A Closer Look at Children’s Television: Closer into Puppets

Last time I wrote, I discussed what I felt made puppets so special and so effective in children’s television. On reason I felt it was important to look into this is the simple fact that for my capstone project in which I am creating a children’s television show I am using puppets.

What I found was that puppets are so effective because they can be used in such different ways to represent our childhood and the curiosity and wonder that we experience each day. Through them children as well as adults an learn the proper way of behaving or that it’s ok to be afraid.

So what do I want my puppets to represent? I want my puppets Zuko and Bo (cat puppets) to represent two cat brothers who love each other, yet they are not always perfect and don’t always know what’s right. Zuko is the older brother. While he loves Bo, he also like to tease and scare him a little, as most siblings like to do. He also takes on the characteristics of a child who is not always the perfect angel. He likes to make jokes and will sometimes act out. He a little like Lady Elaine, only in cat form. The lessons he will help teach will most likely be more about learning how to behave. Bo on the other hand is the younger brother who looks up to Zuko and will usually believe anything he says. He’s shy and imaginative and could probably be most compared to Daniel the Striped Tiger. He learns lessons that deal more with feelings like being afraid or lonely and how to overcome those feelings.

When thinking about these characters you really have to keep in mind what it would be like to be a young child; the thoughts and feelings that go through the mind at those ages. Being almost 22 makes that difficult at times to remember back that far. You also have to consider that not all children have the same feelings about things and learn things in different ways, so you really need to decide how you want to portray your characters that will be able to reach the most children. For example, in my pilot episode Bo is worried about starting school for the first time. So when I was deciding what I wanted to focus on as far as why he was worried I had to consider and address multiple fears and questions that could come into a child’s mind so that I could reach as many kids as possible. So I addressed being afraid of leaving home for the first time, where Bo would go to the bathroom at school, and how would he eat if he wasn’t at home. There were also a few other concerns we discuss, but those are the major ones and they cover a wide range of fears that children could be feeling.

Puppets are important, especially for my show because they can address and resolve issues for children in ways that adults can’t. What I mean is, that while having an adult talk to you about being afraid and that it’s normal to feel that way, so see a puppet that represents a child acting that way and overcoming that fear can be so much more effective. Not only are the puppets fun to watch so they keep children’s attention longer than an adult could, they also allow children to see themselves in them and let them know that they are not alone; there are others out there that feel the same way. I hope that with my puppets and my show I can help children learn that they are not alone and that no matter what problem or fears they face, they can overcome them and everything will be alright.