Doordarshan, the national television network, was the first ever channel to be launched in India in 1959. It held a virtual monopoly in the television broadcasting industry until the country’s liberalization in 1991. During this period, Doordarshan was the sole television channel available to the Indian child. The channel aired mainly educational shows and a few children’s serials; its content was appreciated for various reasons such as for actively involving the child, creating content beneficial to children’s growth, familiarising children with the country’s culture, experimenting with various genres, and creating region-specific content. This multimedia module shall delineate the history of children’s television content on Doordarshan from its inception to the early ’90s and bring to light some wonderful and original edutainment programmes telecast for children in the past.
