Live online chat with Creative Director of CBeebies, Michael Carrington, 1-2pm Wed Jan 30th

[CarrieMumsnet]

Micheal Carrington, creative director of CBeebies will be coming to chat live next weds, Jan 30th from 1-2pm. In his previous job, he brought, amongst other programmes Lunar Jim and Charlie and Lola to the BBC, and he's now editorially responsible for the CBeebies digital channel as well as for all CBeebies output on BBC ONE and BBC TWO; and for bbc.co.uk/cbeebies.

So if you've got a burning question about the future of Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy, or want to start a campaign to bring back Chigley, please join us at 1pm next weds (that was Watch with Mother time in my day ).

If you can't make it on the day, you can of course post your questions in advance here.

thanks MNtowers

and to Michael please don't cut INTG more Charlie and Lola get rid of Underground Ernie and Toddworld, Clifford Pinky dinky doo.

can we have some more Tikkabilla type thing please

that's my list

(you can catch Chigley, along with other classic children's telly of our youth, on Nick Junior in the evenings, by the way)

dd wants to ask something!

Why isn't Superbaby shown more often on Storymakers - why is it always a Blue Cow story? I really like Jackanory Junior.

And from me; there seems to be a huge gulf in the type of programmes shown on Cbeebies and those on Cbbc. My dd (nearly 7) has nearly outgrown Cbeebies but many of the programmes shown on Cbbc seem to aimed at a pre-teen/early teen audience and are unsuitable imo.

I would like to see more programmes aimed at 6-10 year olds to be shown after school. What do you think?

Mercy -- There is always one Blue Cow story, one Playbook and one puppet story on Storymakers, so Superbaby has to take her (? I think it's female) turn along with the Three Bears, Wag and Wotzisname, that underwater thing and Kevin the Spaceman. Tales From Around The World, which used to get its own turn on that rota, appears to have vanished entirely.

ooh i'd like to ask him what he thinks about the lack of citv on terrestial tv now. or is he pleased the bbc can now monopolise the market.

Does role of Creative Director also include the filler pieces with the presenters, including Birthdays? Last year I took ages on a hand-painted birthday card for my daughter, posted it special delivery (cost me £8) and sent it in a good month before because I was about to give birth to my son.

My poor baby girl was so disappointed it wasn't shown, and the annoying thing was that there was loads of coverage of Spring Animals pictures (in JUNE!!) Who knows how many other disappointed kids there were with birthdays last Summer.

Please give me some tips on how to increase my chances of getting my card shown, and for those other poor mums who've gone to all that trouble - how about showing them on your website for a few days? I emailed that question to the website and no-one even bothered to reply.

Is it true that the Cbeebies budget for new (original) programmes has been cut? By how much? And what effect will it have? Why doesn't the BBC value children's programming, given it has a near monopoly (as commercial channels show so little for children and what they do show is almost entirely bought-in)?

And agree with the point about the gap between Cbeebies and CBBC - my 4yo is growing out of Cbeebies but CBBC seems far too old for him.

(catwoman, btw, you could try and get a birthday message via the red button - obv. you don't get to send in a card but I think there's more chance your message will be shown.)

Thanks Mn towers but is it possible to have live chats sometimes in the evenings for those that work? I think I'm about to have internet access banned at work so can't partake in these live chats

WHY DID YOU SACK SUE

Ds asked me what was inside the carrot cupboard last week.

the idea of having a separate podcast for the birthday cards is a great one, i think. it would let them get through loads of them. how many do they get a day? (and i personally think that people who've just downloaded pics off the website and cut them out should be excluded).

now for my question.

i recently got dvds of the wombles and captain pugwash free with the sunday times and my daughter is loving them.

i'm happier for her to watch them than a lot of the more snappy cbeebies output because they seem so quiet and thoughtful by comparison. do you think you'll put the wombles on again? it stands up really well.

and is the chap from doodle-doo single?

Point taken Whoops - we thought that having chats at lunchtime would mean that those working would be able to join in during their lunch break, plus it's sometimes easier for the guests to take part during working hours. Sorry if you will miss out this time around, hope you manage to post your questions in advance.

lol at chap from doodle do

Mercy I have the same problem with a daughter between two channels. But then they did make a couple of programmes that were aimed at older viewers - eg that Monster Cafe - and a load of PFB mothers came on moaning that their little darlings were being scared to death and they had to pull it

ok my question would be - they have clearly branded their daytime into different segments for different ages - ie during the school day it is Chris and Poi being soft and then Andy and Sid come on after school and get funky

but where you would expect them to have the older programmes during this section, eg Charlie and Lola, Lazytown maybe, they come up with Finlay the Fire Engine which makes a bit of a mockery of the concept

and Pinky Dinky Doo stays, okay? Otherwise I have to spend all night letting dd2 watch the two episodes they have on the Noggin website, over and over again, with mn in a tiny little window on my laptop

i like pinky dinky doo, i find it calming. plus dd has taken to saying it as an exclamatory. Pinky Dinky DOO! i think it's her first swear word.

but the numberjacks, seriously... that problem blob is frightening. although not as frightening as baby mr tumble, the sight of whom caused dd to soil herself.

oh, and Michael... ITNG, it's a work of genius. think you should be ashamed of the white upsy daisy dolls (and yes i have complained to the manufacturers as well) but overall it's a work of magical genius.

Capp - Monster Cafe was from years ago - I remember it being on when I came home from school. There are a lot of rcycled programmes at the moment - especially at weekends.

I'm with Gitch (is that you Aitch?) on the "gentler" programmes. Although ds (5) loves SPace Pirates/Lazytown etc, he also loves Camberwick GReen and the CLangers.

If we're going to have constant repeats then please can Cbeebies be a little more selective about what is repeated? If they were rubbish the first time round then chances are, they still are.

I would also be unhappy about him watching most of the CBBC content - he just wouldn't get most of it! With the exception of the fab Shaun the Sheep

oh yes, shaun the sheep, love that. it is indeed i boabsmum...

is it true that the programmes are being aimed more at boys than girls? my dd1 certainly seems to have gone off cbeebies and prefers other childrens channels.

though she does love ITNG - but can it be shown at other times of the day - it gets her too excited before bedtime so we don't watch it....

more of justin and something special - she loves learning sign language

When are you releasing a Mr maker DVD? My 3 year old loves it, and it would make a welcome change from Thomas the farking Tank Engine.

Also, can you arrange to have Clifford the Big Red Arse put down asap. I'm an animal lover and all that, but I'll happily pay the vet's bills for that one.

my ds is 4.10
he doesnt watch cbeebies any more

is that tethe age you expect drop off?

No Aitch, I'm afraid Chris from Doodle doo is MINE

Sid and Andy are great! DD loves Charlie and Lola, ITNG, Boogie Beebies, Storymakers, Tellytubbies etc.

DH informed me last week that his favorite programme was Lazytown, closely followed by Space Pirates. Not sure whether he meant just on CBeebies or in general

The eco beebies stuff is great too(frequently find myself singing the song all day!)

No, I think you will find he is mine. I have met him. you know.

V sexy in the flesh

Unfortunately, DS1 isn't bothered by Doodle Do so much now, and is more into The Maker chap. Turncoat.

My dd (2.5) would like more Mr Maker. I would like more Charlie & Lola.

Can you put a sign on the screen somewhere to the kids saying "You can't get the characters from out of the back of the television so please stop trying - and pulling out cables in the process!!!"

My question is this: Could you please replace Sarah Jane with Sue