Posted By Serena Ruberto
“Is Tony Blair the one that died on the toilet?”
“Is Tony Blair the one that died on the toilet?”
“No, that was Elvis.” – one of the boys, (Will, Max, Spencer, Harry or Daniel), from Kent.
Friday was my first time watching Gogglesprogs, and I’ll admit, I was sceptical. I thought, ‘why change the formula of an already great show?’ However, from the first few minutes, I was hooked, and surprised at how entertaining the kids could be. You could see from the outset, the range and diversity of the cast, with children from different ethnicities, regions, and ages. It was also nice to see a child with Down Syndrome on a TV show that wasn’t about disability. One thing I would say however, was that there was a limited range of children from different class backgrounds; most children seemed to be middle class and well-educated. Gogglebox, by contrast, features a cast of different classes, and dare I say IQs, from posh-toffs Steph and Dom, to big-guy Pete.
The kids were excitable but not annoying, and the show had a more light-hearted feel overall than the original Gogglebox, which has been criticised by fans recently for being too political, rather than sticking to its light-hearted, fun agenda. With the sister production, Gogglesprogs, it is refreshing to watch a show that hints at the political climate without espousing too much opinion on it; which would be especially distasteful on a show full of kids. In having an all-child show, (which in itself is pretty unique for mainstream television) it’s interesting to see the family dynamic, sibling rivalry, and the stereotypes of the younger, middle, and older child in a family structure. Seeing the petty arguments, and the bossiness of the older sibling, was something that transported me straight back to my own childhood, and the very disagreements me and my younger brother would have watching the TV. The TV itself, is now central to the family home, providing not only a source of entertainment, but figures as a kind of extension of the family itself. And what is more fitting than having a show dedicated to other family members, the children?
A weird concept for a TV show– watching people on TV watch TV, but proving surprisingly successful, Gogglesprogs adds an extra layer of insight to the fly-on-the-wall viewer at home. By comparison, the children are arguably more honest, as many of the children are too young to care about how they may come across on TV to the audience at home. I was impressed and humbled by the assertive comments of the some of the children on the show:
“I would prefer to vote now while my mind is still sharp” – (Christina, 10, from Essex).
(On Sandy from Grease) “You would not catch me doing that for a boy” – (Taya, 10, from Hertfordshire)
(On finding your soulmate) “but inside, the peas look so beautiful” – (Shuaib, 8, from London)
The awkwardness and clear discomfort of the children when watching an on-screen kiss, and yet the mature discussion of gender-politics in Grease, shows children in a more intelligent and bitingly honest light, that might otherwise goes amiss on television shows that are usually aimed at adults. With a depth of character and ethical stances far in advance of their age, the child viewers of Gogglesprogs 2017 ensure that I, for one, will be an avid viewer.
