My son has started taking more of an interest in TV, the adverts, the messages, the presenters and the characters. Instead of being babysat by the box he now takes an active part, choosing what he likes and voicing an opinion over what he doesn’t. He answers on-screen questions and discusses characters motives. We even got his birthday card on the screen recently, but no one believes him when he says that he ‘was on TV’.

We’re moving from the simple, good messages in CBeebies shows to the more commercial, overt do-gooding of the Disney Channels and it has got me thinking about how you move through the ages with your programming and how you respond socially or culturally.

When I was younger I would love the dark, dour English shows like Chocky or The Phoenix & The Carpet, but couldn’t stand anything made by the Australian Children’s Workshop or indeed Sesame Street or The Kids of Degrassi Street – they were too bright, too alien!

Of course now we expect our TV shows to educate children about other cultures, the lives of animals, how to be morally responsible etc (as well as hopefully doing it ourselves sometimes!) A recent example however has got some people’s knickers in a twist...

Rastamouse has been discussed everywhere! This little show on CBeebies features a crime-fighting Rastafarian mouse trying to “make a bad ting good”. But there have been complaints that his patois is teaching children slang words, I can’t help thinking this is a bit like not letting your child speak to someone with an accent in case they end up talking ‘funny’. CBeebies is also running The Lingo Show and I can’t imagine the same parents thinking that Welsh or French words are a bad thing to be broadcasting?

On adult TV the most recent biggest hits in terms of PR and interest have of course been The Only Way Is Essex and My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. Two examples of British society that might be different from yours, so well worth a watch to really understand these people? Or to be a voyeur and feel better about yourself, your way of life or the way you speak? It seems the characters in these two shows have almost universally been ridiculed. I myself am guilty sometimes of thinking ‘well if they are happy to go on TV then they should expect criticism in return, we’re all different’.

This ‘cultural tourism’ is of course something that makes great TV – even watching EastEnders if you come from Yorkshire might be seen as getting a glimpse into another way of life! Of course there is nothing wrong with being presented with an insight into a new culture it is how you respond that should be questioned.

My own TV viewing habits probably haven’t done me much harm, hopefully having an open mind and being able to make my own decisions, but I will say this… for all those parents complaining about things like Rastamouse thank goodness nothing as evil as That’s Life is on TV these days! It promoted animal cruelty. After seeing a filmed piece about a gerbil who could perform circus tricks I hounded my hamster for weeks and weeks into trying to jump over various mini-jumps and through hoops – until he died! So think on… that was a dangerous programme.

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