Keeping the 'Vision' in Television

Christopher Sarson

Creator of Masterpiece Theatre, ZOOM, Live from the Met, Parenting Works!

November 1, 2002

Some came to be inspired to create quality television programs. Some came to reconnect with an old colleague and friend of HGSE. Some came for a chance to speak Ubbi Dubbi (the language unique to Zoom kids) one more time. Whatever their reason, students, faculty, and community members packed into the Gutman Media Classroom on November 1, 2002, to hear Christopher Sarson speak about Keeping the Vision in Television."

Introducing his former production partner, TIE faculty member Joe Blatt highlighted some of Sarson's many groundbreaking television accomplishments. As the executive producer and creator of the original Zoom, which first aired in the early 1970s, Sarson produced the first children's television show where kids contributed and starred in their own show free from the all-knowing adult pervasive in children's television programming of that time. Sarson is also well-known for creating and producing one of the well-known pillars of public broadcasting Masterpiece Theatre, as well as many hours of arts programming, including Live from the Met with Francis Robinson.

Sarson showed several television clips of his work to illustrate how educational, enlightening and fun television programming can be when it is produced with care. One clip was pulled from a series entitled Feeling Free, which Sarson produced with Joe Blatt. The clip showed with poignant simplicity how differently-abled children play, interact, and appreciate one another's abilities. Another clip was from Parenting Works!, a program about different families and their parenting techniques. This segment (which his daughter Katrina Sarson, TIE '03, produced), about a single father raising his five children alone, exemplified how television can tell powerful stories.

With only a few minutes to answer questions, Sarson stressed the importance of public broadcasting and its potential to dispel the stereotypes so prevalent in the media. The challenges facing television producers now, he admitted, are different from the challenges he faced in the early '70s. Today, with the proliferation of channels and multi-media conglomerates, it can be difficult for good shows to find their audience. However, Sarson concluded, there are still good stories to be told and powerful and important messages to convey as long as people maintain a positive vision for television.

-- Naomi Greenfield (TIE '03)