Participating in Mipcom Online+, Glance, a market intelligence consultancy firm, specialized in TV, offered a session on trends in content for children, with examples of new titles.
During this virtual Mipcom week, Glance -as the French consultancy firm Eurodata TV Worldwide has been called since 2019- is offering several panels focused on market intelligence applied to TV.
One of them was titled “Binge Watching Session: Kids Audience Successes Across the Globe,” where Avril Blondelot, Director of Content Insight at Glance, addressed three major trends in children’s content.
On the one hand, the mix of TV with digital; then, the increasingly important role of diversity in children’s series; and finally, how news about Covid and environmental issues empowers children.
And, to exemplify these topics, Glance selected several recent titles.
First of all, the British series Let’s Go for a Walk. “Released on CBeebies just before lockdown, took on a new meaning after the peak of the Covid crisis,” Blondelot said.
“The host and his mini-hikers explore and find magic and adventure everywhere. It’s a kind of travel show for preschoolers, and it’s produced by Hello Halo, which specializes in factual content.”
The second example he gave was Italian series Diario delle Vacanze, a spin-off of Diario di Casa, launched by Rai Yoyo during the quarantine. “The outdoor version follows adventurers in the mountains, and it performed better than the home version, showing the appeal that the outdoors brings.”
Environmental concerns are also impacting children’s TV. “It’s difficult to address these issues without adding additional anxiety, so we’ve highlighted some shows that tread this lightly,” explained Blondelot.
They are Endlings (CBC, Canada), Droners (TF1, France), Isaura (Lucan Animation, South Africa) and Go Green With The Grimwades (Channel 5, UK).
Droners, for example, is set in a world that is covered 95% in water. “Children compete in teams to win the most extreme drone race of all time,” he described.
The protagonists are part of the environment team, which finds solutions in biomimicry. Your main objective is to win the tournament and prevent the archipelago from being submerged. “Although it appears to be a traditional genre action competition show, it includes a very rich natural element and strong female protagonists,” said the consultant.
Another standout children’s content was Young Love, yet to be released, which is based on a strong father-daughter connection. It is a series based on the Oscar-winning short film Hair Love.
“It tells the story of an African-American family of young parents as they combine their careers, marriage, parenting, and social issues, with multi-generational dynamics,” Blondelot described.
