So how do the people who actually make children’s television programmes set about it? How do they deal with their awesome responsibility, not only to please all the adults (or at least not offend them too much) but also entertain, inform, interest and stretch the vast number of children for whom their programmes are intended?

The Children’s Department of Thames Television is the largest in ITV, supplying an average of 142½ hours of networked programmes each year. It caters for children ranging from the very young (Rainbow for the under fives) through to the 5-6 year olds (Paperplay, Issi Noho, King Wilbur III, …And Maisy Too), the 7-8 year olds (The Sooty Show, Michael Bentine’s Potty Time), the 9-12 year olds (Magpie, All Together Now), teenagers (You Must Be Joking!), and it hopes that its drama appeals to children of all ages (The Tomorrow People, The Molly Wopsies, The Feathered Serpent, Shadows, Horse In The House).

Not only is this output geared across a wide age range, but the types of programme are also immensely varied. Sue Turner, Thames’ Controller of Children’s Programmes comments: ‘Children are, after all, simply people who have not been alive very long. They have as much (maybe more) intelligence, imagination, enthusiasm and eagerness as adults. All they lack is experience (and the prejudices that often come with it). They are also a demanding audience – unrestrained by the social politeness of adults, they write and tell us precisely what they think of us and our programmes!’

Magpie, twice a week every week (except for a short summer break), is probably the best known of Thames’ children’s programmes. Transmitted live, Magpie aims to be an all round magazine programme, with items of topical interest for children of approximately 6-12 years. It began in 1968 with the start of Thames Television itself. Its award-winning documentaries have given it an international as well as a national reputation.

The pre-school programme Rainbow (winner of the British Academy Award for the best children’s programme in February 1975) aims to help children below school age to expand their experience of the world and the people around them. Rainbow is believed to be unique in the world, in that it began in 1974 making full length documentaries specially for the under fives. Dealing with potentially traumatic experiences for the very young child, so far ‘Rainbow goes to Hospital’ and ‘Rainbow Starts School’ have been presented and work is beginning on a ’Special’ which will deal with the arrival of a new baby.

A department of this size has plenty of opportunity to experiment. You Must Be Joking! (of which two series have now been made) was entirely written and performed by a cast of East End children, ranging in age from 11-17. It has been both hailed as a new departure in ‘access’ programming and condemned as giving children false ideas of their own importance. Following this programme, work is in hand on Pauline’s Quirkes, starring 16-year-old Pauline Quirke (known to adult audiences for her outstanding performance in Jenny Can’t Work Any Faster). This time Pauline and her friends take a swing at the remaining male chauvinist bastions in the name of girls’ lib!

Last year Thames launched a series of seven plays with a linking theme of ghostliness, under the title of Shadows. They included a play specially written by J B Priestley. The second series of Shadows, with an over-all theme of fantasy and including specially commissioned plays by such outstanding writers as Joan Aiken, Susan Cooper and Ewart Alexander, was transmitted this summer. The Molly Wopsies (transmitted in Spring 1976) was entirely shot with Thames’ small mobile outside broadcast unit on location in Henley; and this same unit is being used to shoot Horse in the House (adapted by Rosemary Anne Sisson from the book by William Corbin).

Sue Turner says her team had a great deal of fun and raised a lot of eyebrows by demonstrating that an all-action adventure series, set in ancient Mexico, could be shot entirely in Studio 2 at Teddington. The end result was The Feathered Serpent, transmitted this summer – with music specially written by David Fanshawe, sword fights and a great deal of ritual and splendour. She also hopes it helped to make viewers aware of the rich and fascinating history of pre-Columbian America.

This is a brief outline of just one Children’s Department – using film, studio and outside broadcast to make documentaries, current affairs, drama, light entertainment and comedy programmes. Did you know that children have such a wide choice of programmes available to them?

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London Weekdays

Thames Television House, 306-316 Euston Road, LONDON NW1 3BB
Tel: 01-387 9494
Teddington Studios, Teddington Lock, TEDDINGTON, Middlesex TW11 9NT
Tel: 01-977 3252
Sales Office: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Queensway, BIRMINGHAM BS 4LJ
Tel: 021-643 9151

Directors. Howard Thomas, CBE (Chairman); George A Cooper (Managing Director); Mrs Mary Baker; John T Davey, FCA; D R W Dicks; H S L Dundas, DSO, DFC; Jeremy Isaacs (Director of Programmes); John E Read; Ian M Scott, CA (Director of Finance and General Manager, Teddington); James F Shaw (Director of Sales); T H Tilling; Colin S Wills, MA, FCA (Assistant Managing Director); Lord Wolfenden, CBE, MA.

