REAL KIDS, REAL ADVENTURES, a weekly program on Discovery Kids, showcases true stories of young heroes and survivors between the ages of 8 and 17. Here, Deborah Morris, the creator and author of the book series, Bob Banner, executive producer, Alan Gough, producer, and Chuck Banner, production executive, answer questions about the program.
Why did you think the Real Kids, Real Adventures book series would make a good television series for Discovery Kids?
Deborah Morris: It's about regular kids who use their basic skills and ingenuity to rescue themselves and others. Sometimes they use specific "learned" knowledge, and other times they just depend on their instincts. The most important thing is, the kids in these stories know they're not "just" kids. They can do what needs to be done.
Chuck Banner: I think the book series lends itself to television extremely well. It's about kids in jeopardy. These are all life and death situations filled with danger, fear, and energy. We wanted to do a series that would come across visually and also tell great stories. There are a lot of outdoors elements combined with the life and death situations. The book series itself is a natural for TV, and fortunately, Discovery [Channel] had a new block of programming coming up and were interested in working with us.
What's the essence of the series?
Bob Banner: They're half-hour real-life dramas about ordinary kids doing the extraordinary when they're confronted with difficult--even life-threatening--situations.
Deborah Morris: These are "mini movies", very different from all the other kids' series out there. They take all the action of a two-hour MOW (movie of the week) and condense it into tense, edge-of-your-seat half-hour dramas. Kids like fast-moving shows... and these move like lightning!
Chuck Banner: These shows contain high drama, high risk, and plenty of dangerous stuff that kids will enjoy... because it's not preaching to kids, but it's drama showing what really happened to other kids. The quality-- we strive to make them look like mini-movies. There are no voiceovers, narrative or "docu-drama" aspects.
What were the criteria for the stories you chose?
Bob Banner: We looked for those that adapted to visual and sound media the best. So many novels today are dramas with "interior" thinking, and it's difficult to portray that. Deborah's stories are action stories, and they adapt well to television-- especially for a kid's series.
Alan Gough: Out of the range of stories from the book series, we've had good choices. The kids we're dealing with were very proactive in their rescue or someone else's rescue. The kids have taken some piece of information that they may have thought was dull or boring, and ended up using it -- CPR or fire prevention, for example. In the case of Alex [from "Runaway Balloon"], his curiosity is what made him ask a lot of questions about hot air balloons, and that's what helped him when he got into a dangerous situation in the balloon.
I firmly believe that real character in a person only comes out in times of real conflict. It's really quite wonderful that this series showcases the character of some of these kids.
Deborah Morris: I love drawing attention to some of the positive things kids are doing today. Too often, 'youth' and 'crime' are linked in people's minds... but when I hear 'youth', my first thought is heroism. Kids have sharp reflexes, and when they see someone in trouble, they're remarkably prepared to take action. Kids don't think like adults. Adults tend to lose that edge of curiosity, because they have to be more focused on specifics, like are they going to get sued if they try to help someone. Kids just jump right over that--for them it's a black and white decision.
What, in your mind, is a Discovery Kid?
Deborah Morris: A Discovery Kid is inquisitive about the world around him or her, eager to learn new skills, and excited by new experiences. All the kids I choose for the book series are Discovery Kids -- and so are the readers. They're convinced they can do just about anything... and you know, I think they're right!
Alan Gough: I think all kids have this sense of curiosity and excitement about the world in them. Perhaps they don't show it all the time, but they still have it -- and we can see it in mnay situations. Plus, they also don't have the prejudices that separate them from one another. That's the part of every kid I think REAL KIDS, REAL ADVENTURES will appeal to.
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