It was only when I started to think back to all the children’s programmes we used to watch with our two when they were little that I began to realise just how many there were.  This was only about 10 years ago but amazingly there wasn’t 24/7 TV for kids like there is now.  We’d have to video our favourites the same way we used to tape the Top 40 in the 80s – stop/start with no talky bits inbetween.

It was only because I wondered if there had been any Kids’ TV featuring letters or the Post Office that I started to look them up.  I was surprised at how many I’d forgotten about.  The danger now is that you might get sucked into watching them (like I was) and I’m meant to be encouraging people to write letters to each other, but equally I’m fascinated how they are made and all the production of them.  They are so clever (well I think so).  I’m guessing hardwork too but I imagine it’s great fun making them.

Our favourites were Tots TV, Tikkabilla, Peppa Pig, Balamory (always a bit odd but still loved it), Gordon the Garden Gnome, Gigglebiz, Show Me Show Me, Razzledazzle, Bits and Bobs, Charlie and Lola, Something Special, Boo!, Bobinogs, Lazy Town, Koala Brothers, Kipper, Grandpa in my Pocket, Third and Bird, The Tweenies, The Hoobs, 64 Zoo Lane, Brum, Mr Maker, and Shaun the Sheep, to name just a few!  Oh my goodness, that’s bad isn’t it?! The list is ginormous (I haven’t even listed half of them!).  But in our defence 1) CBeebies was always so wholesome (in fact I made everyone watch the CBeebies Christmas Carol show this morning – it still is), and 2) it saved my sanity.  Some were ITV shows and obviously other children’s channels are available but we don’t have Sky (not even the freeview works very well, and you have to remember this is a family with a VHS player still and a dinosaur for a Mum) so we tended to stick with CBeebies.  CBBC can be a bit edgy at times I find, but CBeebies, aw, happy memories…

We wrote to them once to say how “we” particularly liked Chris Jarvis and Justin Fletcher (purely their presenting skills of course).  We got a reply and t-shirts and bags and a signed Space Pirates photo (which “we” seem to have lost!).  We loved Space Pirates.  And Carrie and David’s Pop Shop. Oh, Boogie Beebies too (“Excavator, forward and back”!?).  Big Cook, Little Cook!  Come Outside! Oh dear, who knew the hours we spent glued to the television.  Lovely though, and definitely educational.  That’s my excuse anyway, and I’m sticking to it!

Dinah