PRODUCERS
Gama5 and TVP (Polish Public Television) are co-producers of "Lippy & Messy", a TV series for young children. Gama5 is the successor to Gama-Bell (also known as Bell Krakow), a language school whose British-Polish team of material writers and actors are also qualified teachers of English.
The Gama5 team has been involved in the making of several serials for TVP (Polish Public Television) - Windy Lifts, The Perfect Stranger, Ups & Downs and The Best Guest Show - each combining entertainment with language education.
Gama5 is also publisher of the accompanying books creator of the Internet portal Lippy & Messy PlaNet designed to teach English to young children - www.lippyandmessy.pl.
PROJECTS
Lippy and Messy is a TV series for children designed to combine entertainment with language education. The eponymous heroes, a mischievous boy-clown Messy and a talkative girl-clown Lippy go through amusing adventures and each time they learn new words, new language structures and at least one original song. They interact with a third character, Wizzy (The Wizard of Words), who conjures up situations and contexts to explain new language.
The 156 episodes (each around four minutes long) are divided into four series: Lippy & Messy - in which our heroes learn basic words and phrases and have a lot of fun with Wizzy, Lippy & Messy ABC - in which they also learn the letters of the alphabet, Lippy and Messy: Do-Be-Do - in which they do lots of tasks and play at being in various jobs and Lippy & Messy: Go! Go! Go! - in which they visit different magic lands.
Lippy and Messy is entirely in English and performed by native speakers. The four series have been broadcast regularly, including repeats, since 2003 and enjoy high viewing figures.
The following quote comes from and end of year report published by the National Council for Radio and Television (KRRT): "The majority of children's programmes on TVP1 were well made and interesting for the young viewer. The programmes are adapted to the cognitive and intellectual levels of children in the relevant age group. Outstanding in this category were the British-made programmes Teletubbies, Postman Pat, Fetch the Vet (all three in Polish - translator's note), as well as the English-language educational series Lippy & Messy.
"Dziecko" (Child), a monthly magazine for parents, teachers and child-care professionals, has carried out a review of all children's television programmes. Teletubbies (in Polish) was awarded a maximum five stars. Lippy & Messy got four. In research carried out by the Polish Committee for the Protection of Children's Rights it was found that 73% of parents were familiar with Lippy & Messy.
THE MULTIMEDIA SET
Lippy & Messy and Lippy and Messy ABC are available on DVD accompanied by an illustrated song book, stickers, colouring activities, and guidelines in Polish (also available in other languages) for parents and guardians so that they can help children even if they have little knowledge of English themselves. It is also an opportunity for them, if they so wish, to learn some English at the same time. Accompanying materials for Lippy and Messy: Do-Be-Do and Lippy and Messy: Go!Go!Go! are at present being developed and should be available in the near future. A series of CDs with songs from the series is also planned.
Lippy and Messy has received two prestigious awards: The European Language Label for innovation in language teaching (2005) and the Most Child-Friendly Product Award from the Polish Committee for the Protection of Children’s Rights (2006). In 2007 it was a nominee for The British Council Innovation Awards.
USERS’ COMMENTS
The series was written for and aimed at children from the ages of three to six. However, judging from correspondence, it seems that viewers range in age from one to ten. While children see Lippy & Messy as entertainment, their parents appreciate it as attractive education. Young viewers and their parents like it, borne out by numerous e-mail messages received by the authors and also comments on the website forums of Poland’s largest selling daily newspapers. Here is a short selection:
My daughter is two. When Lippy & Messy is on, she watches it open-mouthed and in absolute silence. It’s obvious that she really likes it. My husband and I wish it were on all day long.
My four and a half year old daughter loves it. She catches some of the words and is really happy that she understands.
My little boy loves watching Lippy & Messy. For him it’s not English lessons but simply bright colours, catchy songs and simple situations.
My little Alex loves Lippy & Messy. She’s simply nuts about it. If she is not in the room and hears the theme tune she arrives like a rocket. Absolutely crazy. I can hardly describe it.
The only thing our little girl watches is Lippy & Messy. It’s a huge hit. Amanda just sits there hypnotised. Maybe she will be in the one in the family who is good at languages because her parents aren’t.
THE “LIPPY AND MESSY” TEAM
Wojciech Graniczewski (co-creator, co-writer, composer of the music and director of Lippy and Messy) – graduate in English literature and drama, scriptwriter and director of theatrical plays, films and television series, including Windy Lifts (10 episodes), The Perfect Stranger (10 episodes), Ups and Downs, Euroquiz (28 episodes), Lippy & Messy (156 episodes) and The Best Guest Show (14 episodes).
Ramon Shindler (co-creator, co-writer of Lippy and Messy; plays the part of Wizzy in the series) – British-born teacher and, teacher-trainer at the Bell Language Institute in Krakow. Former British Council director of studies at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Co-writer of Windy Lifts, The Perfect Stranger, Ups and Downs and The Best Guest Show.
Barbara Wojciechowska (co-creator of “Lippy and Messy” and editor of the series) co-author and editor of radio and television programmes for teaching English, post-production based on BBC materials including Muzzy, Muzzy in Gondoland, Muzzy Comes Back, Look Ahead, author of feuilletons for television programmes for children and adults; scriptwriter and editor of the TV series Euroquiz, editor of The Best Guest Show.
Teresa Lipinski (plays the part of Lippy) – British-born actor, singer, teacher and director of studies at Bell Krakow. Leading female roles in the educational -entertainment television series Ups and Downs, The Best Guest Show and Lippy & Messy.
Simon Messing (plays the part of Messy) – British-born actor and teacher at Bell Krakow. Leading male roles in the educational-entertainment television series Ups and Downs, The Best Guest Show and Lippy & Messy.
