Listen NOW from the Unity Online Radio archives, or download on iTunes or the Stitcher app!
Original air date: Monday, July 07, 2014
Pop Conscious welcomes actress and producer, Sherry Hursey, back to the show, to talk more about the creation of her children’s show, Lilly’s Light, and the importance of the messages that children get from the media. From Sesame Street and Schoolhouse Rock to The Disney Channel and YouTube, we’ll also talk about how parents and other adults can invite their own inner children out to play.
Links to explore:
Research / Show Notes – Keep in mind that the research doesn’t always get mentioned on the show, since it’s a conversation which can take a turn at any time! But here’s what I learned researching the history of Children’s TV:
- Early children’s shows in the 40’s and 50’s included Kukla, Fran and Ollie and Howdy Doody, and involved puppets. CBS started airing cartoons in 1955 as part of The Mighty Mouse Playhouse.
- 50’s saw the beginning of franchised children’s TV — Romper Room and Bozo the Clown had local hosts and focused on the local community. (Bozo later became Ronald McDonald!)
- Parents, teachers and social scientists began to turn to their legislators to regulate harmful effects of children’s TV viewing.
- In the 60’s, weekend mornings became the time for cartoons, evolving into the good ol’ Saturday morning cartoons – which meant several hours of programs for kids.
- In the late 60’s Sesame Street was born, and was not only educational, but also entertaining enough to become the most successful national children’s program of all time.
DISNEY
Sherry mentioned the impact of watching Disney on Friday nights when she was young, and seeing the live action musicals like Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang and Mary Poppins, and howthey influenced her creation of Lilly’s Light.
Malayna mentioned the image of a lighthouse reminding her of Pete’s Dragon, with Helen Reddy.
INNER KIDS
On the subject of our inner children wanting to come out to play, it seemed like grown-up-oriented animated and stop-motion series are aimed at that, and not at all suitable for children! (But we can’t deny they’re funny.) Like:
The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, Archer, & Robot Chicken.
Morals of the story: Apply childlike enthusiasm and the belief that the world is for you (not against you), and creativity/imagination to daily life; Let your heart be your guide!
Pop Conscious 