Old Enough!

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Old Enough!
はじめてのおつかい (Hajimete no Otsukai)
GenreReality television
Created byJunji Ōuchi
Directed byJunji Ōuchi, Kiyotaka Tokuei, Takehiro Moriishi
StarringGeorge Tokoro, Hiroko Moriguchi
Narrated byShinsuke Chikaishi, Kanako Irie
Opening theme"Do Re Mi Fa Daijōbu", by B.B.Queens
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
Production
ProducersMasao Takahashi, Ako Fukuyo, Sachiko Yano, Hiro Tsuchiya
Original release
NetworkNippon TV
Release1991 (1991) –
present

Old Enough! (Japanese: はじめてのおつかい, romanized: Hajimete no Otsukai, lit. 'My First Errand') is a Japanese reality show that has been aired irregularly since 1991 on Nippon Television. The program depicts, in a documentary manner, the efforts of toddlers going on an errand on their own—buying groceries, delivering packages—accompanied by the camera crew. The program has been distributed internationally since 2022 on Netflix.[1][2]

History[edit]

The show was a segment of the information program Tsuiseki ( Japanese: 追跡, lit. 'The Chase'" ) that aired on NTV from April 1988 to March 1994, but after the program ended, it began to be broadcast irregularly as a one-shot special program of two to three hours under the title Hajimete no Otsukai.[3] Yoriko Tsutsui and Akiko Hayashi's picture book of the same name (published in English as Miki's First Errand) was the inspiration for the program's launch.[1]

Most of the children who try to perform errands are between 3 and 6 years old (nursery school children and kindergarteners), but in rare cases, children as young as 1 or 2 years old have also participated. Since the parents basically do not provide notes, but only verbally tell their children what they want, there are many cases where children forget to buy items for the errands or make a mistake.[4]

Currently, a winter special (broadcast on the first Monday of January or Coming of Age Day) and a summer special (broadcast on Marine Day) are broadcast twice a year. In addition to new works, the program also broadcasts the "XX years since then..." series, in which past participants and their children are reported on how they have grown up today.

There was also a child on the show who became a parent years later and decided to send their child on their first errand.[5]

Old Enough! has been distributed internationally on Netflix since March 31, 2022, stripped down to ten-minute segments focusing only on the children's errands.[2][6]

Preparations[edit]

The children who participate in the show are chosen after a selection process. Before the filming, the program staff and the parents inspect the errand routes, checking to avoid dangers and suspicious people; the people in the neighborhood are informed beforehand. The camera and safety crew accompany the children from close by.[3]

International version[edit]

Two international editions of Old Enough! have been confirmed. In 2018, a Singaporean-English version of Old Enough! aired on CNA. The show was part of the On The Red Dot before being spun off to a main show in 2021.[7]

A Canadian version of Old Enough! produced by Blue Ant Media will air on TVO on September 2024, with Canadian comedian Colin Mochrie as narrator.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Grabar, Henry (2022-04-11). "How Japan Built Cities Where You Could Send Your Toddler on an Errand". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  2. ^ a b St. Michel, Patrick (2022-04-12). "Surprise Netflix hit 'Old Enough!' proves Japanese TV is good enough for Western viewers". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  3. ^ a b "Old Enough: the Japanese TV show that abandons toddlers on public transport". the Guardian. 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  4. ^ Ueno, Hisako; Ives, Mike (April 22, 2022). "Can Toddlers Cross the Street Alone? Yes, on Reality TV in Japan". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Yes, the 'Old Enough!' Kids Really Think the Camera Crew Are 'Electricians'". Tudum. 2022-04-29. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  6. ^ "Netflixで「はじめてのおつかい」。「ミッドウェイ」4月配信". AV Watch (in Japanese). 2021-03-28. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  7. ^ "Singapore adaptation of Old Enough! to return with third season, spotlighting young 'COVID-19 generation'". CNA. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  8. ^ Whittock, Jesse (January 29, 2024). "Colin Mochrie To Narrate Canadian Version Of Eye-Opening Japanese Format 'Old Enough!', In Which Toddlers Go It Alone". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 8, 2024.

External links[edit]

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