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PRINTRevealed: the top 10 children's TV programmes
Immediate Release: 16 April 2009
They say never work with children or animals. Well, some brave souls totally ignore that advice and, as we can all no doubt recall from our childhoods, it can end up in disastrous and hilarious consequences! But what are some of the best children’s TV programmes of all time? Who better to lead us through than the master of 80s kids TV himself, former Blue Peter presenter Mark Curry..?
They say never work with children or animals. Well, some brave souls totally ignore that advice and, as we can all no doubt recall from our childhoods, it can end up in disastrous and hilarious consequences! But what are some of the best children’s TV programmes of all time? Who better to lead us through than the master of 80s kids TV himself, former Blue Peter presenter Mark Curry..?
10. Sesame Street
The longest running children’s TV series on American TV, the original series has been televised in more than 120 countries. Big Bird, Bert and Ernie and the Cookie Monster have become some of the world’s most loved characters on children’s TV, not to mention Kermit the Frog and his glamorous sidekick, Miss Piggy. It’s also attracted hundreds of guest performers, including James Brown, David Beckham, Robert de Niro and even Kofi Annan!
9. Danger Mouse
He's The Best, He's The Greatest, He's The Greatest Secret Agent In The World! Together with his bumbling assistant Penfold, Danger Mouse (voiced by Sir David Jason), does battle to save the world from monsters, master thieves and crazed fiends, the most prolific being DM’s arch nemesis, a megalomaniac frog, named Baron Silas Greenback and his henchman crow, Stiletto.
8. Play School
On the air for just short of 25 years, Play School’s cast of colourful characters included Big Ted and Little Ted, Jemima the rag doll and Humpty. First, a general theme for the day would be introduced, followed by a song, a glance at the calendar and the telling of the time at the big clock. Soon after, it would be time to go through the window for a short film followed by a final bit of pasting, painting or making before it was ‘Bye bye’ for that day.
7. Rainbow
Originally conceived as a British equivalent of Sesame Street, each episode of Rainbow revolved around a particular activity or situation, usually involving some kind of dispute between the puppet characters of Zippy, George and Bungle, and Geoffrey's attempts to calm them down and keep the peace. Who could forget the iconic theme tune..? Up above the streets and houses, Rainbow climbing high…
6. Why Don’t You..?
The highlight of any school holiday, ‘Why Don't You?’ or ‘Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead?’ ran for 42 series. Gangs of children from around the country performed suggestions from viewers including games and magic tricks children could learn to impress their friends. Both Ant McPartlin and Pauline Quirke appeared as presenters and Russell T Davies (of Dr Who fame) was a producer and director on the show!
5. Bagpuss
Just 13 episodes were ever made about the ‘old, saggy cloth cat, baggy, and a bit loose at the seams’ back in 1974 but the programme’s legacy lives on to this day. According to the programme’s creator, Peter Firmin, the cat was meant to be ginger marmalade but the company dyeing the material made a mistake and it turned out pink and cream!
4. Sooty
It’s hard to believe Sooty’s now 60 years old. With a personality fluctuating between kindness, cheekiness and downright naughtiness, Sooty and his catchphrase "Izzy wizzy, let's get busy!" remain firm favourites to this day. Who can forget Harry Corbett (and later his son Matthew’s) signature sign off? "Bye bye everybody, bye bye".
3. Magic Roundabout
As popular with parents as with their children, Dougal, Zebidee, Brian, Ermintrude and Dylan - along with Florence and Mr Rusty – the French series first came to British screens in the mid 1960s. Some 500 episodes were made and the show’s audience reached 8 million at its peak.
2. Grange Hill
Creator Phil Redmond of Brookside and Hollyoaks fame brought a new, gritty reality of school life in North London to our screens in 1978 with storylines including drug addiction, disability, bullying and attempted suicide. It spawned its very own spin off series, Tuckers Luck, and launched the careers of many young actors, not to mention taking the world and The White House by storm with its ‘Just Say No’ campaign.
‘And now for something completely different…’ From the iconic ‘makes’ to the famous gaffes (including Lulu the elephant’s on screen antics), Blue Peter has a place in the heart of every child. Who could forget Yvette Fielding's disastrous attempt to cook a pancake and Mark Curry driving a mini sit-on traction engine into part of the set? And who didn’t take part in one of the famous ‘Bring and Buys’ or secretly covet a BP badge? With far too many magic moments to list, Blue Peter is our number one Children’s TV programme.
Actor and presenter Mary Curry spent 4 years presenting Blue Peter in the mid 1980s alongside the ‘Dream Team’ of Caron Keating and Yvette Fielding. Since moving on from the show, he has indulged his first love – theatre – including a six month run in the West End in ‘Woman In Black’ and national tours of ‘Billy Liar’, and ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’. He has also presented several other TV shows; including’ Change That’, ‘Record Breakers’ and ‘Catch Phrase’. He recently starred in a national tour of Alan Aykbourne’s production of ‘Tons Of Money’ and competed in the BBC’s ‘Let’s Dance For Comic Relief’. He is supporting Elizabeth Finn Care’s major fundraising event, ‘The Big Tea Cosy’, which is encouraging people to hold a tea party in the week of 4th May to raise funds for people in poverty.