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Beyond the Broom Cupboard
A serious look at the fun world of children's television
Beyond the Broom Cupboard - a serious look at the fun world of children's television.Just because its TV aimed at kids it does not mean that this isn’t something made with just as much passion or thought as TV for adults
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1. Gemma Hunt -CBBC, Swashbuckle, keeping the faith and how much screen time is health?
49:17||Season 2, Ep. 1A familiar face from children's television, known for her extensive work on CBBC and her role as Gem on the hugely popular show, Swashbuckle. Gemma shares her journey from childhood dreams of being a performer and communicator to fulfilling a God-given calling in the media world. We delve into her early experiences, the challenges she faced, her successful TV career, and her transition into authorship.Natural Enthusiasm: Discover how Gemma's naturally smiley and enthusiastic personality shines through her work. While acknowledging moments for deeper thought, she aims to bring "life and light and joy" to those she interacts with.Finding Her Calling: Gemma shares how childhood experiences making home videos and recording radio shows pointed towards a career in performance and communication. A powerful word of prophecy at a church camp solidified her feeling that she was called to be "salt and light" in the media.Church as a Training Ground: Learn how Gemma's involvement in her church youth group provided her first stage, microphone experience, and a "very forgiving audience" for honing her skills through dramas, public speaking, and even a memorable Spice Girls performance. Her experience helping run a church toddler group also taught her valuable skills for working with children.Communicating with the Individual: Gemma reveals her philosophy of speaking directly to one person in the audience, often picturing a specific child like her godson Reuben. She emphasizes avoiding patronising language and treating children as "small human beings". This personal connection led to touching feedback from viewers who felt seen and heard, including those who saw representation on screen.Championing Diversity: Coming from less diverse environments, Gemma found the diverse team at CBBC welcoming and felt a profound sense of belonging seeing people who looked like her. She discusses the importance of diverse representation in children's TV and feels proud to have trailblazed alongside others, empowering younger performers of colour.Overcoming Personal Challenges: In a moment of powerful honesty, Gemma shares the struggles she faced with low self-esteem and severe adult acne while working on live television. She talks about the difficult decision to step back from TV to prioritise her health and confidence, stressing the importance of authenticity as a presenter.Swashbuckle Success Story: Hear about Gemma's return to television with the highly successful Swashbuckle. She describes the show's high energy, the joy of working with the cast and crew (including Friday dress-up days!), and the thought process behind the physical games designed to align with Key Stage criteria and tested with children. Gemma also discusses making the show inclusive for children with different abilities and some memorable on-set dramas.Parenting in the Digital Age: How Much Screen Time is Healthy? Gemma shares her family's thoughtful approach to screen time with their daughter. They differentiate between educational content and games, setting limits on the latter. TVs are kept in family spaces only, without personal devices in bedrooms, to facilitate co-viewing and monitoring, particularly regarding concerns about YouTube algorithms. The conversation also touches on encouraging other activities like board games and crafts.Transition to Authorship: Gemma discusses her new career as an author, writing children's books that feature mixed-race families, drawing on her own family and faith.Gemma's journey highlights the passion and dedication behind quality children's programming and the evolving ways in which she continues to communicate and inspire audiences, now through literature.Find out more about Gemma and her work on her website: gemmahunt.com
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15. Bluey: The Sound of Bluey, from Twenty Thousand Hertz
27:53||Season 1, Ep. 15Since its debut in 2018, Bluey has become one of the most popular and beloved TV shows of all time. In this episode, Bluey’s sound designer and mixer Dan Brumm walks us through how the show began, the unique challenges of season one, and the lengths he goes to give the show its organic sound. Plus, Dallas reveals the secret timing of the Bluey theme song.MUSIC FEATURED IN THIS EPISODESpeedy the Spider - The Limbo TwistStationary Sign - Paint by NumbersTrabant 33 - Bird SongsRuiqi Zhao - GetawayJohn Utah - Obvious TrentChristoffer Moe Ditlevsen - VentusMoss Harman - BuffoonJosef Falkensköld - CrayonsAlexandra Woodward - Family LifeJosef Bel Habib - Next To Our HouseAlexandra Woodward - First Wives ClubAnna Dager - VisionsRuiqi Zhao - No More Sadness Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free.Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.14. Ben Whitehead - Becoming Wallace in Wallance and Gromit
39:14||Season 1, Ep. 14Episode 14: Ben Whitehead Voices WallaceDescription:This week I talk to actor and comedian Ben Whitehead about voicing the iconic character of Wallace in the new Wallace & Gromit film. Ben talks about stepping into the role following the passing of Peter Sallis, what it’s like to work with Aardman Animations, and how he finds the voice of Wallace.Timestamps:●0:00 - Introduction●1:00 - Ben's outdoor theatre work●12:00 - How Ben got involved in voice acting●20:00 - Finding the voice of Wallace●26:00 - Visiting the Aardman Animations studios●30:00 - The making of the new Wallace & Gromit filmLinks:●https://www.benwhiteheadvoice.com/●https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/articles/2024/wallace-and-gromit-vengeance-most-fowl●https://www.aardman.com/Guest Information:Ben Whitehead is an actor and comedian who has voiced the iconic character of Wallace in the new Wallace & Gromit film, Vengeance Most Foul. He has worked on several Wallace & Gromit projects in the past. This film will be Ben’s first time voicing Wallace for a full-length film. Ben has also appeared in several theatrical productions, including a recent outdoor theatre production called Theatre in the Bin. He developed this project five years ago, and it was performed in Edinburgh in 2019.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and tell a friend!13. Maddie Moate: Staying Curious.
