The first children’s television programmes began after the second world war in 1946 on the BBC, and it featured a children’s hour on a Sunday afternoon.
Since then, children’s television has grown exponentially, with multiple channels showcasing children’s television from morning until night every day. It has a well-loved history, and a hugely successful market share. In 2019, Peppa Pig alone grossed $1.35 billion worldwide.
Here are five fun facts about children’s television shows that you won’t believe!
- Inflation has crossed over into the world of Sesame Street
Back in 1969 when Sesame Street first rocked onto our screens, bird seed milkshakes originally cost just 20 cents in Hooper’s Store.
However, over the years, inflation has crossed the boundary between reality and television, and a milkshake now costs $2.99 for Big Bird to get his favourite delicious snack.
- The Rabbits in the Teletubbies were Huge!
The Teletubbies are a bit of a fever dream for those born in the 1990s, with the rolling green hills of Teletubby land still a vivid memory for most.
Did you know that each Teletubby was between 6-10 feet tall? To compensate for the height of the costumes, Flemish Giant rabbits were brought in to counteract the height difference for filming.
There was also a collapsible seat hidden inside each Teletubby’s costume, meaning that they could sit down in between takes without worrying about removing their colossal costumes.
For perspective, Flemish Giant rabbits weigh around 15 pounds and can grow up to 2.5 feet in length.
- The Thunderbirds Puppets Had Replaceable Heads
The Thunderbirds puppets had replaceable heads to enable them to change facial expressions and were 22 inches tall.
A British wire company, Ormiston Wire, produced the wires for each puppet, which were black and contained electronic signals to control the mouth and movements.
The puppeteers would control the puppets with assistance from a CCTV powered system through a viewfinder.
- Scooby Doo was named after a Frank Sinatra Lyric
It’s true! Scooby Doo was born in 1969, at a time when Frank Sinatra’s music was extremely popular.
One of the show’s writers misheard a lyric from ‘Strangers in the Night’, as ‘scooby doo’, rather than ‘doobie doobie doo’, and the name stuck.
Scooby’s original name was supposed to be ‘Too Much’, yet his re-naming has made him an icon of children’s television, and a household figure for generations of children.
- Tom and Jerry Have a Cocktail Named After Them
The infamous cat and mouse cartoon characters were originally named Jasper and Jinx, but an animator, John Carr, won the competition to re-name the characters and received around $50 as a prize.
Jasper and Jinx were then re-named after a ‘Tom and Jerry’ Yuletide cocktail containing seasonal spices like cloves, nutmeg and allspice mixed with milk and batter.
Do you know of any fun facts about children’s television shows? Leave your answer in the comments below!