SUMMARY
David Kamp shines light on a bright, optimistic movement in his book, Sunny Days: The Children's Television Revolution that Changed America.
When a group of progressive intellectuals, artists, and activists decided to focus on disadvantaged children, a children’s television revolution began. Driven by their agenda was to “do good,” this group also believed “the federal government could and should play a major role in early-childhood initiatives.” Fortunately, political winds blew in their sails, providing both funding and enthusiasm for a plethora of children’s television educational programming in the 60s and 70s.
Meanwhile, the social sciences were also gaining credibility, adding psychological and educational underpinnings to what may have otherwise been perceived as simply silly or fluffy. With the burgeoning popularity of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the political will to provide free access to learning, children’s television enjoyed the “Age of Enlightenment, Jr.” Further fueling this critical movement were “media professionals, thought leaders, and politicians alike prioritizing children and education as they never had before—and in so doing, changing the lives of millions.”
In short, Kamp’s Sunny Days, substantiated by interviews and research, helps paint a picture of a rare time in history when people chose to put the public good above their own careerism.
KEY PEOPLE & PROGRAMS
Joan Ganz Cooney & Lloyd Morrisette – led the charge to leverage television for preparing preschoolers for school
Bob Keeshan - founder, creator, and main character of the show Captain Kangaroo; eschewed using children’s television to promote children’s toy guns and other toys
Children’s Television Workshop (CTW) – original American nonprofit responsible for the production of several educational children's programs—including its first and best-known, Sesame Street
Sesame Street – the granddaddy of all children’s television programs developed in the 60s and 70s
Jon Stone – original conceiver and key showrunner of Sesame Street; brought a certain hipness to TV, making the show popular with children and adults alike
Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In – American sketch comedy show that inspired the pacing for Sesame Street
Jim Henson’s Muppets – held magic in their abstract nature; stimulated imaginations
Electric Company – a fast-paced spinoff of Sesame Street designed to teach
Schoolhouse Rock – conceived by ad men at McCaffrey & McCall when they recognized children could easily memorize words to songs
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood - long-running children’s program conceived by Fred Rogers and informed by developmental pediatric psychiatrist Margaret McFarland
Matt Robinson – creator of Muppet character Roosevelt Franklin whose mannerisms and speech were primarily representative of an African-American man
Free to Be…You and Me – program hosted by Marlo Thomas; promoted a strong feminist agenda
QUOTE FROM KAMP
“Children’s advocates…had high regard for children, believing them capable of intellectual and emotional engagement, and of seeing through cutesy artifice.”
BUY Sunny Days: The Children's Television Revolution That Changed America
RECOMMENDATION
BUY Puppet Pals, brightly-colored, oversized children’s puppets (designed and sold by Andrew Olsen).
BONUS PODCAST
LISTEN to a related Nonfiction4Life podcast: "The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers" by Maxwell King.
Connect with us!
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
Website
Special thanks…
Music Credit
Sound Editing Credit
Comentarios