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Kids TV |
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The best and the longest run I have had both were working on TV series designed for preschoolers. Both took place at Nickelodeon.
There are many wonderful things about making stuff for kids. When they see it you can tell if they like it. They are much more adventuresome than adults. They watch TV incredibly closely. Every single detail is absorbed and reabsorbed.
But one of the best aspects of making children’s programming is that no one really cares about it, so you are left to do your own work. Of course the sponsoring agency cares. But places like Nickelodeon and Disney have try to keep their staffs lean. So independent producers like myself have lots of creative room. There is not much interest in the genre from anyone in the broadcast world. Or the publishing world. Even the toy makers aren’t too interested – until a Sponge Bob comes along. So making tv for kids provides a safe haven for creative people. I am extremely proud of the work I did, most of it in collaboration with Eli Noyes and Kathy Minton.
On a technical note, this site is best viewed in the latest version of Firefox. You will also need Quicktime and Real Media Player to watch the videos.
- Kit Laybourne
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Eureeka's Castle (series) |
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A daily series on Nickelodeon for pre-schoolers. Output of three seasons totaled 87 hour long shows, 52 half-hr versions for international markets, 3 half-hour specials, and 4 home videos. This series won Cable TV’s highest honor, an Ace Award, plus Action for Children's Television Award, Parents Choice Award. The show featured Muppet sized puppets created and performed by a wonderfully talented team. See my bio for more details on this large project. Three tastes of the series in this Gallery.
“It Came from beneath The Bed” [xx min]
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Gullah Gullah Island (series) |
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A multi-cultural, pre-school program for Nickelodeon (23 half-hours) that explored the music and culture of an African American family. The show was primarily done at Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando Florida. Each episode also had a documentary segment shot in and around Beaufort, South Carolina. Maria Perez and Kathleen Minton were Executive Producers and I was Creative Director as well as a creator with Maria and Kathy. There was a large cast and large production team involved in this project. Gullah Gullah Island won a Parents Choice Award. Twice nominated for the NAACP Image Award.
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