Children's Television

See also Watch with Mother.

Blue Peter

Blue Peter's first presenters		Christopher Trace
		Leila Williams
Theme tune		Barnacle Bill
Ship logo: designed and drawn by		Tony Hart
Editor of Blue Peter, 1965–88 – credited with devising much of the format that is still used today		Biddy Baxter
Blue Peter's first and longest–serving pet (1962–77)		Petra
Blue Peter's first guide dog puppy (1964)		Honey
The second Blue Peter pet, and the first cat (May 1964 to January 1976)		Jason
The third Blue Peter pet (October 1963 to April 1979)		Fred(a) the tortoise
Blue Peter dog that retired in 1999 after 13 years		Bonnie
Dog that retired in 2010 after 14 years on the show (died in 2011)		Mabel
Baby elephant that caused havoc in the Blue Peter studio in 1969		Lulu
Presenter who appeared as Stephen, assistant to the first Dr. Who, and also appeared in EastEnders		Peter Purves
Appeared on over 100 episodes, 1974–87; established the Blue Peter garden, and was left "desolate" when it was destroyed by vandals		Percy Thrower
Presenter sacked 1998 for having taken drugs		Richard Bacon
Presenter whose pregnancy was chronicled in the programme, 1979–80		Tina Heath
Longest–serving presenter (1965–78)		John Noakes
Longest–serving female presenter (1997–2008)		Konnie Huq
Name chosen by producers for the cat that viewers voted to call Cookie, 2007		Socks

The Dukes of Hazzard

Name of Bo & Luke Duke's car (an orange 1969 Dodge Charger, with a Confederate flag painted on the roof)		General Lee
Daisy Duke		Catherine Bach
Uncle Jesse		Denver Pyle
Corrupt police commissioner of Hazzard County		J. D. "Boss" Hogg
J. D. "Boss" Hogg's first names		Jefferson Davis
Bumbling sheriff of Hazzard County, and Boss Hogg's right–hand man		Rosco P(urvis) Coltrane
Rosco's honest but naive young Deputy – had a crush on Daisy; catchphrase "Possum on a gum bush"		Enos Strate
The Duke family's best friend (often referred to as an "honorary Duke") – owner of the local garage		Cooter Davenport
The (fictional) Hazzard County is in (real American state)		Georgia

Swap Shop

Full title		Multi–Coloured Swap Shop
Original presenters		Noel Edmonds
		Keith Chegwin
		John Craven
Joined as a presenter from Series 3 (1978)		Maggie Philbin
Composer of the theme tune (record producer associated with Seal, Yes, Buggles, Art of Noise)		Trevor Horn
Dinosaur mascot (Swap Shop spelt backwards)		Pohs Paws
Pop group formed by the presenters – had a Top 20 hit with I Wanna be a Winner		Brown Sauce

Worzel Gummidge

1979–81

Title character		Jon Pertwee
Aunt Sally		Una Stubbs
Saucy Nancy (a ship's figurehead – occasional guest appearances)		Barbara Windsor
The Crowman (actor better known in the title role of Catweazle)		Geoffrey Bayldon

2019–21 (six episodes)

Title character; also wrote and directed

Mackenzie Crook

People

Catweazle: title role		Geoffrey Bayldon
Creator of Potty Time		Michael Bentine
Operator of Sooty from 1999, bought the rights to Sooty and his entourage in 1998		Richard Cadell
Billy Bunter was played (in the 1952–61 series) by		Gerald Campion
Played 'Tucker' Jenkins in Grange Hill		Todd Carty
Took over from Philip Schofield as presenter of Children's BBC in 1986; replaced by Andi Peters in 1990		Andy Crane
Jackanory's most–featured author		Roald Dahl
Circus Boy: Corky was played by		Mickey Dolenz
Played Tarzan in the 1960s TV series		Ron Ely
Co–founder with Oliver Postgate of Smallfilms (producers of Noggin the Nog, The Clangers, Pogle's Wood, Ivor the Engine, Bagpuss: also (with Ivan Owen) created Basil Brush		Peter Firmin
Played Spring in The Double Deckers; became singer of Aswad		Brinsley Ford
Muffin the Mule: presenter (sister of actor Sir John)		Annette Mills
Main presenter of Animal Magic (1962–83); died in 1999 aged 82		Johnny Morris
Played Davy Crockett (1955–6) and Daniel Boone (1964–70)		Fess Parker
Presenter of Children's BBC, 1989–93; the presenter most closely associated with Edd the Duck and his enemy, Wilson the butler		Andi Peters
Co–founder of Smallfilms, and narrator of all their productions (Noggin the Nog, The Clangers, Pogle's Wood, Ivor the Engine, Bagpuss; grandson of Labour leader George Lansbury, cousin of actress Angela Lansbury		Oliver Postgate
The first in–vision continuity presenter for Children's BBC (weekdays, 1985–6)		Philip Schofield
Made her TV debut presenting the Saturday morning Tiswas rival No. 73 as Ethel, an eccentric old lady who got younger as the programme went on (program produced by Southern TV, 1982–8 – nationwide from 1983 – later retitled 7T3 – she left in 1985, after Series 6)		Sandi Toksvig
Played the rebellious teenager Suzanne Ross in Grange Hill		Susan Tully

