I’m joined by Gulliver Smithers, Chief Product Officer at Caterpillar Captions, to discuss how children’s television can support literacy through subtitles designed specifically for young readers. Gulliver explains why simply switching captions on isn’t enough: timing, typography, accuracy and presentation all matter. We explore how Caterpillar upgrades subtitles for existing programmes, creates “nutrition labels” describing the vocabulary and reading concepts in each show, and helps parents understand the learning opportunities within their children’s viewing.

The proposition also has a commercial angle: can making screen time feel more valuable encourage parents to recommend a streaming service and keep their subscriptions? Gulliver shares lessons from trials with Canal+, including parent advocacy and families watching together, and we discuss the wider role of subtitles in language learning and accessibility. Drawing on his experience across BBC, Sky, ITV and Sony Pictures, he explains how Caterpillar combines its mission to help children read better with an opportunity for streamers to get more value from their existing catalogues.

Watch the full episode below and share or comment on LinkedIn.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to IBC and Caterpillar Captions
02:56 The Importance of Subtitles for Literacy
05:42 Enhancing Children’s Content with Subtitles
09:00 The Role of Parents in Children’s Learning
11:52 The Impact of Subtitles on Language Learning
14:56 Caterpillar Captions: A Do-Gooder Approach
17:48 Gulliver’s Background and Industry Insights

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