Managing the Universe

Children’s programming is often the last to receive money in public TV and yet it is one of the most competitive areas in terms of getting and keeping an audience. In Ireland, animation series are often bought from abroad and reflect American tastes.So how does a commissioning editor ensure that children’s TV reflects local culture, yet remains imaginative, bright, cutting edge and addresses issues relevant to them? Can this be done economically with animation? Managing the Universe is an example of some of the short form multi-platform content that RTÉ is delivering to an increasingly diverse and media-savvy young audience. Short animations that do it all in a minute and without words.These sassy, trendy pieces are being downloaded from the web as well as watched on TV, and were initiated by the new children’s commissioning editor as a move to encourage animators in Ireland and make youth programming on public TV relevant.