Good television has so many benefits for children in a world of online algorithms, where repetitive content and lack of exposure to new topics can leave them left in their own bubbles, rather than engaging with peers. Co-viewing with family and friends on the other hand encourages active participation, contextualising and builds the foundations for emotional self-regulation and well-being.
Speaking at the Broadcasting, Entertainment and Arts Unions (BEAU) APPG summer reception in Parliament this week, WGGB Chair and award-winning children’s writer Emma Reeves (above left), gave an impassioned speech about the importance of children’s programming and the BBC’s role in particular, at an event which was themed around Charter renewal.
Reeves, who said it was a “great honour” to write for The Story of Tracy Beaker and its spin-off The Dumping Ground, spoke about her “love of the genre”, sparked in her own childhood where “the shows that I watched with my family and friends are fondly remembered and made a huge impression of me.
“Many of us will remember the joy of getting home from school and switching the TV on. Doctor Who, of course. Rentaghost. The Box of Delights. The Chronicles of Narnia. The Demon Headmaster. There’s a value in escapist fantasy which also teaches us gently about good and evil and making difficult moral choices.
But there was more down-to-earth fare, as well. Grange Hill, Byker Grove, Children’s Ward, Press Gang. These shows were very much set in our own world and packed a dramatic punch. They were also written by some of our greatest writers. Steven Moffat, Russell T Davies and Phil Redmond all started out in children’s TV.”
The Story of Tracy Beaker became an iconic show for CBBC, spawning many spin-offs, continued Reeves, and “like all the best CBBC shows, it doesn’t shy away from the darker side of life, but it presents difficult subject matter in a way that informs and encourages empathy without traumatising its viewers. This is what the best children’s television still does. And in the UK, the BBC is the only game in town for people who want to tell those stories.”
As the BBC faces unprecedented cuts and goes through the Charter renewal process, she said that it was vital that future decisions are considered in light of the impact on children. “In these divisive times, we need to bring people together – young people in particular.”
The event was attended by representatives from WGGB and sister unions Equity, the Musicians’ Union, NUJ and Bectu, whose joint work around Charter renewal is themed around the principles of universality, accuracy and independence, creativity and innovation, proper resourcing and valuing the creative workforce (you can read more here).
There were also speeches from BEAU APPG Vice-Chair Kim Johnson MP and Naomi Pohl, General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union, who spoke about the BBC’s unprecedented breadth of content and reach, providing careers for creatives across the board (writers, musicians, journalists, actors, technical crew), generating tens of 1,000s of contracts for freelancers a year and setting important minimum terms.
She concluded by saying that the BBC must be properly funded, it must be independent, and its future must be sustainable and secure.
You can find out more about WGGB’s campaigning and lobbying work around BBC charter renewal on our special campaign page.
Photo of Emma Reeves: Gail Renard