For the Children: Children's Television in the UK

On Saturday 24 April 1937, just hundreds of television viewers watched an event that went on to leave a lasting legacy for millions of future box-watchers: the birth of dedicated children's television. At 3.00pm that afternoon, For the Children - the forerunner of children's slots such as Watch with Mother, See-Saw and Children's BBC - was broadcast, just 10 minutes in length. Those pre-war broadcasts paved the way for regular children's programming and decades later we have whole departments and channels devoted to entertaining and educating the young.

Welcome to For the Children - a database of children's television stretching from the early black & white days to the current multi-channel age. What exactly do you remember about the shows you used to watch? The vibrant characters? Bizarre situations and plotlines? Jokes shared around the school playground? Can you still hum your favourite theme tune? Quote catchphrases from shows no-one else seems to remember? Well, this website is for you - enjoy reminiscing!

LAST UPDATED: Beachcomber Bay, Bric-a-Brac, The Bumblies, The Red Grass, The Blackness, Camberwick Green, Kizzy, Mr Piper.

Title Index: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

8:15 from Manchester
BBC
21 April 1990 - 1991

Ace of Wands
ITV
July 1970 - November 1972
Live Action

Ad-Lib
ITV
March 1981 - October 1981
Magazine

Adventure Game, The
BBC
1980 - 1986
Game Show

Adventure Weekly
1968 - 1969

Adventures of Black Beauty, The
ITV
1972 - 1974
Live Action

Adventures of Noddy, The
ITV
1955 - 1961
Animation

Adventures of Parsley, The
BBC
06 April 1970 -
Animation

Adventures of Portland Bill, The
ITV
1983

Adventures of Robin Hood, The
ITV
1955 - 1960
Live Action

Adventures of Rupert Bear, The
ITV
1970 - 1977
Puppets

Adventures of Sir Lancelot, The New
1956 -

Adventures of Sir Prancelot, The
ITV
January 1972 - February 1972
Animation

Adventures of Spot, The [1987]
BBC
09 April 1987 -
Animation
Transmitted as part of See-Saw

Adventures of Spot, The [1992]
BBC
Animation

Adventures of Superman, The New
1956 -

Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, The
ITV
Animation

Adventures of Tintin, The
Channel 4
1991 - 1992
Animation

Adventures of Twizzle, The
ITV
1956

Agaton Sax
BBC
1970s

Album, The
BBC
1985

Alexander the Mouse New
ITV
Animation

ALF
ITV

Alfie Atkins
1980s

Alfonso Bonso
BBC
1990s

Alias the Jester
BBC
13 November 1985 - 1986
Animation

Aliens in the Family
BBC

All Your Own
Magazine

All-New Popeye Show, The (aka All-New Popeye Hour)
BBC
Animation

Allsorts
ITV
1989

Along the River
BBC
10 April 1970 -
Factual

Along the Seashore
BBC
15 May 1970 -
Factual

Along the Trail
BBC
16 May 1972 -
Factual

Alphabet Zoo
ITV
1983

Alvin and the Chipmunks
BBC
Animation

Amazing Adventures of Morph, The
BBC
1980 - 1981
Animation

Amazing Spider-Man, The
1974 / 1977?

Andy Pandy [1950]
BBC
11 July 1950 - 1959
Puppets
Transmitted as part of Watch with Mother

Andy Pandy [1970]
BBC
05 January 1970 -
Puppets
Transmitted as part of Watch with Mother

Andy Pandy [2002]
BBC
2002 - 2005

Animal Fair
BBC
22 October 1986 - 1988
Factual
Transmitted as part of See-Saw

Animal Kwackers
ITV
1970s

Animal Magic
BBC
1962 - 1983 / 1984?

Animals of Farthing Wood
BBC
1993
Animation

Animaniacs
ITV
Animation

Antics Road Show, The
BBC
04 January 1988 -

April Fool
BBC
1978

Arabian Nights
ITV
1968

Around the World with Willy Fog (aka La Vuelta al Mundo de Willy Fog) Updated
BBC
28 October 1987 - 28 April 1988
Animation

Art Attack
ITV
1992 -
Art

Art of Origami, The
ITV
1980s

Arthur of the Britons New
1972 -

Asterix the Gaul
Animation

Astronaut
BBC

Atarah's Music
ITV
1982

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
BBC
Animation

Aubrey
ITV
1983

Babar
BBC
1968? 01/1989-06/1991 (US)
Animation

Bad Boyes
BBC
September 1987 - December 1988

Baggy Pants and the Nitwits
September 1977 - October 1978

Bagpuss Updated
BBC
12 February 1974 - 07 May 1974
Animation
Transmitted as part of Watch with Mother

Bailey's Comets
1970s

Balamory New
BBC
2000's
Story

Banana Splits
ITV
1968

Bananaman Updated
BBC
03 October 1983 - 15 April 1986
Animation

Bananas in Pajamas
1990s

Bangers and Mash
1988

Barbapapa
BBC
1970 - 1973 / 1976?

