New Pre-School Television programme- opinions needed!

[Munchkinsugarpie]

Hi mumsnetters, I need your help with getting some research together! I'm raising funds to make a pilot for a brand new television programme aimed at what I believe to be a largely uncatered for pre-school child. I'd be so grateful, if you find this subject of interest, to hear your invaluable feedback on the following:-

1. Does anybody else feel that there is a definite gap in programming for our children aged approx. 18months to 2.5 ish years old? i.e. After 'teletubbies' they're not quite ready for a more advanced 'tweeny' type show. What can they watch?

2. If you could choose the content of a programme aimed at this age group, what would you like your children to see?

3. Also, please let me know if you disagree with me and believe that all pre-school stages are catered for - and with what.

I look forward to your responses!

So long as it is nothing like You Do too, Shiny show, The Hoobs or the Cubees it must be OK. Another big vote for Come Outside - I love it and miss it when it's not on cbeebies!!

Feel a bit lacking in knowledge here. We don't have satellite/digital for a start. DS is 18 mo and has recently (last month) started watching teletubbies but he loses interest when Pingu comes on. Not interested in the Hoobs or a Tweenies video. Likes Brum as long as Brum is on the screen. Actually might try him again with that now he's a bit older. And thats your lot.

I really like the Maisy videos, and so does dd (26 mths) - lots of simple routines eg going to bed, sitting on loo, playing taking turns and counting and Neil Morrisey's voice is surprisingly un-irritating

Maybe I'm just odd (no comments now) but I really don't plan on letting DD spend that much time in front of the TV when young.

I'm not as old as some here but my family didn't have a TV till I was at least 5 and we didn't spend that much time in a day watching TV (way too much fun to be had playing).

Unfortunately DW is a wannabe couch potatoe/TV addict so I have my work cut out for me.

If I do let her watch TV I would hope it would be something that catches her imagination and teaches her how to speak or count properly (no Teletubbie speak) not just be a load of gibberish.

I think that teletubby speak is a myth. As long as you expose your child to lots of other influences they are unlikely to start saying 'eh-oh' instead of 'Hello', and even if they do at first, they will soon drop it. Dd loves tv but has an amazing vocabulary and doesn't just recite speech that she hears on telly. She did point to a dead tree stump the other day and said 'Look mummy, a volcano!' which she learnt from Dora the Explorer but I thought that was quite clever!

Simon, seeing as your dd is named after a TV character I should think you'll have your work cut out keeping her away from it

Simon and Enid I can see both your points of view. At first I thought like Simon but then I thought I was denying DS access to his popular culture and I kept hearing about how kids who watched TV were more advanced in certain ways. Still I think the last time DS watched TV was half an episode of Teletubbies over a week ago so I don't think I'm overdoing it! He doesn't say 'eh-oh' or 'hello' he insists on going around shouting 'hi-YA' very loudly.

I don't think you're odd SH. My family were the same, we did have a telly but because it was a rarity for families like ours, it was deemed too good to be wasted on us! I spent my time playing make-believe games in my bedroom or roaming the streets, which is exactly what I want my dd to be doing. Well, maybe not roaming the streets! She does watch a bit of telly, when I'm desperate, but not every day.

I think it would be far better if parents did watch the TV with their children, but it is a bit of a pipe-dream. I mean, when Watch with Mother was on who did they think they were kidding? Mother had much more important things to do than watch telly with diddums. Telly is primarily there to distract kids whilst we can make tea, do the laundry, wash up or read the paper in peace. I can think of nothing worse than being forced to watch some children's programme with my dd - it's like torture!

Rhubarb

Once they get a bit older then there are some great kids programs (mainly the cartoons) that you can both watch.

I hate to admit it but I keep getting sucked into Sailor Moon and other Japanese animation shows no matter how much I try not to.

Wow Simon, so you won't mind if your dd watches strange Japanese anime but you draw the line at the teletubbies!

Enid

I've been watching strange Japanese Anime for 25 years or so and I'm perfectly normal.

10 seconds of Telly Tubbies makes me want a small nuke to set off in their home.

I don't think the teletubbies is bad television or is 'dumbing down' - it's for very small children and from my experience, most of them love it. Ds has an excellent vocabulary and was mad on the teletubbies when he was younger so I'd agree with Enid there re the myth of teletubby speak. Ds did say eh-oh sometimes but it didn't replace yes or anything. Yes, it's irritating for adults but it wasn't made for us!

Munchkinsugarpie, I do think there's a gap between teletubbies and tweenies, which I seem to remember was filled in our case mainly by Thomas videos (that theme tune really does my head in! But hey, as I said, it's not for me!). Maybe there is something on satellite but we didn't have it then.

I decided to try dd with the Teletubbies again today but she totally ignored it. Usually she's a real telly bug but this just didn't grab her. She definitely prefers the Tweenies.

Hey - this is a coincidence... just as we're in the research stages of getting a new prog. off the ground along comes the Fimbles. Blasted things. Filling the gap where I felt there was one. The Beeb have poured over five million pounds behind them to make sure they work... I'd be really interested to see what other mums think.

It's aimed at 2-4 yr olds.

If it's anything like Balamory then I wouldn'ty worry too much!

My dd - just a year old - has seen the front cover of the RAdio Times and keeps wanting to play with it!! So it looks like it'll be popular here. BTW she loves the Teletubbies and Tweenies.

ionesmum - yeah, but it's got a kicking theme tune. Well, maybe not kicking, but it's stuck in my head and driving me bonkers.

my little girl (6 ) loves Balamory. She was up all night Monday with coughing so we kept her home on Tuesday and Wednesday. She said she didn't think she was well enough for school Thursday, but it was just because she wanted to watch Balamory.

The theme tune is addictive I must admit

Aren't the first few bars from the Balamory theme tune from a Slade song? Or is that just me?

Have to admit that I don't have a child's opinion of Balamory as dd - the Tweenies addict - is only 7 mo. However, I can't stand it - and the theme tune drives me potty!

Fionn - not sure if it's Slade - but definitely ripped of some tune that can't quite place.

Thank you so much for talking about the Balamory theme tune this morning. I've managed to avoid having it on the tv but you've still got me singing it... "What's the story in Balamory, wouldn't you like to know......" tra, la-la, la-la...

Willow2 - is it School's Out for Summer?

Fionn

Yes thats it Schools out for Summer slowed down a bit!!!!!!!!

So mumsnetters - despite the Balamory theme tune, did any of you catch the Fimbles and if so, whaddya think of them?

I thought they were gorgeous ! Am still singing the picnic song ! That fat bird and it's chick were cool too - not to mention Roley the Moley !!

Oh yes - a definite hit !