The mouse is the favorite TV character of German children

Now in its thirteenth year, the International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television (IZI) is surveying the favorite characters of 3 to 13-year-olds in Germany on a representative level. In September 2018, 1216 representatively selected children (633 boys, 583 girls) were asked about their favorite television characters.

The favorite characters of 3 to 13-year-olds

1. The mouse (The show with the mouse)
2. SpongeBob SquarePants, Garfield
3. Witch Lilli
4. Bart Simpson
5. Fireman Sam

In the overall ranking for 3 to 13-year-olds, the mouse is now ahead of SpongeBob for the second year in a row, tied with Garfield the cat and followed by Lilly the witch. Bart Simpson and Fireman Sam follow in 4th and 5th place. This means that cartoon characters once again dominate children's favorite characters this year, with Sheldon Cooper ("The Big Bang Theory") following in 12th place. The most popular presenters of knowledge programs are Checker Tobi (BR/KiKA) and Fritz Fuchs (ZDF/KiKA).

For pre-school children: the classics at the top

The mouse is particularly popular with pre-school children. Fireman Sam and Kikaninchen as well as the little blue elephant (Die Sendung mit der Maus) follow at a considerable distance among 3 to 5-year-olds. This means that it is primarily public service classics that are at the top of the list for the youngest children. They are complemented by Bob the Builder (SuperRTL), who has been showing children how problems can be solved by working as a team for almost two decades now. A new addition to the 2018 hit list is Maya the Bee, which is now also broadcast in the morning on KiKA.

The preschoolers' favorite characters

1. The mouse (The show with the mouse)
2. Fireman Sam
3. Chickadee
4. Bob the Builder, The Little (Blue) Elephant (Die Sendung mit der Maus), Maya the Bee (Maya the Bee)
5. Sandman (Sandman)

Girls are looking for clever girls, boys for cool male figures

Cartoon characters are also leading the way among 6 to 13-year-old girls in 2018. Whether it's Lilli the witch, who can travel through time, or Sally Bollywood, who solves criminal cases at her high school: girls choose clever girls from the TV range as role models. They are girl characters who assert themselves with intelligence, are self-determined and take responsibility for their tasks.

Among 6 to 13-year-old boys, on the other hand, there are characters who deliberately undermine the requirements. Whether on purpose, like Bart Simpson, who plays pranks on teachers and attacks weaker pupils, or out of good-natured stupidity, like SpongeBob, who actually only ever wants good things and yet everything goes wrong. Boys do not emulate the behavior or problem-solving strategies of these "funny losers". They rather use them as psychological relief because Bart, SpongeBob, Garfield or Sheldon Cooper, although they can't do many things and are sometimes really awkward in their social dealings, still always have a clique that sticks by them. They get through life well - even without always having to be the best.

Favorite characters of 6- to 13-year-old boys

1. Bart Simpson
2. SpongeBog SquarePants
3. Garfield
4. Sheldon Cooper ("The Big Bang Theory")

Favorite characters of 6- to 13-year-old girls

1. Witch Lilly, Sally Bollywood
2. Barbie
3. Bibi Blocksberg, Kim Possible, K.C. ("K.C. Undercover")
4. Garfield, Sherazade, Lisa Simpson