The Eddie Files

In the past year, policy makers and programmers have turned increasing attention to children’s television. As the debate rages about mandates for achieving a higher quantity and quality of programming for American children, The Eddie Files offers a model for producers to emulate. Critical to the success of The Eddie Files is its point of view. It has none. To explain, the program unfolds through the subjective eye view of an 11-year-old, who is heard, but never seen on screen. Children thus have their imaginations stimulated and engaged. As his problem-solving adventures unfold, children can project onto the unseen Eddie their own ethnicity, social class and family situations. In this way, they are brought into the learning experience. And what a learning experience it is! Beginning with the extraordinary in-class teaching of mathematics mentor Kay Toliver (the subject of a prior Peabody-winning production), The Eddie Files incorporates innovative and engaging documentary, dramatic vignettes, as well as the broad comedic scenes that children love so much. The Eddie Files is another successful enterprise from the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education. FASE Productions, led by executive producer and writer Steven R. Heard, senior producer Kathie Heard; producer, director and writer Rob Mikuriya; supervising producer Keith Miller; coordinating producer Dave Hendry, and a talented team of writers, including John T. Davis, Maria Lokken and Jay Dorfmann, is commended for their ongoing record of excellence. This level of quality sustains in the range of support materials, including teacher’s guides and classroom instructional materials. For producing inspiring children’s television, which makes math fun, exciting, and important to children, a Peabody is presented to The Eddie Files.