The HBO Music Box series created by Bill Simmons, dives into the world of children’s music, uncovering stories of the artists who shaped the genre, with the documentary Happy and You Know It.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Penny Lane (HBO’s “Listening to Kenny G”) it debuts Thursday, December 25 (9:00-10:20 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and HBO Max.
Music Box: Happy and You Know It explores the underestimated and wildly popular genre, delving behind the scenes to tell the origin stories of some of the top names in the field. It also traces the evolution of this prolific business and how advancements in technology and AI are reshaping and turbo-charging this genre.
Featuring a colorful and charming cast and their toe-tapping songs, the film reframes children’s music as a misunderstood yet vital cultural artform that influences how kids develop. It chronicles the unexpected paths artists take to embrace the creative freedom found in writing music that shapes childhoods.
Anthony Field of “The Wiggles” turned his songs into a global phenomenon resulting in over four billion streams on Spotify; Chris Ballew of the rock band “The Presidents of the United States of America” walked away from mainstream fame, fulfilling his artistic drive by reinventing himself as the surrealistic Caspar Babypants; Divinity Roxx toured with Beyoncé as her bass player before releasing a GRAMMY®-nominated hip hop and R&B album for children; Laurie Berkner was a pre-school music teacher struggling to connect with her students; Johnny Only turned to kids’ music after years of chasing rock stardom, only to be crushed by the newer, shinier, mass-produced version of “Baby Shark” that he had originally posted on YouTube in 2011.
Subverting the notion that making music for children is easy and proving that love, imagination, and emotional truth are the foundations of songs that resonate, Happy and You Know It reminds us of the magical way music connects us across generations and to the child inside us all.
Watch the trailer for Music Box: Happy and You Know It.
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