TV show Research (AND218)

TV show research

When starting this project, I wanted my TV show to be aimed at older children rather than pre-schoolers as that allows for more complex storytelling and content that is less learning focused so I looked up the target audience for each of our broadcaster options. I found that Milkshake and Cbeebies are primarily aimed at kids under 6 and 7, Cbbc has a target audience of 6-12-year old and finally both Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network are aimed at older kids with their audiences being 6-17 and 7-15, because of all of this my options were narrowed down to the last two broadcasters. First, I looked at Nickelodeon on account of it’s higher age range as my two main characters in my idea are both 17, so those watching could relate to teens of the same age. Looking into what Nickelodeon is currently airing deterred me slightly as they are currently only showing 5 animated shows at this time with all their other current programming being life action series. It seems as if they are beginning to move away from cartoons, which is a shame as the channel has aired some great original cartoons in the past such as: Rugrats, Ren and Stimpy, Fairly odd parents, Avatar the last airbender and Legend of Korra. Next looking at cartoon network they are currently airing 9 original animated programs and 8 acquired ones with no live action series at all. In the past they have aired original shows such as: Ed Edd and Eddy, Courage the cowardly dog, Samurai Jack, Codename kids next door and the Marvellous misadventures of Flapjack. Personally, I watched cartoon network more as I was growing up and am familiar with a lot more of their programs and therefore most of my inspirations and similar shows are from that channel, therefore I believe Cartoon Network is the best place for my show.  

Next, I looked up what appeals to the target audience and also what adults look for in a show that they will allow their kids to watch. Most animated shows aimed at kids are action orientated and always comedy based or at least have occasional humour in them. They normally don’t focus on large complex story lines over the series and usually stick to simple stories that span one episode. Characters in kids shows have to be relatable or fun to watch, also having the ability to sell merchandise doesn’t hurt. Some parents can be very strict with what they allow their kids to watch, this is mainly related towards younger children but can still be relevant with ages for my target audience. Parents look for shows that promote positive messages and provide their kids with good role models and representation as well as the lack of any negative attributes such as language or graphic violence.   

  

Some existing shows that are similar to mine include: Courage the cowardly dog, Gravity falls and over the garden wall. All of these shows include the protagonists encountering monsters, mysteries or oddities and all have comedy, action and some creepy scenes too. Courage the Cowardly dog is about a dog that lives on an isolated farm with his two owners but he has to deal with creepy happenings and creatures that harass him and his found family. This show revolves around the supernatural and how the main characters react to it and is known for its occasional surreal and creepy visuals and many people remember being scared by this show when they watched it as a kid. Next is Gravity Falls, which is a show about two kids who move to this small town for the summer which turns out to be a hotspot for weirdness and mystery. The protagonists encounter a number of different creatures and monsters all the way from demons to gnomes. The series revolves around solving the mysteries of the strange town and documenting all the weirdness that goes on and lives in it. Finally, we have Over the Garden wall which was a mini series about two brothers trying to find their way home through a strange forest. The brothers encounter a number of odd individuals and monsters as they journey through this other-worldly forest, some being friendly whilst others are hostile. The show gives off a pretty creepy and isolated vibe throughout the whole series and feels quite mature too as it’s not really focused on humour. My idea relates to these shows in ways such as; the supernatural and monster elements, the mix of humour and creepiness, the isolation of the main location and small town, the wooded locations and the mixture of ways in which the protagonists react and deal with the odd and supernatural occurrences.

Some other shows I have drawn inspiration from include: The grim adventures of Billy and Mandy, The Marvellous misadventures of Flapjack, Villainous and Trollhunters. Mainly a mixture of their humour, characters and bizarre story lines and visuals. As my idea shares similarities and draws inspiration from these shows, most of which aired on Cartoon Network, I feel that my show would also fit in nicely on this channel.