As a reporter, sometimes you’re given a gift: an insight, a nugget of information that surprises you, or inspires you to dig a little deeper. When we look back at the past year, these are the stories that we’re proudest of—and they’re full of those little surprises. We hope they’re as delightful to read as they were to write.

Producers need to reduce their carbon footprints if they want to get commissions (February 6)

Here’s an unexpected way the kids industry is making a difference. Packed with charts and other data insights, this magazine feature by Ryan Tuchow dove deep into how production companies can go carbon-neutral as European broadcasters push the industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sure, some countries may be rolling back their environmental regulations right now, but here’s an initiative that’s making the world a little greener one commission at a time.

The competition is building for construction toy dominance (May 16)

We all know that LEGO is at the top of the heap when it comes to construction toys, but even we were shocked to learn that the Danish brickmaker controls more than 90% of the market. And supercharged by homebound hobbyists during the pandemic, it looked like nobody could topple this building-block goliath. Cole Watson delivered the story of two brave challengers—Mattel and Jazwares—stepping up to try.

China’s young parents are reshaping kids media (June 30)

We don’t often get much detailed data on the Chinese market, so this story on a study from Chinese streaming platform Bilibili was pretty special. Unlike Chinese Millennials, who pick shows for their kids with clear “educational” benefits, it turns out that younger parents are introducing their kids to shows that teach softer skills. Reporter Sadhana Bharanidharan says: “As someone who learned a lot of English from watching TV, it was cool to learn that Gen-Z parents are really using cartoons as a big part of teaching their kids a second language.”

At 25, APTN doubles down on Indigenous content for kids (July 21)

Indigenous broadcaster APTN has been forging its own way in Canada since before the country launched its Truth and Reconciliation Commission to come to terms with the harm it has inflicted on Indigenous populations. Sadhana Bharanidharan’s in-depth interview with TV content director Adam Garnet Jones looked back at the channel’s 25-year legacy of creating relatable content for Indigenous kids, and also ahead at what’s next, including a game-changing international co-pro with New Zealand broadcasters to tell more Indigenous stories.

A timeline of the Paramount-Skydance saga (July 25)

Now that all’s said and done, we certainly spilled a lot of (digital) ink on the twists and turns of the Paramount sale. Sadhana Bharanidharan’s detailed timeline wove together both our stories and reporting from other publications into a beat-for-beat retelling of the chaotic merger. And just when we thought the Paramount drama was over, it looks like we might have to start constructing another timeline soon.

Noggin is coming back with big ambitious plans (August 21)

Sometimes, as a journalist, you have to deliver bad news. In our line of work, that could mean the closure of a studio or mass layoffs. It’s rare that you get to return to that same story with some good news—but that’s exactly what happened with Noggin. Back in February 2024, Ryan Tuchow broke the story that Paramount was closing Nickelodeon’s gaming and SVOD service and laying off the whole team. A little over a year later, he had the good fortune to reveal that the brand was coming back as a newly independent company with some really cool ideas.

Gabby’s Dollhouse: An oral history (September 26)

In light of the accidental breakout explosion of KPop Demon Hunters this year, it was fascinating for Cole Watson to talk with the creators of another Netflix staple, Gabby’s Dollhouse, about just how confident they were that they had all the elements to make the show a commercial success. Four years in, with 11 seasons and a movie under its belt, this is one to study if you want to figure out how to engineer a hit.

MLB family activations are knocking it out of the park (October 24)

While he had his heart broken by the Blue Jays this year (we’re based in Toronto), Cole Watson still had a great time exploring why baseball is an amazing vehicle for branded experiences. Sesame Workshop, Hidden Pigeon Company and Fred Rogers Productions all pitched in to share how they make family activations special at the stadium—and how an event like that can raise your brand’s profile with a whole new segment of kids.

Our series on crowdfunding (Part 1) (Part 2) (November 27 and 28)

As money for kids shows gets harder and harder to come by, this two-part series from Ryan Tuchow explored how producers can turn to online fans and investors for funding. Of course there’s always a catch: only certain types of projects are likely to find success on crowdfunding platforms, and it’s pretty rare that a project can get fully financed this way. But that’s no reason not to try! We hope that this series is helping producers learn how to incorporate crowdfunding into their broader funding strategy—and inch closer to getting their dream projects off the ground.

With files from Ryan Tuchow, Cole Watson and Sadhana Bharanidharan.