Not-Netflix Natter Series 1 What we have learned.

Series One of Not-Netflix Natters began with a simple question:Why does so much family and children’s television feel unsatisfying, even when it’s well made?

Across eight episodes, I explored family viewing, quiet stories, adventure, book adaptations, and special-occasion television — using examples from Doctor Who, Julia Donaldson adaptations, and shared cultural moments that once brought families together.

What emerged wasn’t nostalgia, and it wasn’t a criticism of values. It was something more practical.

Children haven’t changed.Families haven’t stopped wanting to watch together.What’s shifted is how content is designed.

Again and again, the evidence pointed to the same conclusion: children engage most deeply with stories that trust them — stories with space for imperfection, uncertainty, humour, and emotional truth. When content becomes over-explained or overly curated, children don’t rebel. They simply drift away.

This final episode gathers those insights and looks ahead. Series Two will move from observation to construction, asking how children’s media choices might be built more authentically — not by abandoning care, but by restoring confidence in content.

Children don’t need perfect stories.They need honest ones.