slapstick comedy. It’s easy to use visual humor or funny characters, but it’s hard to write
jokes that preschoolers will understand.
Writers for series are almost always given guidelines, and these are often extensive. Nor-
mally, writers are asked to teach only one main concept (and perhaps a couple of second-
ary concepts) in each episode. The concepts must be simple. Experiences in the stories should
be everyday experiences. Even the smallest things are interesting to this age group. Plots
must be very simple with no B-plots.
Characters should be easily relatable to kids. Create archetypes and personalities that
will stand the test of time. Let the learning experience come out of the character’s person-
alities. Empower your characters. A strong lead should be likeable and never mean in spirit.
Preschool characters rarely criticize other characters. Usually, there’s no real antagonist in
preschool shows. Programmers don’t want scary characters or too much peril. The physical
universe often serves as the antagonist instead.
Let the viewers interact with the program whenever you can, and let them solve the
problems. It’s good to have the child viewer looking and reacting, or racing out of a chair
to put a hand on the right answer on the screen. Music and song can help to pace the shows.
Think like a kid. Use wonder and magic in your ideas. Everything is new at this age. There
should be no cynicism but amazement instead. TV is the window to a kid’s world. Use redun-
dancy, repetition, and familiarity. You might repeat a song (with the same words again) at the
end of a show. You could repeat the episode’s theme song at the end. Kids pick up more of the
show’s content with each repetition. Words must be easily understood. Some buyers will not
allow writers to mangle words for this age group, but others allow the incorrect use of words
for humor. You can define a word by its use. There are no double meanings in preschool TV.
This is an opportunity to model good behavior and values. Any negative characters learn how
to behave correctly by the end of the episode. These are positive shows. This programming is
a safe haven for kids, a happy place, a comfort zone. The average preschool segment or story
is eleven to twelve minutes in length.Sesame Streethas portioned its show into ten-minute seg-
ments to make it easier for children under the age of two to follow.
Networks look for projects that satisfy the needs of their audience, as they perceive
them. Nickelodeon has had a reputation for being cooler, more edgy. The shows there have
generally been less verbal. Nick has had a more diverse audience, and the network has been
sensitive to that. Disney has tended to stay away from anything that was the least bit edgy.
They’ve been interested in ideas for series for their own characters. They’ve preferred a look
that was unique. PBS has been more educational than Disney or Nickelodeon. PBS has
looked for diverse voices in their programming. The general perception has been that moms
want their children to have an educational head start before they enter school. Most net-
works tend to copy what is currently working on a more successful network.
Traditional buyers in the United States for preschool series have included Nickelodeon,
the Disney Channel, PBS, the Learning Channel, and Discovery Kids. All have wanted
programs with educational curriculum. HBO Family has also bought preschool specials and
movies. The Cartoon Network has done some experimenting with preschool programming.
Past programming was developed internally at Warner Bros. However, new cable channels
for younger viewers have popped up internationally as well.
Pitches for new shows should be complete with a bible, artwork, and curriculum. Pitches
should be simple, like the show. Pitch what’s unique and fresh in that curriculum area. Pitch
your great characters.
290 Animation Writing and Development