My fab friend Lisa who writes beautifully about her life on her own blog ‘Lisa’s Blog‘ kindly agreed to write me a guest post while I am on holiday! We all love to think back to our favourite children’s television programmes but what’s better? Television from back in the day or how it is now? Lisa has some brilliant points!

So, Channel 5 are going to be screening a new series of The Wombles. Yes, those loveable furry litter-pickers from the 70s are making a comeback. But – and there is always a but – it is going to be with CGI. Now I embrace CGI as much as the next person, but is it really necessary? There is something to be said for the old-fashioned charm of children’s telly from years ago…

Very recently, my 3 year old daughter discovered Peter Pan. Not some new version, but the 1953 Disney animation.
She was completely captivated. She’s also into Scooby-Doo. And she doesn’t care which version she’s watching, the decade is unimportant.

Whilst I think it is fair to say that they don’t make them like they used to (no really), I think we are doing current telly a disservice. A lot of what’s available for kids now really is just as good.
So here, for you to ponder, are a few of my picks of the best kids’ telly, old and new.

THEN:

Button Moon – surreal, and unashamedly made from what appeared to be tin foil and cereal packets

Mr Benn – what kid doesn’t like dressing up? And who can resist looking out for the shopkeeper’s cameo appearance in every episode (ooh, just like Hitchcock!)?

Bagpuss – just thinking about it makes me all misty-eyed…

Play School – no comment needed

Danger Mouse – he’s the greatest secret
agent in the world. This show had everything – heroes, villains, secret hideaways, sidekicks…and gags. Who needs James Bond when you’ve Danger Mouse?

NOW:

Peppa Pig – OK, she’s a bit
divisive, but this show has a lot going for it. Worth it for the amazing Miss Rabbit alone. Not only does she run the supermarket, she’s a firefighter, librarian, ice cream seller, china shop owner, bus driver, train driver…the list goes on

Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom – from the same stable as Peppa, this is its smarter, funnier big sister. Gotta love Nanny Plum!

Show Me, Show Me – like Play School, but
put together better.

The Adventures of Abney & Teal – cute, old-school, gentle. A throwback to how things used to be, it is about two friends who live on an island in the middle of an urban park. And they like porridge.

Horrible Histories – best educational show for kids ever. Fact.

So, the next time you feel like moaning about how rubbish kids’ telly is now, try and remember it really isn’t that bad. Every generation believes that what they had was the best, but that simply isn’t true. We just had fewer shows to choose from, some of them great, some of them not so great. But they seem more memorable to us because we were the target audience then.
And no matter what decade you were a child in, Blue Peter was always rubbish

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