One on One with Jacqui Deegan, Ed.M.'93

by Lory Hough

The Emmy she won last year for Arthur sits in her office. The other, won this year for Curious George, may do a bit of traveling. “My friends want to make a movie called The Many Hidden Uses of an Emmy Statue, so I might send the other out on tour,” says Jacqui Deegan, Ed.M.’93, a children’s television producer at the Boston-based PBS member station, WGBH.

Deegan, a New Jersey native who studied drama, political science, and Russian as an undergraduate at Barnard (in part, she says, because it sounded so exotic), joined the station as an intern in 1993 while she was at the Ed School. She started in the educational outreach department before landing a full-time position a few years later in educational programming. In 1998, she moved to children’s programming and Arthur, an animated show about the life of an eight-year-old aardvark. Since then, she has also been a producer for Curious George, the animated series based on the beloved books by Cambridge residents Margret and H. A. Rey. The show has proven to be wildly popular and passes muster with even the toughest critics, including Deegan’s flock of young nieces and nephews, Matthew, Jack, Caroline, Molly, Margaret, and Charlie — “Deegans all,” she says. “Sometimes I ask them to watch episodes in development and they are the best focus group participants.”

A Russian major?
It sounded so exotic, I had to try it. I intended to major in drama but then totally fell in love with Russian and, as love can do, it knocked me completely off course. And it was an incredibly exciting time. Gorbachev came into power, and I got to study in Leningrad in 1987 right when things were opening up but before the wall came crashing down. None of us knew that it was such a unique moment in history, never to be repeated.

Can you still converse in Russian?
It’s shaky! I used to be fluent and I’d love to believe it’s all in there still, hiding. I coaxed it out a little last year while teaching a beginner ESL class to Russians. My drama training came in handy because I was forced to employ a lot of charade-like pantomimes to get my lessons across.

Are you working on any shows other than Arthur and Curious George?
A few years ago I also produced a series called Time Warp Trio, where kids time-travel and meet colorful characters throughout history, such as Napoleon, Sacagawea, King Thutmose III, and Amelia Earhart. It originally aired on NBC Saturday morning and now continues to run [on] Discovery Kids. Our department is collaborative, so at times I’ll lend a hand on other shows as well.

You’re a producer but you’ve also written some episodes. What’s harder: producing or writing?
They’re quite different but I’m not sure one is intrinsically more difficult than the other. I enjoy producing and writing, and I’m very fortunate that my job allows me to do both. I think that’s common among our projects here. Team members can often use all their creative skills: producers write, directors produce, writers compose, etc. We’re not pigeonholed.

How do you respond to critics who say young kids don’t learn by watching television?
WGBH children’s programs are unique. Advisors from a wide range of fields consult on the episodes to help ensure that our shows are educational as well as entertaining. Our outreach department creates extensive materials and conducts workshops so that children, teachers, and parents will get the most learning out of our programs. And the series’ websites are incredibly fun and interactive for kids, and packed with great resources for adults.

What about the particular critique that PBS’ kid’s programming has leaned too heavily toward animation and less toward Sesame Street/Zoom-type live-action shows?
Animation lets you tell all kinds of stories; that’s harder to do with live action sometimes. I think Arthur created that mold, and it appealed so greatly to kids that naturally it became a trend. But live action features prominently even in our animated shows. Arthur and Curious George include segments showing real kids engaged in activities related to the educational content of the show. And in recent years, WGBH has created more live-action series for PBS: Postcards from Buster, which mixes animation and mostly live action in a fun, innovative way; and two challenge shows, Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman and Design Squad, an engineering series for young teens that won a Peabody Award in its first year.

As technology continues to evolve, is it getting easier to produce shows?
Yes and no. It’s kind of like all technology; tasks become easier, but then you’re expected to produce that much more in the same time period.

How long does it take to make each show?
It really depends on the series. For the traditionally animated shows such as Arthur and Curious George, which still use hand-drawn elements, it takes about a year. Typically we’ll brainstorm story ideas during summer or fall, with those same shows premiering the following fall. For live-action shows, the turnaround can be faster.

How did you celebrate your Emmy wins?
That was bittersweet. I had a sinus infection and pneumonia last year, so I couldn’t go to the ceremony. When I won this year for Curious George, I was thrilled to be there, but I was recovering from a bout of food poisoning and the entire night was kind of an out-of-body experience. So for both awards, I celebrated by getting better!

You intentionally integrate real problemsolving dilemmas into your shows. Is this sort of like parents hiding broccoli in the pizza sauce — kids love it and don’t even realize that it’s good for them?
What a great analogy. I’ll have to work that into a proposal.

After being around for nearly 70 years, why is Curious George still so appealing?
Great characters and stories endure. And the fact that George is a monkey allows him to have all kinds of mishaps and adventures, and kids — and adults — get to live vicariously through him. George embodies the joy of discovery that kids naturally possess, and I think they see him as a soul mate.

Growing up, what shows did you watch?
For me then and still, I love shows whose characters, be they real or animated, raise play to an art form. And when it’s pulled off by an entire cast at the same time, it’s magic. Growing up, in the land of ’70s kids TV, for me those shows were The Electric Company, Sesame Street, and School House Rock. In primetime (or supposed-to-be-in-bedtime), The Carol Burnett Show, M*A*S*H, and Saturday Night Live.

When you’re at a social event and someone asks what you do for a living, do they always have a Curious George or Arthur story they want to share?
That’s one of the nicest perks. Parents light up when I tell them what I do; they and their kids love and trust these shows and they share this with such enthusiasm. It’s lovely and an honor. Kind of the opposite of having a drink thrown in your face.

Tug-o-war, who would win: Curious George or Arthur?
These characters are both so rooted in cooperation and friendship, I think they would tug spiritedly for a bit, just for the fun of it, but quickly turn it into a game or adventure.

photo by Tanit Sakakini

About the Article

A version of this article originally appeared in the Fall 2008 issue of Ed., the magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Respond to this story with an e-mail to the editor.