Barnaby
BBC
04 April 1973 -
Transmitted as part of Watch with Mother

Barney and Friends
Five
Pre-School

Barriers
ITV
1983

Basic Maths
ITV
1981 - 1984

Basil Brush Show
BBC
1968
Puppets
see also Small Time

Batfink
1960 - 1980s

Batman [Cartoon]
Animation

Batman [Live Action]
ITV
1966 - 1975
Live Action

Battle of the Planets
1970s

Batty Adventures
BBC
24 September 1987 -

Beachcomber Bay Updated
Five
06 September 1999 - Unknown
Puppets
Transmitted as part of Milkshake

Beachcombers
ITV
1972 - 1984

Bear Behaving Badly
CBBC

Bear Behind, A
BBC
17 October 1988 -

Beat the Border
ITV
1964
Music

Beat the Teacher
BBC
1984 - 1988
Game Show

Behind the Bike Sheds
ITV
1983

Bellamy's Backyard Safari
BBC
1981
Factual

Bellamy's Bugle
ITV
1986

Belle and Sebastian (aka Belle et Sébastien)
BBC
October 1967 - January 1968
Live Action

Bengo New
BBC
Animation
see also Blue Peter; Bleep and Booster

Benji, Zax and the Alien Prince
1984

Bertha Updated
BBC
01 April 1985 - 18 June 1986
Animation
Transmitted as part of See-Saw

Big Bag
ITV
1998

Big John, Little John
BBC

Bill and Ben
BBC
2001
see also Flower Pot Men

Billy Bean and His Funny Machine New
Early 1950s
Puppets

Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School
BBC

Birdman
ITV
1980s

Biskitts
1970s

Bitsa
BBC
Art

Bizzy Lizzy
BBC
04 April 1967 -
Transmitted as part of Watch with Mother

Blackness, The Updated
ITV
17 January 1961 - 21 February 1961
Live Action

Bleep and Booster New
BBC
see also Blue Peter; Bengo

Blue Peter
BBC
October 1958 - Present
Magazine

Bluffers, The (aka De Bluffers) Updated
Channel 4
07 January 1990 - 01 April 1990
Animation

BMX Bandits
1984

Bob the Builder
BBC
1999

Bod Updated
BBC
23 December 1975 - 16 March 1976
Animation

Bodger and Badger
BBC

Bonny
BBC
1974

Book Game, The
BBC
1982

Book Tower, The
ITV
1979 - 1989

Borrowers, The
BBC

Boss Cat (aka Top Cat)
BBC
1963 -

Brainchild
BBC
1974 - 1975

Bravestar

Break Point
BBC
1985

Brendon Chase
ITV
1980ish
Drama

Bric-a-Brac Updated
BBC
01 October 1980 - 17 December 1980
Story
Transmitted as part of See-Saw

Brolly's, The
BBC
13 September 1990 -

Brum
ITV
Animation

Bubblies
ITV
1980s

Buccaneers, The New
1956 -

Bucky O'Hare

Buddy Budgerigar New

Budgie the Little Helicopter
ITV

Bugs Bunny

Bumblies, The Updated
BBC
14 February 1954 - 12 December 1954
Puppets

But First This
BBC
Programming

Button Moon Updated
ITV
08 December 1980 - 01 December 1988
Puppets

Butt-Ugly Martians, The

Byker Grove
BBC
1989 -
Drama

California Dreams
Comedy

Camberwick Green Updated
BBC
03 January 1966 - 28 March 1966
Animation
Transmitted as part of Watch with Mother
see also Chigley and Trumpton

Captain Caveman
BBC
1970s

Captain Planet
ITV
Animation

Captain Pugwash
BBC
1957 - 1958

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
ITV
1967 - 1968
Puppets
Alleged to have cost £1.5m to make. For once the puppets were perfectly in proportion and the eyes were of production company employees which had been photographed and superimposed onto plastic eyeballs (check this fact!).

Care Bears
1980s
Animation

Cartoon World
ITV
November 1991 - December 1992

Caterpillar Trail
BBC
02 April 1985 -
Factual

Cats Eyes
BBC
1995

Catweazle
ITV
1970 - 1971
Comedy

Centurions, The
1980s

Century Falls
BBC
1993

Champion the Wonder Horse
1956 -
Live Action

Changes, The
BBC
1975

Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, The
BBC
Animation

Charlie Chalk
BBC
20 October 1988 -
Animation

Chigley
BBC
06 October 1969 -
Animation
Transmitted as part of Watch with Mother
see also Trumpton and Camberwick Green