The nominees for the Producer’s Guild Award for Best Children’s Programming were announced last Tuesday, and included a Hogpro favorite, the Harry Potter Hogwarts Tournament of Houses. Other nominees included Animaniacs, The Muppets Haunted Mansion, See Us Coming Together: a Sesame Street Special, and Waffles & Mochi.
It is interesting to me that the show was included in the Children’s Programming category. Yes, it was a child-friendly series*, shown on the Cartoon Network along with HBO, but all save one of the contestants were adults. Arguably, the highest level of star power was generated by the distinguished host, Dame Helen Mirren, and Hogpro’s own David Martin, both of whom are septuagenarians. While we know the program was a major hit in the ratings, I am willing to bet the average audience member was well in their 30’s. I am even more certain that was true of the studio audience. This brings up the oft-debated question: are the Harry Potter books best considered children’s books, or something else entirely?
Of course, the quiz show was more about the movies anyway. But regardless, this nomination is evidence of the continuing all-ages appeal of the Wizarding World. We’ll find out March 15th who won. Personally, I think the inclusion message of the Sesame Street special gives them an edge, but you never know.
* As a studio audience member, I don’t mind telling you that there was a bit of snickering and banter when a male contestant requested to play the “Engorgio” game that was judiciously edited out, presumably for the sake of the Cartoon Network audience
* Not to mention Dame Helen also joking about not making any kind of comments regarding the “Engorgio” category, which got those of us in the audience laughing at the implied message.