PLAY SCHOOL KEEPS IT REAL

This article examines the television show Play School and the consistency with which it has engaged Australian children for over 40 years. Drawing on Susan Howard's findings that relate the effects of television on children to their perceptions of reality, Play School is deconstructed to reveal the techniques used to appeal to the pre-school aged child own experience of what is 'real'. Examining episodes produced 20 years apart, these strategies are seen as constants throughout the show history, and are further shown to accommodate a changing socio-cultural landscape and remain relevant to their young audience.