Informal learning environments compel the design of activities that are both appealing and educational. This paper addresses issues involved in the design of science television programs for preadolescents, drawing more specifically on the case of a French-language series currently in production in Montreal. The program goals and format are discussed in relation to the target audience's developmental characteristics, their attitudes toward science, and their experience with the television medium. Such a series, it is proposed, should attempt to provide an emotional experience that is entertaining, involving and relevant as well as a cognitive experience that is challenging and empowering. Suggestions are offered as to how these qualities might be implemented in a television program. Experience with the series leads one to believe that the initial tension between learning and entertainment may be resolved creatively. (Author/CW)