Watch without mother: with children often among the fastest and most receptive adopters of new technology, interactive TV has already enjoyed some successes with the under-teens market. This Christmas will see a new effort to win kids over, using interactive technology to breathe new life into some well-loved brands.

New Media Age, December, 2003 by Clare Goff

Kids are often at the forefront in the development of new technology and interactive television is no exception. 2003 has been a pivotal year in the roll-out of iTV applications for children. All the major children's broadcasters have renewed their efforts and investment in the market, new entrants are upping the competition and advertisers are finding kids a responsive audience to test their forays into iTV.

Don't be surprised if this Christmas finds kids abandoning their toys to interact with their favourite characters and shows on TV. The chances are, their favourite characters were also yours.

Bagpuss takes on interactive elements on the Play and Learn channel, soon to roll out on the Telewest platform; the 37-year old Action Man is hoping for a...