For some astronomical/biblical/biological reason, all the teens and adults on Earth have disappeared or died leaving only small children... say maybe ten and under.

Yeah, it's all fun and games with no parents around for the first half hour or so, but then it gets fairly dystopian when the electricity shuts off and the water quits running.

Maybe the kids in warmer climates won't freeze to death at night.

What kind of <10 year old children survive longer than a week when all the boxed cereal runs out?


Now, the problem I'm having with this idea - AS ENTERTAINMENT - is that parents/guardians really don't want to watch this stuff because its (or should be) too close to home/the heart.
Non-parents/guardians... well... I don't think they really wanna pay money to watch kids croak en masse.
Zombies and soldiers are one thing. Kids are another.
And I'm pretty sure there's no PG spin on this, so...

Are some ideas just unmarketable, and I don't mean "PAINT! The story of how it dries! In 3D!"
I think there's a boatload of emotional ranges and situations that can be delved into for ninety minutes in the scenario.
I just don't think there's a marketable story there despite any funny moments and before heart strings being cut off.

Any takes on such routes?
Anyone else have similar ideas that they feel just wouldn't go anywhere despite some real depth?


I forget which other thread it was recently, but someone remarked how there are good ideas poorly executed, cinematically. Likewise, I think there are some weak or fair ideas that have been very well produced (none come to mind, but trust me).

I'm wondering if some things just need to be left alone no matter how well they could be executed.

Sounds like Lord of the Flies....


Phil

A Swedish television channel is starting a reality show about exactly that. Kids alone unsupervised...let's see what happens!!! we already know kids are really cruel to each other. I doubt there will be anyone actually dying, but I'm sure they're hoping for a lot of cruelty and heartbreak.


Btw, did the Romans already do this "show"?