Channel 5 has commissioned a new two-part series exploring what happens when kids are unleashed into the world without parental supervision, it announced today.
The series, Who Let the Kids Out? looks at what various groups of children – between 9 and 10 years of age – get up to when encountering a plethora of funny, surprising, and revealing dilemmas, all whilst their parents watch on from a secret location.
Daniel Pearl, Commissioning Editor, Unscripted, Paramount + and Channel 5:
“This is a warm, fun series which takes a closer look at the choices and actions children take when left to their own devices. How has their upbringing influenced the choices they make? How will their parents react when they see how their children react to certain situations? Following months of COVID lockdowns and restrictions on outdoor play and play with others, it will be interesting to see how this may have influenced children’s behaviour.”
Each of the scenarios will be designed to test the initiative, independence, moral compass, and problem-solving skills of the children taking part. The parents, representing a variety of backgrounds with very different approaches to parenting, will get a chance to predict the responses of their child.
A child behavioural expert will interpret the actions of the children and provide insight into their responses. The children will be monitored at all times during production.
What will the parents discover about their parenting style? Have they helped or hindered their offspring? Will they be proud, surprised or even shocked by how the children respond to each series of adventures? And what changes will they implement as a result of what they have learned once reunited?
Who Let the Kids Out? is produced by MGM Alternative UK for Channel 5.