Last week Mof posted a list of his favourite weird kids’ shows, and then Keris took up the baton with a post celebrating recent kids’ show triumphs. Never one to let a good bandwagon pass by, I thought I’d give it a go myself, this time concentrating on the programmes that kept me out of trouble as a youngster. Unlike those lucky so and sos who grew up in the late 70s/early 80s (and therefore had the likes of Bagpuss and Mr Benn to keep them entertained), the late 80s/early 90s don’t quite have the same nostalgia factor – but there were some gems, nonetheless.

1. The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show
Charles Schultz’s comic strip is beautiful, simple, honest, funny and insightful – and whaddyaknow, the TV spin off is all of those things too. Amazingly, there were only 19 episodes made, along with those fantastic feature length specials, but each one is a delight. Here’s one of my favourite sketches, which features Lucy singing along to Schroeder’s rendition of Moonlight Sonata.

2. Sesame Street
The influence that Sesame Street has had on me can be summed up by the fact that I still, very often, use the rhythm of the Pointer Sisters’ Pinball Count song when counting to 12. (Should I have admitted that out loud….?) Fun, gonzo, and (whisper it) truly educational, Sesame Street is quite simply one of the best television programmes of all time.

3. The Animalympics
Now, I might be stretching the definition of “TV show” with this one, because this was a feature-length one-off, but I’m not going to let that put me off. Basically, The Animalympics is a animated version of the Olympics with animals… and it’s brilliant. It’s funny, but it’s also hugely touching in places, and features a wonderful score by 10cc. “Now that we’ve made it, we’ve made it to the top…”

4. Round The Twist
Based on Paul Jennings’s surreal short stories, Round The Twist was a live-action, Australian kids’ show. It was often quite adult in terms of themes and script – and indeed often more soap than children’s show – but the magical elements kept it firmly in the realm of a child’s imagination too. Of course, what we all remember most, though, is that fantastic theme song:

5. Kipper The Dog
Bit of a cheat this one, as it doesn’t come from my own childhood, but I really wanted to include it because it’s just so beautiful to look at. The animation is sparse and gentle, and the stories simple and uplifting. Whenever I’m flicking around and stumble across it, I’ll watch, and bask in its calming aura. The theme tune is great too, but I couldn’t find it on YouTube. You can download the song here, though.

Honourable mentions:
Fireman Sam
Playdays
Rosie and Jim
Superted
The Raccoons