More on Emily Yeung

Letter to Managing Director
Marblemedia Production Company
Toronto

Dear Sir

I believe you produce This is Emily Yeung. It’s very good. She’s very good. I hope she has a future in television. It’s an imaginative programme. Kids like it because it is very much on their level, and adults like it because they picture their child doing the activity that Emily is doing, and being much more cute and clever than she. Don’t get me wrong. Emily is very cute and clever. It’s just that parents are smitten with their own children. You knew that already.

I like the theme music too.

This is Emily Yeung
She’ll score a goal, play pretend,
Make a bunch of brand new friends.
Learning laughing sharing smiling
We’ll have lots of fun [pause]
With Emily Yeung.

I’m afraid that, being English, the “bunch of brand new friends” creates a bit of an odd visual image. We don’t say that, you see. I see her with a clutch of Barbie-like plastic people in one hand, like a bunch of flowers or a bunch of carrots. Still, I suppose if you said “a lot of brand new friends”, as we would do in England, your North American audience would visualize an auction room with groups of children awaiting their turn amongst the drab second hand furniture. I like the tune too. Very jolly, with a reflective bit, almost like church music, in the middle.

You do what I was going to call a sister programme: This is Daniel Cook. I’ll have to call it a brother programme. He wears Emily’s trademark orange t-shirt and blue pants. He is very good in front of the cameras too, quick and intelligent. I think Emily, with her natural curiosity and ease with people, might become an investigative reporter of a soft kind. Daniel has more of the political interviewer about him. His adult companions don’t get away with any loose explanations, and he interrupts them shamelessly if he is ready to move on. Today he told the nice lady who was helping him recycle paper that pulp should be called pawater. A mixture of paper and water, you see. It’s a clever word. The nice lady had to agree that it was a better word than pulp.

I like This is Daniel Cook too. I have just one quibble with you. Cook doesn’t rhyme with fun. Didn’t anyone notice? You’ve changed the words to the theme tune, but you stuck with the last couplet:

We’ll have lots of fun [pause]
With Daniel Cook.

It doesn’t rhyme at all. Actually, Yeung doesn’t really rhyme with fun either, does it? We’ll give you that one though. It’s near enough, although you’re aiming at a preschool audience here – you ought to be more careful with your phonics, since schools all seem pretty keen on them. However, we’ll let that one pass, since the theme tune overall is so very good. But I’m sorry, I just can’t overlook [pause] Daniel Cook. I could forgive the lack of effort here if he had a name that was particularly challenging in the rhyme-finding department. Daniel Defoe. Daniel Fortescue. Daniel Molyneux-Cholmondley. These would present a challenge. Let’s face it though. Cook. That should have been pretty easy.

Come and take a look [pause]
With Daniel Cook.

There you are, you see. Easy-peasy. If you don’t like that, how about this?

Resistance he will not brook [pause]
Not Daniel Cook.

No? Well, I suppose it is a bit literary for the preschool audience (although you shouldn’t underestimate them, you know). Actually, Cook is a bit of a gift if you want to do some subtle merchandise advertising. I’m surprised you didn’t come up with

Watch the show, then buy the book [pause]
Of Daniel Cook.

There you are. Lots of ideas for you. I’ll be watching out for the next series to see if you’ve incorporated any of them. Don’t forget to credit me. Doesn’t have to be anywhere prominent – just a little nook.

We enjoy your shows, 3-yo and I. If you ever want to do an episode This is Emily Yeung in the Midwest then please do contact me. Or I could do something suitably English if you like: This is Daniel Cook baking scones. We’d be happy to host a production team here.

Yours faithfully

Iota

PS Since drafting this letter, my Canadian media informant has told me that in fact Daniel Cook preceded Emily Yeung. I just can't believe that. Do rhyming couplets mean nothing to you people?