We never expected the show to be this great. We think it is successful because kids can identify.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I think it's a very ephemeral thing, what makes a show a success.
It's great, because different groups of kids can laugh at each other and still enjoy the show.
Basically the children who watch it just see the little characters they love, and so they're not discerning about whether it looks great or it's a great story or anything.
Nowadays, kids know how a programme like Merlin is made and how it works. But the show just seems to grow in popularity the more it goes on.
Children are the most wonderful audiences. What's struck me most is that that they watch it so silently, until the end when they shriek and shout and clap.
Well, we certainly weren't making a cartoon show for kids. It was a completely different kind of idea.
When we started, we knew the show was going to be hit or miss, and we needed to find a core audience to really make us survive. And I think we've been able to do that.
I asked my daughter when she was 16, What's the buzz on the street with the kids? She's going, to be honest, Dad, most of my friends aren't into Kiss. But they've all been told that it's the greatest show on Earth.
The idea of the show is that it's active and that children will become involved and watch the show, but also participate in the show. And I didn't know if that would work.
We knew all along we were making a good show, so its success was not a surprise to me. What has surprised me is the magnitude of this show's success. More people see me now in one episode than saw me in 20 years of movies and theater!