37:52||Season 1, Ep. 13This episode of Beyond the Broom Cupboard, we speak to Maddie Moate. BBC’s Do you know:https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b09yn3ly/maddies-do-you-knowMaddie’s Youtube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@maddiemoateA very curious Christmas west end showhttps://nimaxtheatres.com/shows/maddies-curious-christmas-live-on-stage/ About Maddie Moate:Maddie Moate is a presenter known for her work on CBeebies, YouTube and in live theatre.She started her presenting career online with a comedy sketch series about smartphones and apps, sponsored by Nokia.This led to her presenting for various tech brands and becoming a YouTube tech presenter and journalist.Maddie was then hired by BBC Earth for their YouTube channel as a scientist familiar with the YouTube format.CBeebies then approached her to host a new tech science engineering show as they wanted a real person, not an actor, to host.Maddie's Approach to Science Communication:Maddie believes in finding the extraordinary in the ordinary and making science accessible to everyone.She focuses on simplifying complex scientific concepts using relatable examples and language that children can understand.For example, she explains weight in terms of small elephants and uses familiar objects like forks and fences to spark children's interest.Maddie prioritises family viewing and avoids patronising language, ensuring her content is engaging for both children and adults."Do You Know?" Show:The show features two segments: "How is it made?" and "How does it work?".Finding factories in the UK for the "How is it made?" segment became increasingly difficult as the series progressed.The show's topics were chosen through crowd research, with school children providing ideas, as well as Maddie's own curation of ideas and identifying products made in the UK.The random nature of the episode topics was partly due to the availability of factory locations.Maddie's YouTube Content:Maddie's YouTube content often focuses on finding extraordinary stories within ordinary objects and themes, like paper made from elephant poo and bread baked in geothermal hot springs.She sees these as opportunities to teach children about topics like sustainability and geothermal energy in engaging ways."A Very Curious Christmas" Book and Stage Show:The book explores the science behind Christmas traditions and cultures, like why we have Christmas stockings and how Christmas crackers work.The book was inspired by Maddie's difficulty finding resources that collated fun Christmas-themed science questions.The stage show adaptation is set in Santa's workshop, where Maddie works alongside two elves to fix the chaotic workshop using science.The show incorporates audience interaction, jokes, music and visual elements to keep audiences of all ages engaged.Navigating YouTube with Children:Maddie acknowledges the challenges of YouTube's algorithm-driven content, which can lead to children repeatedly seeing similar content.She recommends using the YouTube Kids app and curating a list of trusted channels to provide a safer and more enriching experience.Maddie encourages parents to watch YouTube content with their children to discover family-friendly creators and ensure a shared experience12. Keith Wickham - Thomas the Tank Engine, Angelina Ballerina, Octonauts and more
52:41||Season 1, Ep. 12Keith Wickham has voiced many many different characters from the Fat controller and Edward on Thomas the Tank Engine to Shellington on Octonauts.Hear about how voice acting wasn't the career he expected but its been one he has loved.11. Sarah Ann Kennedy - Miss Rabbit in Peppa Pig, Nanny Plum in Ben and Holly
40:34||Season 1, Ep. 11Sarah Ann Kennedy is a hugely talented animation writer, producer, voice actor and animatorShe played Miss Rabbit who does many many jobsAs well as Nanny Plum in Ben and Holly's little Kingdom.10. Margot Wilson - Hart Beat, Tony Hart, Artifax and More
38:54||Season 1, Ep. 10Margot Wilson presented Hart Beat between 1984 and 1992 teaching a nation of kids to make amazing things from cardboardHart beat was an evolution of the BBC's children's art programmes that started with Vision On, continued through Take Hart and evolved into Hart BeatHart Beat - Pipes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIQJGOn4Fr8Artifax - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5fsjcEIEIo