Big Kids

Big Kids is a 13-episode children's comedy television series created by Lucy Daniel-Raby. The series was a British-American[1] co-production[2] of the BBC and the US network Noggin.[3] It premiered on CBBC on BBC One on 27 September 2000[4] and on the Noggin channel on 29 January 2001.[3] All 13 episodes were aired on Noggin's sister channel, Nickelodeon, from 9 to 30 March 2001.

Big Kids
Big Kids logo
GenreChildren's
Comedy
Drama
Created byLucy Daniel-Raby
Developed byElaine Sperber[1]
Directed byBaz Taylor
StarringImogen Stubbs
Duncan Duff
Matt Adams
Kelly Salmon
ComposerTony Flynn
Country of originUnited Kingdom
United States[1]
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producerCas Lester
ProducersJacinta Peel
Janet Wray (assistant)
EditorIan Williams
Camera setupPeter Woodley
Running time24 minutes
Release
Original networkBBC One (UK)
Noggin (U.S.)
Original release27 September (2000-09-27) –
20 December 2000 (2000-12-20)
External links
Website

History

According to the show's developer, Elaine Sperber, the writers "had to tread carefully"[1] to make sure that the content was relevant to both UK and U.S. children. She said, "We had a great relationship with Noggin ... but when you co-produce with North Americans, you always run into problems over British accents and language. We couldn’t use terms like 'snogging' in Big Kids because no one in the U.S. would have understood it."[1] The magazine Kidscreen wrote that "children start drinking far earlier in Britain than they do in North America, so a sequence showing booze being consumed at a school dance had to be watered down."[1]

On Noggin, the show was aired as part of a primetime event called "The Hubbub," which allowed viewers to submit comments through Noggin's website and see them live on-air.[5] From April 2002 to January 2004, Noggin aired reruns of Big Kids during its nighttime programming block, The N.[6][7][8]

Plot

The show follows the lives of the Spiller family: Simon, Kate, and their parents, Sarah, a piano teacher, and Geoff, a doctor. When the family attend a school charity event, Dr. and Mrs. Spiller are used in a performance by a hypnotist known by the stage name Ming the Mind Master. After the show is over, Kate and Simon realize their parents have never been properly hypnotized. At seemingly random moments, they black out and begin to act like children.

The two siblings have to deal with keeping their parents under control in their hypnotized state, trying to get their parents to believe what happens when they black out, and trying to discover what triggers the change. Often there's a role reversal, with Sarah and Geoff engaging during trances in behaviour for which they would otherwise scold their children, and Kate and Simon being forced to act like mature adults.

Eventually, the children convince their parents by showing them filmed footage, and discover the trigger is any word with "ming" in it, just like the hypnotist's name. They finally track down Ming and convince him to unhypnotize the Spiller parents, apparently restoring them to normal. However, their childish behaviour on the carousel leaves the children confused – whether Sarah and Geoff are acting like this deliberately or have fallen back into a state of hypnosis is left ambiguous.

Episode list
  1. Performance by a Hypnotist
  2. Kate Avoids Friends
  3. Videotaping Mum and Dad
  4. Library/Shopping
  5. Restaurant
  6. New Car/Concert
  7. Museum
  8. Aunt Muriel
  9. Chicken Pox
  10. Puppy
  11. Simon Pursues Melanie
  12. Trigger Revealed
  13. Finding Hypnotist

Cast

Awards and nominations
CeremonyAwardNomineeResult
23rd Young Artist AwardsBest Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Supporting Young ActorMatt AdamsNominated
Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Supporting Young ActressKelly SalmonNominated

References
  1. Clarke, Steve (1 January 2001). "International co-pros: A necessary evil for high-end kids shows". Kidscreen. Big Kids, billed as 'an educational series' and co-produced with the Nickelodeon- and Sesame Workshop-backed U.S. kids channel Noggin
  2. Bernstein, Paula (5 November 2000). "Noggin adds new series to its lineup". Variety.
  3. Heffley, Lynne. "New on Noggin: 'Team,' Yes, 'Big Kids,' No". Los Angeles Times.
  4. https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/2000-09-27
  5. Umstead, R. Thomas (11 June 2001). "Noggin Adds Interactive Series". Multichannel News.
  6. Connell, Mike (3 January 2002). "Noggin has tween educon on the brain". Kidscreen.
  7. Heffley, Lynne (1 April 2002). "Noggin Is Enrolling in Junior High". Los Angeles Times.
  8. "Sunday, late night". Austin American-Statesman. 25 January 2004.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.