Executives. Ben E Marr, CA (Company Secretary); R G J Godfrey (Studios and Engineering Director); F J Atkinson (Controller, Studio Operations); Donald Cullimore (Controller, Public Relations); John Edwards (Controller of Current Affairs and Documentaries); John Hambley (Controller, Advertising and Publications); R J Hughes (Sales Controller); Philip Jones (Controller of Light Entertainment); Verity Lambert (Controller of Drama); Geoffrey Lugg (Controller, Programme Planning); Ian Martin (Acting Controller of Features, Education and Religion); Malcolm Morris (Controller, Programme Department); John O’Keefe (Controller, Staff Relations); Eric E Parry (Controller, Programme Services); C J Smeaton (Controller, Administration); Grahame Turner (Controller of Outside Broadcasts); Sue Turner (Controller of Children’s Programmes); Max Lawson, FCA (Chief Accountant); Brian G Scott, C Eng, MIEE (Chief Engineer); Douglas Thornes (Research and Marketing Services Manager).
Thames Television International Limited (for programme sales) – Muir Sutherland (Chief Executive).

Enquiries. Enquiries about artists and programmes should be addressed to Viewers’ Correspondence, Thames Television House, 306-316 Euston Road, London NW1 3BB.

Sales and Marketing. Thames operates a full marketing and merchandising service and offers special rates for local advertisers, holiday and travel advertisers, etc. Details are available from the Sales Controller.

Programmes. From Thames Television’s two main production centres – at Euston in Central London and at Teddington on the River Thames – come well over a thousand programmes a year for the London region and for the ITV network.

Thames output covers the whole range of television programmes. Most drama, light entertainment and children’s programmes are made at Teddington where there are three studios, the largest 7,500 sq. ft, all fully operational in colour.

The widely praised and international award winning Thames documentary series The World At War was prepared mainly at Teddington. Current affairs and news programmes are produced at Thames Television House, Euston, with its presentation and audience studios and extensive VTR, telecine and editing facilities.

From the mobile division, based at Hanworth near Teddington, the outside broadcast units with their sophisticated equipment cover the country for major sporting events, fashion shows, beauty contests and other special events.

Working from its own base at Hammersmith is the fourth important element of Thames’ production structure – Euston Films. This wholly owned Thames subsidiary, which makes film drama programmes on location mainly for television, has over recent years contributed significantly to Thames’ drama output.

As well as contributing to the popularity and critical success of ITV’s programmes, the wide range of Thames productions is finding an increasing market among viewers in other countries. Here is a list of some of the programmes Thames produces:

Drama: Plays for Britain; Killers; The Crezz; Special Branch; Shades of Greene; Jennie – Lady Randolph Churchill; Moody and Pegg; The Sweeney; Rock Follies; Life and Death of Penelope; Couples; Bill Brand. Children’s: Magpie; The Sooty Show; Rainbow; The Tomorrow People; Pauline’s Quirkes; Horse in the House; The Feathered Serpent; And Maisy Too…; Issi Noho; Paperplay; You Must Be Joking; Shadows; All Together a Now; King Wilbur III; The Molly Wopsies. Light Entertainment: Comedy: Man About the House; George and Mildred; Bless This House; Get Some In; Spring and Autumn; Howerd Confessions; What’s On Next; Paradise Island. Variety and Specials: This Is Your I Life; The Benny Hill Show; The Tommy Cooper Show; Billy Dainty Esquire; The Tom O’Connor Show; Bring On The Girls; Listen To My Music; Opportunity Knocks; The Mating Season. Panel Shows: Looks Familiar; Quick On The Draw; There Goes That Song Again. Current Affairs: This Week; Today; Tuesday Documentary; Take Two; Something to Say; People and Politics; Destination America. Features: Good Afternoon; Money-Go-Round; Problems; Billboard. Outside Broadcasts: Wrestling; Racing; Football; Drive-In (motoring magazine); Specials (fashion shows, beauty contests, Royal Command Performances, Drama and Film Awards); Wish You Were Here; International Snooker. Schools: Seeing and Doing; Finding Out; The World Around Us; Romeo and Juliet; It’s Life with David Bellamy; It’s More Life; Writer’s Workshop; Le Nouvel Arrive (French); Viewpoint. Adult Education: Planting for Pleasure; Waterwise; Seven Ages of Fashion; Musical Triangles; The Playwright; This Sporting Land; Home Brew; Arts Bazaar. Religion: Late night religious programmes through the year; Christmas Services; Who Is This Man?; Crisis of the Cross; Lord of the Dance; Michael Cantuar; The Story of Job; Help!; The Fruits of the Tree; Not Just Sundays.

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