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.

Hello everyone and a good afternoon - the sun is certainly shining outside my window, so I'm in very good spirits. Thank you very much for inviting me to join in the mumsnet discussions - I trust we will have an open and honest chat about all things CBeebies. I will do my best to answer all the questions today, but if I don't have an immediate answer, I shall get back to the mumsnet gang once I've found it! So let's start with sfxmum...

ooh, I do like a nice, prompt start

Yes, indeed, WELCOME Michael, and many thanks for joining us. We're looking forward to this.
Over to you...

Hi sfxmum - don?t worry! I have already commissioned another series of ITNG and Charlie and Lola. Both new series will launch later in the year. However, Underground Ernie and Toddworld are two of the most loved shows among our older children, so I?m afraid they won?t be going anywhere?

On the Tikkabilla front ? yes, we are working on developing new programming in this vein right now. I have tasked the in-house production team to develop a show of this calibre for the modern age? I expect to launch something new next year.

Hello Michael. We love Cbeebies, although we miss Sue! She was fab!

I would like to ask you why it has become so 'pop' music based - it is often too 'loud' for my littlest 2, although my 6 year old still enjoys it. Could we have more of a balance of music styles? (I'm particularly thinking of the trailers/infills between programmes.)

Dear Mercy - there was a limited budget for Storymakers, so only a specific number of Superbaby shows were made along side the other inserts programmes. The Blue Cow stories are the most popular and there were slightly more Blue Cow stories made ? hence, there are often slightly more Blue Cow stories in the show.

Hello again Mercy ? we have been researching this for some time now and are aware of the need to ?plug the gap? between both channels. About 18 months ago as part of a Creative Future initiative here at the BBC, we set about finding ways to narrow that gap.

Since then, CBBC is now very specifically targeted at 6-12 year olds (not beyond that), while CBeebies target has been extended to include 6 year olds. So we now balance our content between the 2-4?s and 4-6?s.

We now have much more content targeted at that transition audience between CBeebies and CBBC. These shows include Numberjacks, Tommy Zoom, Nina and the Neurons and Mister Maker (which has been enormously successful) and we are finding that more children of this age are being engaged. But we will continue to work on that.

There are actually many programmes aimed at 6-10 year olds after school on both BBC One and CBBC (plus the programmes for 6 year olds on CBeebies). The after school zone for CBBC on BBC 1 runs from 3:25?5:15pm on weekdays, and the CBBC channel is on air until 7pm (which is now looking at being extended to 9 p.m.)

Did you design the Pui/Chris and Sid/Andy partnerships or did it work out like that by chance? (because they work really well!). Any chance of a mix and match or does Sid have a secret feud going on with Pui?

I agree it's time to give the Tweenies a break - don't know anyone (including kids) that like it, or maybe I'm missing something!

Love Sid and Andy's number raps, and DS1 was singing the 12 days of Christmas version for ages

Cbeebies is definitely the best children's channel on. DD2 is a huge fan of Numberjacks, Pingu, Nina and the Neurons and Charlie and Lola.

I can understand that ITNG has its fans (I am not one of them ), but find both Monster Cafe and Space Pirates quite beyond the beebies level - maybe more CBBC. DD2 would moan 'I don't like this' when they come on, and after watching them for a bit, I can understand her POV.

As the questions are building up... it's probably best if I continue to answer from the start of the string - hope that's okay. I'll type fast and hopefully get to you all. M.

Space Pirates is a thing of genius

Hopefully you have plans to release the theme tune as a single?

Dear southeastastra - I?m devastated that there is less children?s content coming out of the UK. It is much better for the industry and audiences if there is competition ? it generates strong, creative ideas and innovation. We see that with the healthy competition between CBeebies, Milkshake and Nick Jnr ? and this is important for us.

that creature on tikabilla..male/female hermaphrodite?

I agree, INTG is gorgeous, but I have banned the kids from watching Space Pirates, as is really aimed at older children I think. (Btw, my 6.7 year old still has to leave the room screaming when numberjacks comes on, in case it is the puzzler - he shakes for about 15 mins afterwards...)

Forgot Tommy Zoom - are there any more being commissioned? I feel we have seen the same ones many times over, although that doesn't seem to bother DD who always watches, regardless.

Dear Catwomanga ? I?m really sorry your efforts weren?t recognised with a showing on CBeebies. This is one issue for CBeebies that I am particularly trying to solve, but it?s tricky as we receive between 200 ? 300 cards a week. It really isn?t possible to show every one of course, although we do try to reflect a nice cross section of entries from all sorts of viewers and reflect society in every way if we can ? ages, boys, girls, characters, etc.

There is another aspect to this; we often have quite short timeslots for the presenters, which can sometimes mean that we are limited in what we can show. In someway, I hope that our iTV channel via the red button will help us showcase more cards ? if not simple messages. My team is also working on an online application for you to send in artwork and customise which presenter you want to read it.

In the meantime, the best way to increase your chances of getting your card seen is to create something a bit different and imaginative ? probably using characters that are currently on-air.

yes my kid is scared of numberjacks and lazy town

dd1 (8) likes space pirates

dd2 (5) ahs only just started watching cbeebies again after a long hiatus due to Problem Blob Fear

(I love numberjacks though, is fantastic!)

dd2 is also now scared of lazytown

thank god

oh, love lazytown, ever since seeing sportacus on Paul O Grady (look on you-tube - so sweet!)

Oh God please don't extend CBeebies airing time... my 3.6yo dd will only go to bed once it has finished [sob]

Dear Edam ? it?s not strictly true that our budgets have been cut, but we are under a lot of pressure to make savings due to the less than expected licence fee settlement the BBC achieved. Across the corporation we are looking to save money year on year over the next five years and that does mean less money overall, but we are trying very hard to make those efficiencies without affecting the content. By sticking to our philosophy of fewer programmes, bigger ambitions, and better quality programmes, we truly hope our audiences won?t be impacted.

The BBC is entirely committed to children?s programming. Due to the unique way the BBC is funded, the ambition is to supply something for everyone and this includes children. Hence, there are two dedicated channels (CBBC and CBeebies) plus CBeebies radio and a fantastic online presence for both brands too. I?m very proud that 85% of the content on CBeebies is original UK material and we are committed to investing in home-grown UK talent.

Just want to add my congratulations on the Spring/Autumnwatch Cbeebies shows. They are superb and the theme songs are particularly impressive. My son loves them and I'm also currently looking at them with my class of students who have Severe to Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. Will these shows happen again this year in conjunction with the regular BBC Spring/Autumn watches?
Many thanks

MIKE! read my idea abotu the clocks chnaging... and someone starting it an hour early on that sunday in october

you will be feted throughout britain