I didn't grow up with TV. When I was Little G's age and older, we got our juvenile entertainment from the radio. Listen with Mother was followed by Children's Hour with Uncle Mac, Toytown, Jennings and Norman & Henry Bones, boy detectives.
Forward 65 years and you come to CBeebies. Although You must be mad has indicated that Little G enjoys various programmes, I've tried to keep the TV off as much as possible. There are so many other things to do and share. And I see TV fulfilling the same function as Daffy's Cordial in Victorian times: a drug to keep a child quiescent.
However, when You must be mad's train from London gets delayed, I have given in and Little G, cosily wrapped in one of her mum's jumpers, sits on my lap and we watch In The Night Garden together on CBeebies.
In The Night Garden is like Breugel the Elder meets Spike Milligan. With voiceover. It is possibly best appreciated slightly drunk, but I can't set Little G a bad example, so I watch it stone cold sober and utterly baffled. She, on the other hand, loves it - pointing at the screen and chuckling when a good bit comes on.
What amazes me is that someone writes stuff that has characters called Iggle Piggle, Makka Pakka and Upsy Daisy in it. And gets paid! Probably quite a lot, as the programme has a huge following. Gentle reader of this blog, I seriously think I am in the wrong business.
I came to the same conclusion about the mindboggling popularity of Teletubbies. Not that it would be necessary to have a lot of mind to boggle in that case...
ReplyDeleteAwww, the years melted away reading this....It was 'Watch' with Mother when I was a kid, I loved it... though I have to say, when years later, I got it on video for my own kids to watch... I wanted to punch the TV ;)
ReplyDelete"Oooooo look, isn't he a clever little dog, he's gone to fetch a ruler"
As for Night Garden....one of you's will need valium before long, and it's unlikely to be little G. :)
It is weird, isn't it? Not just me?
DeleteI'm with you on this - the programme producers must understand children as they love it. But teacher-daughter frowns at the fact that the characters don't actually speak! I get the non-verbal bit (children communicate very effectively before they can use words) but still don't understand what the appeal is!
ReplyDeleteneither do I ... she loves it,,though mind, by 6.25 she is pretty tired, so might love anything...
DeleteNo, you are not in the wrong business, Carol. You do what you love... and what we love to read...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anita,,,,,,and Seumas.... I do wonder though....
Delete..aren’t we all , m’Lady, Carol ( in the wrong jobs)... :):) LUV the post:)
ReplyDeleteRemember the times when there wasn't 24/7 TV with 999 channels to choose from? I used to sit and watch the BBC Test Card girl while I waited for the children's after lunch programme, Trumpton ("Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub.") Or Camberwick Green. I had another favourite, Mary, Mungo and Midge. My own kids grew up with Teletubbies and The Tweenies.
ReplyDeleteI think you and my daughter may be similar vintage..those names are ringing tinkly winkly bells...
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