The children’s TV program Ben 10 has been voted the most popular in a toys & programs survey completed by Sky.The Cartoon Network's latest super hero hit can be added to the pile of success produced by the company, which date back over 15 years.
Just under 5,000 kids were included in the survey all aged between 6-11 years. The results found that not only was Ben the most popular children’s TV program currently but also one of the most watched of all time. It received 40% of votes from children and a 75% viewing figure. Previous winners include Pokémon, Power Ranges, Baby Walker, Rug Rats, and Telly Tubbies. However the voting percentages for these were no match for Ben 10.
Arguable the most powerful superhero ever, Ben 10 has the ability to turn into anything he wishes using his magical watch. The fact that Ben finds himself in battle with a new foe every episode has caused some criticism from critics who are anti-violence. However, producers pointed out that the program was not gratuitously violent and has always been light-hearted.
A forthcoming program that may rival Ben 10 over the next year could be the BBC’s Hector The Dragon. Their latest product see a werewolf-like transformation of a small boy into a dragon every full moon. He's not a bad dragon however, he's a misunderstood one that takes on the role of town-protector from any other nasty creatures that come out on the same night. Hector, as you would guess, has difficulty explaining his actions to everyone around him and struggles with his secret.
The popularity can have a huge knock-on effect off screen also. The sales of toys and other merchandise is directly related to the programs viewing figures. As merchandised childrens toys is a multi-million dollar industry, the competition will always be strong.
