I’m too young (not something I find myself saying often) to say that I remember The Clangers from their first time around but even though the show stopped broadcasting in 1974 (I wasn’t born until 1979), I still knew exactly who they were. When I was a child it was way before the likes of YouTube and personal tablets so unlike Florence, who watches old shows from my youth on her iPad, I didn’t actually get to see them at all, yet they were THAT famous, still we all knew about them!
My Mum was rather fond of them too and yet she was an adult who had finished university, just started teaching and had no children of her own when they first aired; their appeal spanned far more than just the children the show was intended for. It’s a wonder really that they didn’t stay on our screens due to their popularity but for some reason, the hand knitted character’s show was cancelled and not to return for another 41 years after their last screening! That’s quite some time, that’s way older than ME even, and it beggars belief because now that it’s back, still using stop-motion animation as it always did (proving it’s stood the test of time well and can happily shun the likes of CGI), it’s been an instant hit with children and grown ups alike – why did they ever cancel it?!
In June 2015 they appeared back on our screens and just like my Mum back in their original days, as an adult I think I am just as much of a fan as my children are. This time around Michael Palin narrates and the Clangers are back to being harmonious aliens living in a hollow planet far, far away. They are nourished by blue string pudding and soup harvested from the planet’s volcanic soup wells by the Soup Dragon – wierd but wonderful! All the characters, from Granny Clanger to Tiny are making a massive impression on children all over the country including Florence and Jimmy who are now mega fans and know all about them!
They are showing on CBeebies and Florence’s class in reception is even watching them at school in the mornings! The teachers don’t show the children programmes without substance so The Clangers has approval from every corner! Of course to go with the show is a whole new range of toys and they’re pretty excellent too! Character Options have made a whole Clangers range which we’ve been lucky enough to have been sent some of to play with already despite the fact they have only JUST been released!
We were sent a gorgeous plush soft Clanger and some little collectable figures which the children are thrilled with! Jimmy was especially pleased that the little figures have arms that move and he really wants to get their hollow planet (also in the collection) to play with as well. Florence took first dibs on the soft toy but also reminded Jimmy that as the small figures comes in packs of two that one should be hers!
They are very pleased with the toys that they have been playing with so far and definitely have their eyes on more in the range and I don’t blame them. They’re lovely and very pocket friendly too! Both toys that we were sent come in well under a tenner so are great for pocket money spending!
Florence has now asked me to knit a friend for her Clanger toy so I’ve been having a look on line for patterns and am going to give it a go but I can bet my bottom dollar that it will be a long time before it’s finished and it will cost more in yarn than these lovely soft toys – still, the request has been made and I see that as a challenge!
We were sent some Clangers toys for the purpose of an honest review.
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