THE AUDIENCE

LI'L HORRORS is a children's puppet sitcom specifically produced for the 5-8 year old age group. This is an age group who are currently not well catered for. Much programming is made for pre-schoolers and for 9 years olds and older. Li'l Horrors is created for this is in-between age group. It does not talk down to its audience or aim over its head. It is, however, infused with enough wit and off-the-wall humour to engage an even wider audience. Aimed at it's target audience, it is modern, slick, sly, funny and irreverent.

Stories and themes

Making friends, staying friends, losing friends, learning to live and play with others and learning to accommodate differences are some of the issues that Li'l Horrors deals with. Through the stories, predicaments and funny situations that are dealt with in the series, a child will be taken on their own journey with the Li'l Horrors. A journey that will be representative of their own experiences of growing up in the world.

Comic situations in which the main characters find themselves, serve to highlight each characters' individuality and their struggle to learn to live with each other within the confines of the School for Li'l Horrors.

The Li'l Horrors are all physically very different from each other. Each character also has his or her own unique and individual way of viewing the world. Often that clashes with other characters. A child audience will identify with Vlad, Medusilla, Duncan, Claudia, Webster, Cleo and maybe even Abercrombie. The audience will recognise in them characteristics in either themselves, or their friends. And the situations, driven by these characteristics will be understandable within the reality of the show.

The stories in Li'l Horrors reflect the experiences and emotions of children albeit in a fantasy setting. The stories are always child focused, and the child characters are always the protagonists and motivators of each story. Adults do not step in to solve problems and the child characters are shown to be responsible for their actions and the consequences of their actions.

Themes and concepts explored in the episodes include: Hubris, where arrogance can create its own downfall; benefits of getting together as a group to try and solve a problem; value of friendships; the fickle dynamics of schoolyard loyalties; sharing rewards; seeing the world through others eyes.

Li'l Horrors does not set out to be an "educational program", however the values it portrays are positive and we think it is a show that adults will enjoy watching along side their children.