the creation of a childrens show..

i have been thinking about a few various points that i need to keep in mind whilst making my children's show.

• I need to keep my target audience in mind. And remember that the way I would write for 3 - 6 year olds is not the same way that I would write for 9 - 12 year olds. If you keep my target audience at the front of your mind, I can avoid wasting time on an idea, only to discover that it does not fit or has already been created.
• I need to lay down the basic format of your show/story. Is this going to be a show about little magic creatures and the dangers that they face? Is there going to be a story within a story, where the characters compare themselves to storybook characters in order to learn life lessons? Is the main character of your show going to be a person, a puppet or a "cartoony" figure?
• Love and happiness alone do not sell books. There must be some type of problem to fix or some issue to get passed if your story is going to last. Try to use universal issues, e.g. acceptance, peer pressure, anger, loss, fear, etc.
• There needs to be some kind of hook or gimmick. Something about the (main) character(s) must be so unique or quirky that it draws people into the show. A bunch of characters bouncing around at random or sitting and talking about nothing will, most likely, bore readers to the point of tears.
• If I can, I want to come up with songs or catchy poems. Children will remember thee story more clearly if they have songs to sing or poems that they like.
• Don't make the mistake of substituting stupidity for substance. Cheap gags and laughs are wonderful, but they aren't educational or particularly memorable. If you rely on these to keep readers/viewers interested, you won't be taken seriously. You may even be forgotten or mocked. Try to create something meaningful.
• Don't expect to please everyone. Even the most successful shows are offensive or disappointing in some way to some viewers.