What's on: TV highlights for Friday, July 1

ROOKIE REPORTER: ELECTION

***
11.30am, 7pm, ABC3

What a great way to introduce the younger set to the nitty gritty of democracy in action. Since early June, 12-year-old Maya has been sharing her experiences as a rookie political reporter, from basic tuition in the skills of being a political journo to her precis of assorted policy announcements, introduction to the major parties and independents, and finally life on the campaign trail. It's been about as precise and informative a snapshot as you could wish for as the campaign has progressed. Tonight we get all the best bits in a sharp half-hour documentary.

BUILDING HITLER'S SUPERGUN

​**1/2
8.35pm, SBS

If this were actually about building Hitler's supergun it would have been a pretty good show. When we get a bit of Mythbusters-style engineering as a couple of boffins try to recreate a never-used piece of German artillery it's a fascinating watch. Unfortunately that stuff comprises about a fifth of the hour running time. The rest is a history lesson on the Brits and Americans trying to destroy Hitler's supergun once they found out about it, and if there is some small glimmer of interest in the fact that Joe Kennedy Jnr lost his life trying to do so, the rest is decidedly ho-hum for any but the most ardent military buffs.

MOVIE: FRANKENWEENIE

​***
6.30pm, 7Flix

Mentioning that this young person's film is made by Tim Burton is perhaps all you need to know. If you're guessing it's kind of weird, very gentle, rather sweet, often funny, a little melancholy – and with the odd freak-out moment for the more fragile under-12s – you'd be spot-on. Essentially Frankenstein for juniors, Frankenweenie is the tale of a young boy, Victor, who unexpectedly loses his beloved dog and decides to use the wonders of science to bring him back to life. Unlike Frankenstein, though, Sparky the Dog is adorable – and definitely does not end up rampaging through the village killing everyone in sight.