CBBC’s ‘My Life: I am Leo’ and why it is brilliant (or: reasons why the website ‘Transgender Trend’ is transphobic rubbish)

Written by Daniel – Over the last year I’ve been conducting research into CBBC sitcoms, this has lead me into discussing wider aspects of children’s programming. It is during my research where I’ve found the documentary series ‘My Life’, each episode follows a different child giving a personal insight into the highs and lows they confront day to day. The episode ‘I am Leo’ (2014) has caught my attention. Leo is a 13 year-old boy who as he explains: “In most ways I’m like a average 13 year-old boy, apart from I was born in a girls body”. Leo is one of the first children to be prescribed hormone blockers. His story is one of fighting for his own identity in the face of adversity, it is one of optimism and justice, as he fights to change misconceptions that surround him and the transgender community.  I’m going to say now that ‘My Life: I am Leo’, is a wonderful documentary and certainly deserves the Children’s BAFTA for best Factual program it was awarded in 2015, and this blog post is in support of the program and a critique of a certain parent group who have raised their voices against it.

Creeped Out – The Side Show (part 2)

Written by Dan – Thoughts on the final episode of series 1 Creeped Out Ep. 13 ‘The Side Show (part 2)’. This episode opens with Ace and the ring leader having just set out into the local town in an attempt to find Ace’s family. However with no success.

This episode might be the most insane episode of Creeped Out there’s been, but oh, wasn’t it just brilliant! If you want this post to make sense, firstly go and watch the episode, and/or have a read of my post on part one. This episode opens with Ace finding the family he’s been dreaming about, however, there’s a problem. The family have no idea who Ace is, they’ve never seen him before in their lives. So Ace is forced to apologise, and then the ring leader takes him home to the side show. Naturally Ace is let down, and above all confused – but Indigo won’t let Ace stop there, she’s sure something is up, and together they’re going to get to the bottom of it all. 

Creeped Out – The Side Show (part 1)

Written By Dan – Creeped Out episode 12 is the first of the double part story line, ‘The Side Show’. I can just imagine the writers room. “We want to write a freak show episode in our horror anthology series… for kids”. You must be mad. There are so many ways this episode could have gone wrong. But in fact, there’s nothing to worry about. Part 1 is astonishingly brilliant!

The Amazing Armatologist Ace, is one of the crowning acts in an old time side show. He has the ability to smell every detail of a person’s life (he has the nose of Hannibal Lecter, and the deduction skills of Sherlock Homes). He’s adored by his audience and looked after like family among his fellow performers; but, there’s something which bothers Ace. He’s having dreams of a family he doesn’t know, and is quickly realising that he and the other performers have no clear recollection of how they actually came to be in the show. Where did Ace really come from, and did he really come to the side show on his own accord, or was he brought here?  

Creeped Out – The Traveller

Written by Dan – Creeped Out episode 11 ‘The Traveller’ follows Jodie and Brandon, who upon discovering a mysterious box find they have the power to pause time. However, as they mess around with time paused around them, they soon find out that they’re not alone.

Jodie and Brandon are two young trouble makers in a block of flats, having found; then lost, then stolen back a mysterious time pausing box, they meet a silent blue skinned creature. The couple soon learn that this man is the owner of the box, and he want’s his time pausing box back. What is worse, he doesn’t take well to those who play with ‘the rules’. The Traveller wonders the world, pausing time and ages those who create trouble as payment for their selfishness and misbehaving.

Creeped Out – Shed No Fear

Written by Dan – Creeped Out episode 10 ‘Shed No Fear’, features the Creeped Out gang attempting to create their own version of Stranger Things; and, it’s pretty good.

‘Shed No Fear’ follows the friendship of Greg and Dave. Once close friends the two found themselves drifting apart as Dave got a place on the football team, leaving Greg to defend himself behind his comic books. Then one day, David is late to school and when he arrives he’s drenched in stale water and covered in rotting leaves. Greg, concerned for his old friend decides to follow David home, and investigate as to what’s going on. David has been tasked by his family to clean out an old shed, but inside is a shadow creature, who doesn’t want the items in the shed moved around. To protect the shed the shadow creature teleports the intruders away into a near by disused swimming pool.

Creeped Out – Spaceman

Written by Dan – Thoughts on Creeped Out episode 8: ‘Spaceman’ – Thomas and his mother have moved away from the city to the country. Where he meets new friends, a local nerd called Spud, and an Alien form outer space. Trouble is who can Thomas trust?

I don’t want to be writing a negative post about Creeped Out, it hasn’t happened before; but, there’s just no way around it. This is by far the worst episode to date, it’s such a disappointment, considering the high standard we’ve had. ‘A Boy Called Red’ which I consider to be a weak episode is still far more successful. The episode is essentially an E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Spielberg, 1982) homage, two boys stumble across this strange alien and agree to help him phone home. But, it’s Creeped Out so it needs an element of the strange, therefore come the end it’s revealed that the alien isn’t phoning home but calling upon the alien fleet to commence attack on earth. The issue with this as a twist is that it simply isn’t dramatic, even if you don’t expect the twist, its hardly a surprise. Of course it’s an invasion, what else was it going to be?  

Creeped Out – Bravery Badge

Written by Dan – Thoughts on Creeped Out episode 7 – ‘Bravery Badge’. Whilst on a camping trip with the Hedgehog Ranger Patrol, Dent and her fellow scouts soon become the subjects of a strange singing moss.

Horray! Creeped Out is back, and boy is it back with a bang. This episode is pretty damn creepy, and delivered some successful jump scares (my compliments to CBBC’s music department). The episode immediately opens with the idea of music getting stuck into your head, and the possibility that the music will go on forever, the opening narration is really quite good for this episode. Previously, these opening segments have been shrouded in a moral complexity which ends up revealing much of the plot. This week we have a scary concept, a terrifying idea, which the episode then just runs with. The narration here is on point, and I think is a good indicator that the writers really know what they want from the show now. 

Creeped Out – Slapstick

Written by Dan – A discussion of CBBC’s Creeped Out – Episode 1 ‘Slapstick’

This years Halloween saw the launch of CBBC’s new horror anthology series Creeped Out, and… well it’s pretty creepy. The series follows a small masked boy known as “The Curious”, who frames the series by seeking out the strange tales and collecting mementos from the scene.

This first episode ‘Slapstick’ follows Jessie, a young teenager, who’s frustrated with her family for embarrassing her in front of the popular kids at School. Humiliated, by her parents parading their quirks in front of the other school kids, Jessie run’s off to the beach ashamed. At the beach Jessie stumbles across a Punch and Judy show. When the show ends a young teenage boy collecting change from the crowd approaches Jessie and invites her to meet the composer of the show, the delightful puppet Mr. Blackteeth.  Jessie tells Blackteeth of her fall out with her parents, and Blackteeth is quick to sympathise. Apparently wanting to help her, Blackteeth proposes an offer; with just a tap on her head she could have the power to control her parents. Still angry, Jessie accepts, though she will soon regret her decision.