Creating Children’s Television for SVODs: The Alignment of Global Production Practices with National Screen Policies in the Netflix Original Bottersnikes and Gumbles

Abstract

In many countries, domestically produced children's television is believed to play an important role in national cultural representation. But national policy settlements and funding schemes designed to support its production are aging rapidly and do not apply to internet-distributed television services. Using the case study of one of Netflix's first children's Originals, the Australian animation Bottersnikes and Gumbles, this article analyzes the impact of subscription video on demand (SVOD) services on children's screen production industries and their practitioners' creative practice. It reveals how the global SVOD's operations intersect with national policy instruments and explains the production collaborations developing between Netflix and public service broadcasters in the United Kingdom and Australia. The article's findings reveal that despite the advantages Netflix's large content budget and global distribution networks offer to children's content producers, domestic content quotas and the involvement of linear broadcasters remain vital to the funding and production of local children's television.

Technological Developments and Transitions in Israel’s Preschool Television Industry

“…Each level can be analyzed through six aspects of production: technology, law and regulation, industry structure, organization structure, occupational careers, and market (Peterson and Anand 2004). In this research, I focus on the influence of technological changes on the micro level, which refers to research on certain organizations, productions, and roles or functions in the production process, for example, Potter’s (2018) research on the production of Australian animation series for Netflix. Studies on this level help understand the routine and daily practice of the process of culture production.…”

The memefication of Squid Game and mimicry of Asian images

“…Netflix series made in Korea adopt global standard procedures of media power. Netflix is known to produce original series by heavily relying on technological algorithms and big data analysis (Couldry, 2019;Espinoza-Rojas et al, 2018;Lobato, 2019;McDonald, 2013;Potter, 2018;Shanbing, 2014). Netflix has grown through such technological advancement from a local DVD chain to a global top OTT platform by utilizing data analysis not only to tailor programming and customer services but also to produce original series.…”

Co-creating content with children to avoid ‘Uncle Swag’: Strategies for producing public service television drama for tweens and teens at the Danish children’s channel DR Ultra

“…Another is that there is often little prestige and limited income related to these productions. Moreover, live action fiction for children and young audiences is more challenging to dub or subtitle, and there can also be challenges related to the cultural specificity of the productions (Potter, 2015(Potter, , 2018Steemers, 2010).…”