ABSTRACT
Programming for children in Sweden changed in 1969, when the country transitioned from one public service television channel to two. Airtime, societally engaged material (often seen as “leftist”), and participation by women all increased, and Swedish children’s television in the 1970s came to serve as an arena for reflecting progressive ideas about the rights of women and children in a welfare state society. The career and influence of Ingrid Edström—author, lobbyist, and head of the children’s programming editorial board at TV2—is central to this development. She attracted talented, ambitious, and bold television producers such as Gunila Ambjörnsson, whose Ville, Valle & Viktor series (1970, 1972) became legendary for their depiction of contemporary Sweden; Margareta Strömstedt, whose lyrical, observational documentaries asked big existential questions for children to contemplate; and Judith Hollander, whose series Tjejerna gör uppror (“The Girls Rebel,” 1977) presaged much later feminist girlhood depictions. Though different in form, content, and mode of address, these programs impacted the history of Swedish television and children’s culture by highlighting political issues and promoting an enhanced status for children in society
