TELL US ABOUT THE TV SERIES.
JoJo & Gran Gran is an animated TV series aimed at children up until Year 1 that is loosely based upon the relationship I had with my grandmother. A total of 44 episodes have been made, each of which are 11 minutes long. The episodes will play every weekday on CBeebies. They will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
Within each animated episode, there is a live-action moment which features children talking about the themes covered. The main characters are JoJo, Gran Gran and JoJo’s great-grandmother, Great Gran Gran, who is St Lucian – my own parents were from the island. The St Lucian culture is an important feature of the series, as is the theme of intergenerational learning.
Both the production team and I worked closely with the St Lucian High Commissioner and St Lucian Tourism Authority when putting the episodes together.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF THE STORYLINES?
The series is broken down to represent the seasons – spring, summer, autumn, winter. This is designed to present time to children and help to teach about the natural world and early years science.
The episodes feature JoJo and Gran Gran doing everyday activities with each other such as cooking and carrying out errands within the wider community, including going to the Post Office and the library. In some episodes they go further afield, visiting places like the seaside.
There will be an educational element to each episode and many extended learning opportunities.
HOW DID THE SERIES COME ABOUT?
I contacted Ros Attille at CBeebies five years ago about turning Jo-Jo and Gran-Graninto a TV series.
I had a contact at CBeebies after attending meetings, in my role as an early years specialist for a production company, which gave me the opportunity to write an episode of Rastamouse. I think what made Jo-Jo and Gran-Granstand out to CBeebies was the loving relationship between the two characters. Lots of people have fond memories of spending time with their grandmother as a child. Even the Duchess of Cambridge recently lovingly spoke about the time she spent with her grandmother.
I also think the intergenerational element of Jo-Jo and Gran-Gran appealed to CBeebies as, while there have been a number of TV series in the past featuring grandparents, it is becoming increasingly common for grandmas and grandads to provide childcare for their grandchildren, and there are many grandparent kinship carers. I also like to think the image of grandmothers has moved on from the stereotypical idea of a grandma – grey hair, doing the knitting.
WHAT ELSE IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE SERIES?
The reference to St Lucian culture and its Creole core. St Lucia is rarely mentioned when the Caribbean is referenced by people or on TV – normally there is a focus on Jamaica as an example and not the other Caribbean islands.
I hope this series will help put St Lucia on the map and make people more aware of the small island, which has many places of natural beauty.
- JoJo & Gran Gran starts on 16 March on CBeebies
