Children often carry the memories of the shows that they watch during their early childhood into their adult lives.
When Gen-Z recalls the shows they watched, the blue flying cape of Commander Safeguard as he fought the germ-filled advances of Dirtoo and Kachra Rani comes to their mind.
There were not many shows that aired but the ones that did, became memorable and widely hyped.
That’s why local children’s shows are important. They can allow children to watch themselves on screen and consume a more thoughtful source of entertainment.
For instance, in the golden era of PTV in the ’90s, shows like Ainak Wala Jinn and Sim Sim Hamara appealed to the younger audience.
“We would all discuss the shows in school the next day. We would all clap in front of the TV and have our snacks ready.
I don’t think kids do that nowadays. They were on TV after 5pm and we would make sure to complete all our work before that.
They would also not repeat so if you missed it, you missed it. There was no YouTube at the time for a rewatch either.”
This no longer seems to be the case now. Children between the ages of 6 to 13 spend their time glued to their mobile devices.
This excessive screen time leads to various problems, including sleep deprivation, eye strain, and decreased attention span.
Abdul Rauf, creator of PTV’S kids’ music show Saray Sur Hamaray in 2018 believes the same. “There are no shows being made for kids,” said Rauf.
“Name any channel, there are only comedians that sit and insult each other. Who are they entertaining?
The kids of our time need guidance, we would have game shows with quizzes and debates, all of that has ended now. Parents just hand their kids mobile phones now and they play games all day. It’s their whole lives now.”
Jamal Khurshid who briefly worked as an art director on Commander Safeguard in 2005 talked about the same need. “There’s a vacuum of stuff that people want to see,” he said.
