Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 40 minutes ago
Are children’s versions of primetime formats and franchises just cheap knock-offs?
Adapting successful primetime formats for children should be more than just recreating adult shows with younger contestants and smaller budgets; in an ideal world, it means designing the children’s version from the start to be exciting, inclusive, and tailored for how young audiences engage with media today.
Failing to do so can undervalue the younger audience and the franchise’s long-term family potential.
This panel will explore how producers, broadcasters, and format owners can plan and develop both formats simultaneously, without short-changing younger audiences or risking the value of a successful primetime opportunity. Saving money, time and helping to reinforce family viewing and the next generation of primetime audiences.
We will ask whether the industry should stop treating children’s versions as spin-offs and instead see them as integral to the creation of formats, franchises, and brand strategy. By developing primetime and children’s adaptations in parallel, producers can maximise intellectual property value, build stronger family viewing habits, create new commercial opportunities, and cultivate future audiences.
Are children’s versions of primetime formats and franchises just cheap knock-offs?
Adapting successful primetime formats for children should be more than just recreating adult shows with younger contestants and smaller budgets; in an ideal world, it means designing the children’s version from the start to be exciting, inclusive, and tailored for how young audiences engage with media today.
Failing to do so can undervalue the younger audience and the franchise’s long-term family potential.
This panel will explore how producers, broadcasters, and format owners can plan and develop both formats simultaneously, without short-changing younger audiences or risking the value of a successful primetime opportunity. Saving money, time and helping to reinforce family viewing and the next generation of primetime audiences.
We will ask whether the industry should stop treating children’s versions as spin-offs and instead see them as integral to the creation of formats, franchises, and brand strategy. By developing primetime and children’s adaptations in parallel, producers can maximise intellectual property value, build stronger family viewing habits, create new commercial opportunities, and cultivate future audiences.
