Hacker Cinema
Hetty Feather
2015 · TV series · 30 min episodes · 6 seasons
Created by Helen Blakeman
In Victorian London, feisty heroine Hetty Feather is trapped in the Foundling Hospital, the strict institution ruled over by the formidable Matron Bottomley. Aided by friends and thwarted by enemies, Hetty battles to win her freedom and finally find her real mother. Based on the book by Jacqueline Wilson.
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1 comment on Hacker News
It's a tremendous pity that American children don't have easy access to BBC children's programmes. It's not just about advertising and product placement; the BBC has a strict public service remit. This commitment to public service is especially strong for children's programming.
The difference in quality and tone is absolutely extraordinary, because entertainment is only part of the remit. Serious drama and factual programmes are a vital part of the schedule. Perhaps the clearest example is Newsround, the BBC's news bulletin for children. The programme includes the usual celebrity gossip and entertainment news, but it also explains complex and difficult topics.
Today's headline stories on Newsround include the Juno probe, hurricane Hermine and the anniversary of the Great Fire of London. Newsround has covered the Syria conflict and the refugee crisis in detail. Enormous care is taken to communicate the seriousness of these issues without causing undue fear or distress.
There are some things that only a publicly-funded broadcaster can achieve. I can't imagine that a commercial children's channel would commission a drama set in a Victorian orphanage (Hetty Feather), a documentary strand about the working world (All Over the Workplace) or a weekly book club. The BBC still upholds the Reithian values - to educate, inform and entertain.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/shows https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsround http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/regulatory_framework/service_licences/tv/2016/cbbc_apr16.pdf