Happy Children’s Day: Where have all the Children’s Programmes gone?

Today is Children’s day and even though I am an adult, I am still someone’s child and have every right to enjoy this day as much as all the kids out there (LOL).

As various companies and organizations struggle to gain the prime pages and spots in newspapers and on radio, my mind drifted to television and the kinds of programmes we have now that focus on kids. Asides the various foreign children programmes that air on digital satellite television like “Dora the Explorer”, Mickey Mouse Club House, Teletubbies etc., I will really like to know those Nigerian TV programmes that excite kids nowadays?

In those days, especially in the 80's and 90's, TV programming was so full of entertainment and education to the extent that we all looked forward to 4pm and when the television station will come on. Now I am not talking about the cartoons although I was a true fan of Voltron, Super Ted, Thunder Sub, Captain Cave Man and so on, I am actually talking about the programmes that got us wishing and hoping that we were part of the cast.

Taking a look down memory lane, who remembers “Kiddie Vision 101” the programme that actually launched the career of Denrele Edun or ‘Third Eye’, the crime series that featured the smart kid Uzeye? Let me not forget ‘Tales by Moonlight’, Speak Out and “I need to Know” programmes that always made me want to stay home and watch TV. Children’s day brought back this nostalgia and how watered down children programming is right now. How is it that we don’t children movies or programmes focusing mainly on children anymore? Foreign programmes have taken over everything that original local content is frankly non-existent and this shouldn’t be so.

I remember when the KKB club started airing on STV and for some funny reason I was happy and proud to see the children doing their best to deliver to the roles. Not sure what has happened to it right now, but it is the only recent one I remember.

My question now is how do we remedy this situation? How do we turn it around and just make it better. I understand production houses and TV programme creators might be frustrated with the fact that TV stations would want payment before running their programme or they are further frustrated as sponsors will rather not tie their brand to their content but there is need to find a way out of this to avoid our children growing up with the many distractions available and the thought that everything is the same as the way it is portrayed on TV.

So as you celebrate today with your children, why don’t we put on our thinking caps and see how we can re-create those programmes we cherish the most.

I personally believe in remaking programmes, so what do you think?