Negotiating national boundaries in recent British children's cinema and television

In his study of British children’s cinema, Noel Brown suggests its distinctive character has been challenged by the globalization of media culture, arguing that productions with a strong reference to national contexts are under pressure to homogenize their content to please a more global audience. This chapter uses a case study of the British animation studio, Aardman, whose output, and particularly its films featuring Wallace and Gromit, make extensive use of national cultural references, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing national cinemas. In particular, the chapter asks how viable is it for children’s cinema and television to maintain a connection with the national culture from which it emanates? And what is lost, or gained, in the attempt to appeal to children across national boundaries?