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sister_luckWhen I said I don't watch any television any more I've been lying to you. It's not true.
Actually, I've become quite an expert on television for pre-school kids, especially the programmes shown on Nick Jr. which means they're either American or British and we get them dubbed in German. So, content-wise there are a lot of things that don't quite fit culturally and language-wise, most of the jokes and word-play fall by the wayside, like in one episode where a character was asked to be the ring-bearer at a wedding and thought this involved a bear costume - we don't really do ring-bearers and while English ringbear and German Ringbär sound similar, the person carrying a ring is a Ringträger, so the joke didn't work that well. (They did keep the English word, so it made some sense.)
I've developed opinions on different series and have found a favourite, too. I don't care much for Dora and Diego - here it's of course not English with some Spanish, it's German with some English - nor for Kai Lan - which is broadcast in German with the odd Chinese phrase thrown in. I think that the language learning aspect is mostly negligible and the pseudo-interactive bits I find rather annoying, but the little one enjoys watching anyway.
I don't like most of the participatory stuff except for getting the kids to sing and dance. Answering questions or repeating words seems silly. Do older kids actually comply?
Little Bill is very cute and has a perfect family - and it's so very obvious that this is about providing appropriate role-models for African-American kids.
I detest Fifi and the Flowertots. There is so much wrong with it, I don't know where to start.
At first, I thought the Wonderpets with all the weird singing and music were terribly annoying, but I've grown to love them. I think I have to hunt youtube for the originals. There is stuff for the adults as well - like when the Wonderpets travel to Vegas and save the Rat Pack, three rats clearly modelled on Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis jr. and Dean Martin.
Actually, I've become quite an expert on television for pre-school kids, especially the programmes shown on Nick Jr. which means they're either American or British and we get them dubbed in German. So, content-wise there are a lot of things that don't quite fit culturally and language-wise, most of the jokes and word-play fall by the wayside, like in one episode where a character was asked to be the ring-bearer at a wedding and thought this involved a bear costume - we don't really do ring-bearers and while English ringbear and German Ringbär sound similar, the person carrying a ring is a Ringträger, so the joke didn't work that well. (They did keep the English word, so it made some sense.)
I've developed opinions on different series and have found a favourite, too. I don't care much for Dora and Diego - here it's of course not English with some Spanish, it's German with some English - nor for Kai Lan - which is broadcast in German with the odd Chinese phrase thrown in. I think that the language learning aspect is mostly negligible and the pseudo-interactive bits I find rather annoying, but the little one enjoys watching anyway.
I don't like most of the participatory stuff except for getting the kids to sing and dance. Answering questions or repeating words seems silly. Do older kids actually comply?
Little Bill is very cute and has a perfect family - and it's so very obvious that this is about providing appropriate role-models for African-American kids.
I detest Fifi and the Flowertots. There is so much wrong with it, I don't know where to start.
At first, I thought the Wonderpets with all the weird singing and music were terribly annoying, but I've grown to love them. I think I have to hunt youtube for the originals. There is stuff for the adults as well - like when the Wonderpets travel to Vegas and save the Rat Pack, three rats clearly modelled on Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis jr. and Dean Martin.
