Oct1
There’s a rather humble Facebook fan group for my show, Fluffy Gardens. The group is called ‘Fluffy Gardens makes the world a better place‘.
As a father, I want the best for my girls. I know from the mails I’ve had that many parents appreciate Fluffy Gardens, just a little show we made at Monster Animation. As small as the show might seem to us (well, it’s just a silly little show about some animals, isn’t it?), it seems to have made a difference to the lives of some children. It makes them smile. My girls certainly enjoy the show.
Not as much as Peppa. But close.
However, I’ll come straight out and admit that I’m not always sure a television show can make the world a better place. At times, I find myself uncomfortable with the amount of television my daughters watch. There are even people out there who believe television is leading the downfall of society. And there is no end of research to show that poor television is bad for children.
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But it just so happens that it’s not all bad news…
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In that research, it has also been shown that television can be good for children. Television designed to educate and enrich actually works. What’s more, the benefits last.
Can a television show make the world a better place?
I honestly don’t know.
But, if children are watching television (and they are), I think we should work as parents and programme makers (either/or and together) to make sure that we’re giving it our best shot.