Programmes

Most–repeated children's TV series		Andy Pandy
Professor Yaffle, Madeleine the rag doll, Gabriel the toad, Emily (played by the daughter of co–creator Peter Firmin): all featured in		Bagpuss
Filmed in Tobermory, Isle of Mull – 2002–5		Balamory
'Framing character' and narrator is Miss Hoolie; also features Archie the inventor (played by Miles Jupp); Josie Jump, the fitness instructor; Eddie McCredie, the bus driver; PC Plum; Spencer the painter; Suzie Sweet and Penny Pocket, who run the cafe and shop
Bingo the gorilla, Drooper the lion, Fleegle the beagle, Snooky the elephant; theme song (subtitled The Tra La La Song) was a Top 10 hit for the Dickies in 1978		Banana Splits
David Nixon, Derek Fowlds, Rodney Bewes: all appeared with		Basil Brush
ITV, 1970–1: Geoffrey Bayldon stars as the title character, an eccentric 11th century wizard who accidentally travels through time to the year 1969 and befriends a young boy, who tries to prevent him being discovered as he searches for a way to return to his own time whilst hiding out in a disused water tower, with his familiar, a toad called Touchwood, and tries to come to terms with modern technology such as "elec–trikery" and the "telling bone"		Catweazle
"It's Friday, it's five to five, it's ... "		Crackerjack
Channel 4, 1998–2003: teen drama, set in the fictional Cape Cod port of Capeside; launched the acting careers of Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams (among others)		Dawson's Creek
American drama series, 1964–7: title character was a dolphin who was the pet of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve, and his two young sons, Sandy and Bud		Flipper
ITV, 1983–7: produced by Jim Henson, starring Muppet–like characters, with country–specific "wraparounds"; the British wraparounds starred Fulton Mackay as The Captain, and were set in a lighthouse		Fraggle Rock
Disney Channel, 2006–11: starred Miley Cyrus in the title role, as a teenager who lives a double life as an ordinary schoolgirl by day and a famous recording artiste by night (the role that made her famous)		Hannah Montana
Groove, Iver, Tula, Roma, Hubba Hubba		The Hoobs
BBC, 1986–7: comedy series centred around a boys' football team (Glipton Grasshoppers) and their enthusiastic Geordie manager; written by Geordie darts commentator and television personality Sid Waddell		Jossy's Giants
Canadian series, 1963–5 and 1979–85 (based on a 1958 US film of the same title): about a stray German shepherd dog that wanders from town to town, helping people in need; theme song of the revival version was Maybe Tomorrow by Terry Bush		The Littlest Hobo
1968–80 – ITV's answer to Blue Peter: first presenters were Pete Brady (Radio 1 DJ), Susan Stranks and Tony Bastable; other presenters included Jenny Hanley and Mick Robertson		Magpie
Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera: all started on		Mickey Mouse Club
Billy, Zak, Jason, Kimberley, Trina, Tommy: colour–coded fighting heroes who must defend the Earth from the evil alien soceress Rita Repulsa (first broadcast 1993–5)		Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Ryder (a ten–year–old boy), Marshall, Rubble, Chase, Rocky and Skye (dogs) are the eponymous search and rescue team in (Nickelodeon animated series)		PAW Patrol
Topov the Monkey, Octavia the Ostrich, Mooney the Badger, Hartley Hare		Pipkins
Successor to Play School (1988–97): Zoe Ball, Trish Cooke; the Why Bird, Peggy Patch, Poppy (name changed in 1989 as it clashed with a national charity)		Playbus / Playdays
Cheryl Baker (1987–97), Kriss Akabusi (1993–97) and Linford Christie (1998–2000) have all appeared as presenters on		Record Breakers
Fred Mumford, Timothy Claypole, Hubert Davenport, Miss Popov, Hazel McWitch, Dobbin the pantomime horse		Rentaghost
Introduced Jim Henson's Muppet characters to a children's audience, on its debut in 1969; went on to become the USA's longest–running children's TV programme		Sesame Street
ITV, 1985–7: title character played by Gudrun Ure, with Iain Cuthbertson as her nemesis, The Scunner Campbell		Super Gran
Original run 1972–81: created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his novel Spencer's Mountain (filmed in 1963 starring Henry Fonda); piloted in a TV movie called The Homecoming: a Christmas Story (1971)		The Waltons

Miscellaneous

Take Hart	Name of the caretaker – the only real person to appear, apart from Tony Hart himself		Mr. Bennett
	Plasticine character (created by Aardman Animations)		Morph
Game on Crackerjack (cabbages for wrong answers)			Double or drop
Bananaman (BBC, 1983–6): all the voices were provided by (comedy team)			The Goodies
Philip Schofield's rodent companion in the Broom Cupboard (1985–7)			Gordon the Gopher
Title character in The Adventures of Robin Hood (ATV, 1955–9)			Richard Greene
Family in Little House on the Prairie			Ingalls
David Cassidy's character in The Partridge family			Keith
The Waltons: business that the family ran			Lumber
Characters played by Ant and Dec in Byker Grove – they used the same names in their brief combined career as pop singers			PJ and Duncan
First appeared on TV–am on 1 April 1983 (Good Friday) – 2 months after its launch; generally regarded as its saviour – "the only rat to join a sinking ship". Lives in "the Ratcave" – a "bachelor sewer" underneath King's Cross station			Roland Rat
Children's sci–fi series, 1970–1, starred Cheryl Burfield and Spencer Banks as Liz Skinner and Simon Randall			Timeslip
Grange Hill: Peter Jenkins's nickname			Tucker

© Haydn Thompson 2017–24