In defence of Cbeebies

I think CBeebies is amazing.  Not only because it entertains the kids and allows me the opportunity to nip to the toilet without all hell breaking loose in the living room.  Not only because there are programmes in the schedule that make us as parents laugh more than the grown-up shows but because it is so well thought out.

I’m jumping to the defence of the channel and some of the programmes on it since reading about ‘Jack and Holly’.  Jez Wright and Julianne Martin are parents to two young children and their growing frustration with programmes such as the ‘Teletubbies’ and ‘In The Night Garden’ has inspired them to create their own educational cartoon for children. 

They have a YOUTUBE channel with hundreds of thousands of followers and are doing very well thank you very much.  Great!  I think it is fantastic that parents are taking things into their own hands, isn’t it marvellous that due to this thing called the internet we can share our creative output?  I haven’t watched their cartoon ‘Jack and Holly’ but I have read great things.

Like them, we have been getting creative; making music for our children when we felt there was a need.  We get it.  I am only slightly disturbed by the outpouring of hatred from their followers towards shows like ‘Teletubbies’ which if I am not mistaken was hugely popular (in its day) and appealed so directly to their target audience that it took 4 days of queuing to get our hands on a ‘Po’ toy for my niece one Christmas.  Millions of fans can’t be wrong.

In addition to this, one fan has blogged their dislike for Justin Fletcher describing Mr Tumble as ‘crude’.  Crude?  In any sense of the word….what programme are you watching?

Justin Fletcher is a god.  Everything stops when Justin is on the TV, he engages, entertains, makes the children laugh, teaches them sign language and through his brilliant programme ‘Something Special’ he teaches us that humans come in all shapes and sizes, able bodied and otherwise.  Everyone is included, all are welcome.  What is crude about that?

Are these the same people that complained when Cerrie Burnell began presenting CBeebies and expressed concern about her only having one hand and how it might upset their children?  Get a grip.  She is absolutely faultless at her job.  End of discussion.

I think Cbeebies is so brilliantly scheduled and yes there is a bit of nonsense in ‘Night Gardens’ and such but that is at bedtime when kids don’t need to be stimulated.  Turn on at any other time and Chris and Pui will teach your children to count…backwards. ‘ The Lingo Show’ will get them speaking other languages, ‘Alphablocks’ will help their letter sounds and ‘Justin’s House’ will make them laugh.  God forbid the kids just have a laugh eh?

I’m not saying plonk them in front of the television all day, do try and have a conversation with them occasionally and maybe read a book once in a while.

So come on parents, get creative by all means but let’s not knock the fantastic work of others.  Rant over.  I am just off to get a t-shirt printed with Justin’s face on it.

Angela & Andrew have worked in the field of youth theatre for many years.  Angela ran her own theatre school and now works as a freelance tutor, director and choreographer.  Andrew has a background in rock music but was invited to play the role of the man eating plant in Little Shop of Horrors and has had an interest in musical theatre ever since. Together they run Lucky Bucket Productions providing schools and theatre groups across the country with original shows for performance.