Children's Television in Russia and abroad

Children's Television in Russia and abroad

    Nowadays it is known that learning of foreign languages is the best way to know foreign culture and foreign  values. The TV has an   important role  including TV for children. In this work we will discuss Children's TV channels and programs in Russia and abroad.

Children's TV: What is it?

   Television is one of the greatest inventions of the 20 – th century. We can get different information or have a rest, watching TV.

     Children's TV or TV for children is a special part of television. It is considered to help people to bring up, to educate and to entertain children.

     What do we mean when we say: “ Children's TV”?

     Children's TV consists of films, serials, programs which are created with participating of children. They can be authors, actors, guests or presenters.

     So the content of children's TV includes:

  1. Feature films ( “Sinderella”).

  2. Feature-length animated films (“ Ratatuy”, “Shreck”, “ Ice – Period”, “ Three Bogatyrs”).

  3. Animated serials (“Smeshariki”, “Pheneas and Ferb”, “Masha and The Bear”).

  4. Cartoons (“Vovka v tridevjatom tsarstve”, “Teremok”).

  5. Children serials (“Striped Happiness”).  

  6. TV programs for children (“Life of Wonderful Animals”, “Good Night, Kids!”, “Star Team”).

          Russian children's TV has been developing since 1939. Now there are a lot of feature-length animated films and animated serials on TV. In spite of it we need more good feature films and serials for children. The most part of feature films were made in USSR. We can name such famous directors as A. Rou, (“Konek-Gorbunok”, “Morozko”, “Vasilisa Prekrasnaya”), R. Bykov (“Aibolit-66”, “ Seven Nurses”, “ The Vanished Summer”, “Adventures of Buratino”, “ Adventures of Electronic”). Nowadays we can see these films on TV, but they are seldom shown. In Russia only some new feature films have been made by this time. For example, “The Real Fairy Tale”, “ The Fairy Tale exists”, “ Mother is absent”.

     According to serials we can say that we have some good ones but they are for children and their parents (serials for family watching). For example, “My Pretty Nurse”, “ Father's daughters”.

     We should add that other countries are interested in our animation. They like such Russian animated serials as “Smeshariki”, “Fixiki”, “Masha and the Bear”.These cartoons are shown in USA, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Germany, some other contries.

     Unfortunately foreigners haven't used to watch Russian films or cartoons yet. So sometimes Russian creators have to make their animation be alike foreign animation making their characters look like their ones.

     History of Children's TV in Russia

It is considered that  in Russia (USSR) the first program for children was program “ Happy New Year!”, which was shown on the second of January in 1939. So children's TV was born in Leningrad (Saint-Petersburg).

     In 1955 the main editorial board of children's and youthful programs was founded.

     We know a lot of Soviet cartoons and feature films which  either children or adults like to watch.

     In 1980 – s different foreign cartoons and animated serials appeared on Russian TV.

      Channels of children's TV in Russia

         Children's programs can be shown on different channels of TV (TV-3, “5”, STS).

    In Russia there are also some special children's channels. There are two leaders among them.                           

      They are “Karusel” and “Disney”. These two channels are related to Russian Federal channels.

     Channel “Karusel” was founded in 2010. On this channel we can watch only Russian children's films, animation, programs. It's important because Russian programs based on Russian traditions, values, surroundings. Different specialists of the fields of education, medicine, culture take part in making programs or animated serials. So Russian children can watch and understand such programs very well.

     Channel Disney is Russian version of american “ Disney Channel”. In Russia it is appeared in 2012. On Disney channel we can watch different american programs for children and teenagers, but the most of them are animated serials (“Phineas and Ferb”, “Gravity Falls”, “Zip-Zip”).

     Children like both channels.

     There are some other foreign channels in Russia. They are american ones such as Boomerang, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and French one – Gulli. They are watched all over the world.

      Children's TV channels abroad

     Children's TV channels appeared abroad earlier than in Russia.

     For example, the first American children's channel  Nickelodeon was founded in 1979, in France Canal J appeared in 1988. The first German children's channel Super PTL began working in 1995.

     In the table below you can see  some examples of children's channels in other countries.

         Such American channels as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Boomerang are used in the USA, in Europe and in Russia.

         According to the content they prefer to show foreign feature – length animated films and animated serials because they are universal. So they are easy to adapt for Russian children or for kids in other countries.

     So boarders between foreign TV channels and Russian ones began disappearing.

     Conclusion

     Children's TV in Russia and abroad is necessary to help adults to educate, to bring up and to advertise children. Abroad children's TV is more evaluable than in Russia, but in Russia it is developing quickly now. There is a lot of children who have a lot of common|:  they can watch common children's channels such as Disney, the same cartoons and channels. It means that children could find common themes to talk, common interests, could understand each other better. So the role of children's TV is very important. It shows them culture, traditions of different countries. It makes them closer and wish to communicate.