Children's TV on Trial - Part 2

A week of programmes about BBC children's tv began last Saturday on BBC4. In the first we saw the same four children who were earlier shown on Blue Peter, but this time we saw more: one boy kissing another, and how the 21st-century kids responded to the kiss in a 1990's children's tv series.

The 1994 Byker Grove kiss is in a cinema. Noddy mistakenly believes his feelings are mutual and kisses Gary on the cheek. But Gary gets very annoyed and starts to walk out. He says in an angry voice "You just stay away from us, d'ya hear? You're sick man, sick."

The four kids watching were very surprised for a moment at seeing the kiss, and then they all laughed. When Noddy's friend called him "sick" Jonti said "that's a bit over the top."

Afterwards we saw the four kids talk about what they had seen. At times several kids were talking at once.

Transcript

Emily: The last programme was Byker Grove. It was - no - you just didn't know what was happening..

Amira: I thought the boy with the long hair was actually the gay one.

Emily: But I think it's because the boy who kissed the boy on the cheek, I think he's a bit like muddled about which way to go...

Amira: Yeah he's confused he's...

Emily: ... if he's gay or if he just goes like normal

Jonti: The storyline was proper confusing in that sense

Amira: To be honest it's not appropriate for tv

Emily: They didn't really need to put it in the television

Jonti: No, I don't think they should have done

Ieuan: No

Amira: It's not appropriate though

Jonti: They should have done it subtly. Something like that - homosexuality between those two boys - I think it may have seemed a bit obscene (Ieuan: Yeah) back then but - cos it's in a children's programme.

Emily: The thing is, you've got to realise that there's nothing wrong...

Jonti: I know there's nothing wrong now.

Emily: ... with like people who've got different opinions to other people (Ieuan: Yeah) You know what I mean, if they're gay they're gay, if they're lesbians they're lesbians.

End of screened discussion

Part 3 of this blog will follow in a few days