The secret world of children (Channel 5)
As an advertising slogan goes, this one can’t be beat. “Buy candy and go CRAZY FOR SUGAR!” shouted Lily, a nine-year-old girl who took over a candy store for a day. That girl has a career ahead of her in advertising, or perhaps as a political slogan creator.
With five new friends her own age, she played at being an adult in The Secret World of Children. Out of sight, her parents gathered around her to watch the fun on the monitors, but their reactions weren’t really the point of this show. The kids were the stars.
Almost a decade ago, a Channel 4 programme tried a similar format with pre-schoolers and five-year-olds. But while most nursery children are very similar, by the time they are nine they have developed very distinct personalities, and the producers cleverly selected six very different characters for this two-part series.
Split into two groups, one trio took charge of the sweets shop while the others took charge of a fruit stand. They then went shopping for clothes before dining at a couple of elegant restaurants: one serving Spanish tapas and the other French haute cuisine.
“It’s like speaking another language,” marveled young Ben, scratching his head at the menu. They ended up with escargot with garlic butter, which is certainly different from chicken nuggets.
A series of designed configurations challenged children to think on their feet, teasing them without mocking or exploiting their vulnerability.
The producers cleverly selected six very different characters for this two-part series.
A series of situations designed to challenge children to think on their feet, provoking children without teasing or exploiting their vulnerability. When the bill at the French restaurant exceeded their ability to pay, they had to realise that they were being overcharged.
“Why does it say ‘Pinnott Gridgo and Savage On Blank’?” Ben asked. That’s a useful life lesson: always check that you’re not paying for someone else’s wine.
At the tapas bar they ordered ‘chipones fritos’, simply because it sounded disgusting. It turned out to be delicious: ‘The only bad thing,’ Osa decided, ‘is the guilt behind eating someone’s child.’
With a smile on his face, neuroscientist Paul Howard-Jones explained what might be happening in children’s brains as they faced these new situations. This gave the show a veneer of educational relevance, but that is not the real purpose of the program.
What we want is tender, funny, and unexpectedly wise comments from nine-year-olds, and we get them in abundance.
While applying her makeup before lunch, Alexis announced, “I don’t wear much eyeshadow because it’s a bloody nightmare to get it off.” “Boys are better at so many things,” Lily decided. “They’re kinder, smarter, funnier.”
He then explained that he had always wanted to be a police officer, “because you can shoot people with a Taser and spray them in the eyes with pepper spray. But then my mom told me it’s really weird to get a Taser, so I don’t want to be a police officer now.”
I was wrong about the advertising career. This girl was born for politics.
