MovieChat Forums > Today's Special (1981) Discussion > No children

No children

posted 15 years ago by Kimberlaina
7 replies | jump to latest

I watched Today's Special last summer while I moved by VHS collection to DVD and I made an interesting observation that never occurred to me when I was younger -- there are almost no children in this show! This seems very unusual for a children' show, but in hindsight I wonder if this is part of what sets it apart from other, less memorable kids' shows. I think that Today's Special did more to teach children how to relate to people different than them because of this. For example, what children's show producer in the 2000s would think that a kid would care about an old man's time in the Merchant Marine? But who knows how many children had conversations with their grandparents about their interests, military service, former jobs, etc. because of Sam? Just an interesting observation.

[–] laeyisoracle 15 years ago

I agree. I think, as I look back, it was a more intimate relationship because the lack of other kids. It was more YOU following the characters around and learning about various life lessons and how to treat others(and such). The watchers provided the role of the "kids" themselves, and the show was presented in such a way that it didn't need other children present so that the watchers could relate to. I loved this show since I was a kids, and I still love it to this day!

[–] Kimberlaina 14 years ago

I think you are right that it created a more intimate atmosphere. Come to think of it, a lot of things that made Today's Special great also made Mr. Rogers great. Both shows treated children with respect and invited them to be part of adults' world, and gave children the feeling that they had adults' full attention. I think all the characters in TS alternated the role of the child -- there are even moments when Jodie is child-like. That made it feel more egalitarian in that no character was always the foolish or ignorant one.

Face it, NO ONE ever felt like they had Barney's full attention!!

[–] Synergy-5 15 years ago

I never really noticed that before, but it never really occurred to me why. I guess I saw Jeff as pretty much a little boy and Muffy as pretty much a little girl in many ways, and that Sam and Jodie were the adult, parent-like figures. I don't think there are too many children's or family shows even without any actual children in it, though. None come to mind. Good observation!

[–] blackkittyangel 15 years ago

I also think it is because all of the adults were working at the department store during the middle of the night. Some parents would be screaming "How can kids be up that late."

There once was a little black kitten called Angel.

[–] simp123456 15 years ago

I agree with Synergy in that Jeff and Muffy were like kids and Jodie and Sam were more like adults. I always thought of Jodie as a mother figure.

[–] hillbrian2005 12 years ago

People would wonder why kids would be at a store in the middloe of the night or after hours. But they showed Jody at her nephew's party at his house or hers, and a kid in a wheelchair visited and a little girl who was moving visited. But it woudl be wierd to have a child there in the middle of the night or after hours with the employees.

[–] piperatthegate 11 years ago

I worked the overnight shift at a 24 hour grocery store. You would be surprised at how many kids you would see shopping with their parents in the middle of the night.

But ya the store in this show was supposed to be closed, so really why would anyone be there at night other than the employees.