Tiny Living. He also likes Hi 5 (an Australian song and dancey educational programme for pre-schoolers).

Incidentally, his favourite films at the moment are Harry Potter and Scooby Doo. He's just got over an obsession with Lee Evans' Mouse Hunt, but Robot Wars seems to be becoming popular again...

My dd still loves the Tellytubbies at aged 2 and would love to get into the Tweenies if I would let her, but I'm afraid that is one irritation too far as far as I'm concerned! She has absolutely no interest in Paddington Bear or Bill and Ben which are a bit advanced maybe and has just started to show interest in Andy Pandy. She doesn't like Dog and Duck (boooooring!) and squeals with delight at Maisy. But the biggest scream of delight she reserves for The Simpsons! Absolutely adores it! Not sure if I should be letting her watch that one though!

I think the programmes do cater for all ages. Whilst she still likes the baby ones, she is getting into the toddler programmes such as Andy Pandy, which would never have appealed to her 6 months ago. But maybe she is just so thrilled to be able to watch any kind of telly at all! I'm so mean!

My 14month ds loves Hi5 on Living TV - I quite enjoy it too, which is a bonus - I think it is good that it is presented by real people. Their website is very good about what they are trying to do in each programme.

Ooh, MandyD, I forgot about Come Outside. DD LOVED this from a very early age and still does, although it doesn't seem to be on anymore

Another vote for Come Outside.My ds was absolutely transfixed by it ( he last saw it at just over age threee I think - he still talks about it)
I liked it too, and confess it was even educational for me(or am I just really thick?) The one where Auntie Mabel followed the progress of the "waste" from flushing it down to loo down through all the sewage system was highly informative

My favourite episode too Jasper!

munchkins,

Our 2 year old showed no interest in tv programmes until 4 months ago. currently Teletubbies have slipped down and Tweenies and Bob the Builder (costing me a fortune) is tops. He is definitely not into cartoons (possibly except clifford the big red dog), but prefers the puppetty animation.

Pingu is one of my personal favourites, shame about lack of language. I think any new show at this age should target familiar routines, meals, language, outings, play rather than more complex relationship/emotions such as the tweenies. This is probably why he relates to doodles more than the people characters.

Hope this has been helpful. I am guilty of sometimes too busy to be creative and our recent Cbeebies subscription has been a godsend. and I knew most of the theme tunes off by heart.

Another vote for the 'waste' episode.

Auntie Mabel says 'poo!' Tee hee.

And have you ever noticed that its not her hand holding the creepy crawlies??

You mums are SO brill! What a plethora of interesting information..... thank you all so much for your input. I think it's all relevant to what I'm trying to do here. I finally got so incensed with the Teletubbies 'eh oh' speech that I feel passionate that our children have a choice of an informative and educational programme that they'll pick up through curiosity and fun. I know that most progs. aim to have similar objectives but I've found them largely lacking.

I want to create a prog. which will be as much for us mums (or dads) as well as our children, i.e. for us to watch them together with participation from ds or dd supervised by the adult. Lots of work to do, but this research has confirmed a lot of what I thought. Thanks again you great mumsnetters.... I'll keep you posted!

I agree about The Teletubbies, even though dd is only 6 mo I use 'proper' words when speaking to her e.g. horses not gee-gees etc. And it'd be nice to have something to share withh dd.

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DS (at just about 12 months) likes Pingu, Thomas and Bob the Builder - as someone has said the (fairly) crude animations seem to go down better than cartoons. He also likes horse racing and skiing!