Konstanty Kulik - graduate of schools of Radio, Television and Film in Poland. Creator of documentaries – including the award winning In Search of the Legend - as well as short features, video clips and commercials. Creator of animation, virtual sets and musical arrangements for Ups and Downs and Lippy and Messy.
Tomasz Kozik - director of photography on television programmes, short features, commercials and documentaries. Creator of animation and virtual sets for Ups and Downs, The Best Guest Show and Lippy and Messy. Graphic designer and illustrator of the Lippy and Messy books.
COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES
Lippy and Messy is available both for broadcast licensing as well as for partnerships regarding co-production of further episodes, publication of the DVDs and books as well as distribution of all related products and merchandise.
Frequently asked questions
My child is 14 months old and really likes watching Lippy & Messy. Isn’t it a bit too early for this?
No, it isn’t. Lippy & Messy is a series specially created for young children. In it the mischievous clowns, Lippy and Messy, go through lots of adventures and, under the supervision of Wizzy, a kindly wizard, they learn lots of simple English words and phrases in pleasant and familiar situations. Children really like watching it and treat it as entertainment. Please remember though that a 14-month should not spend much time watching television or looking at a computer screen, although a 3-4 minute episode won’t hurt. Repeated viewing of the same programme, however, should not take place at such an early age. The ability of the eye to accommodate such things has only just formed in children of this age and it would be best not to strain it. We suggest that together you and your child look at the Lippy & Messy books and listen to the songs. Your child will easily recognise these amusing characters and later on will enjoy watching the programme on television.
I have a nine-year-old son and he really wants to watch Lippy & Messy. Are the subject matter and language level suitable for his age-group?
Yes, both the subject matter and language level are suitable for his age-group. The themes and language level “grow” together with the viewer. We start with simple words and phrases, then move on to the alphabet, then to different jobs and professions and finally end up by visiting lots of magic lands. The level of the language varies according to the subject. And so children of all ages can find something of interest here. One of the great advantages of watching the programme is contact with perfectly spoken English, because, although “Lippy & Messy” was made in Poland, all three actors are from Britain. Listening to them children will pick up the sounds and rhythms of English.
Why do children love Lippy & Messy?
You’d be better off asking children this one. :-)). However, since the question has been posed we’ll have a go at answering it. When creating Lippy & Messy we tried to keep things as simple as possible. Our heroes are colourful characters who live in a colourful world and every episode is based on the simplest of ideas. The programme is addressed directly to children and their world. Children sense this and that’s probably why they like it.
My two-year-old daughter started saying words from ”Lippy & Messy” before she began speaking Polish. How can you explain this?
Children have an innate ability to learn languages. They are quick to imitate pronunciation and quickly remember words and structures. This is the case with the mother tongue (often referred to as ‘first language’) and also for a second or foreign language. Young children learn languages in a completely different way to adults. For them a language is not a series of logically occurring bits of information but a collection of sounds. Small children learn by repeating what they hear. If this is pleasant-sounding, and the many songs in Lippy & Messy play an important part here, then children will repeat most things effortlessly. Quite a few basic English words are easier to pronounce than their Polish equivalents. Take colours for example. It’s easier to remember and repeat the monosyllabic word ”blue” than the trisyllabic ”nie-bie-ski”. Likewise with ”red” / ”cze-rwo-ny”, ”green” / ”zie-lo-ny” czy ”brown” / ”brą-zo-wy”.
How can a child learn a language just by watching a TV programme?
Please bear in mind that when children watch ”Lippy & Messy” they hear everything in English. There is no Polish voice-over, so nothing comes between the child and English.
The situations are very clear and comprehensible for small children. The dialogues are short and uncomplicated and so easy to remember. Regular repetition of words, phases and expressions help to cement them and the structure of a language in a child’s mind. The catchy songs also help in this respect.
English is really important but I don’t think children should learn it at such a young age. Am I right in saying that for years foreign languages have been taught with success from the fourth class onwards?
We don’t really agree with this. In general, we’re not big fans of the ”earlier the better” approach to education. .However, in the case of languages things look completely different. Children have an innate ability to learn languages. In time this ability disappears. After the age of about eleven children learn languages like adults, that’s to say, consciously and analytically, and it is no secret that this requires a lot more time, effort and often money.
My child is very sensitive. When he watches children's programmes I always sit with him and explain what’s going on as he sometimes gets frightened by what happens to the characters. When watching a programme in English is it alright if I do the explaining in Polish?
It’s perfectly fine. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t use another language to explain to your child what’s happening on TV. However, don’t you think it might be even more useful if he watches the whole programme in English as everything is really simple and straightforward for a small child? Without losing concentration he’ll pick up lots of words and phrases in English. Experience tells us that children aren’t at all scared by Lippy & Messy as it contains absolutely no violence or aggression.
Why hasn’t ”Lippy & Messy” got a Polish voice-over?
It would go totally against the intentions of the authors if Lippy & Messy were to be translated and broadcast with a voice-over. Everything that the characters say and do is simple and understandable for children. All the episodes take place in everyday situations in which children may find themselves and they immediately cotton on to what is being said. Everything is so crystal-clear that children simply do not need a Polish translation.
How can we help our little girl learn English if we don’t speak it very well ourselves?
With Lippy & Messy children can learn by themselves. They pick up words, a good accent and pronunciation, as well as the structure of the language. The programme has been designed in such a way that while watching children can learn in a relaxed atmosphere. Each set comes with not only a DVD with episodes from the series, but also a songbook with stickers and pictures for colouring. In addition, there are instructions for parents containing tips and ideas for additional games which will make learning with Lippy & Messy even more effective. Children are also very welcome to have fun with English on our internet portal.