Children’s tv shows – when did they get so good?

When we were kids my mum put a time restriction on our television viewing at one stage. My brother and I were allowed 5 hours of tv a week each, but we could watch the other’s 5 hours as well. We didn’t really watch that much anyway, but I think our mum just wanted to get the tv back so she could watch her favourites. Nowadays we have a second television in the back room but no one really watches it (until it gets to the Olympics which I love watching and the OH doesn’t).

But I don’t really remember watching children’s tv shows as a primary school child. We weren’t allowed to watch Grange Hill, Why Don’t You was holiday viewing. I remember Rent a ghost, but that’s probably it. Unlike the tv programmes that are on now. I think I’ve regressed to childhood age of tv viewing because I’ll happily sit and watch quite a few of the kids programmes that N likes (and even some that aren’t his type).

Since when did children’s tv become so good?

It certainly wasn’t at pre-school age. Or maybe it’s just that I’m too far out of it and it’s too simple. N didn’t watch that much when he was younger – only when he turned 5 did he start watching a bit of Cbeebies which used to drive me a bit mad. Thankfully he’s now onto CBBC and we’re on to proper tv, and we do sit and watch together (usually via iplayer).

We have Freeview and Amazon prime through a Fire stick, but CBBC Is pretty much the only channel N watches (unless he finds a random Roman Empire BBC4 documentary that he watched from start to finish – strange boy). There’s so much variety nowadays, with documentaries, reality ‘mockumentaries’, kids quiz shows (with gunge and more serious), dramas and educational programmes. It suits N as he’s always preferred tv shows with real children in rather than cartoon style.

Our favourite kids’ tv programmes

Jamie Johnson

Yes, there’s very annoying characters (some are particularly horrible children). I don’t even know why N likes it because he always says he doesn’t like football that much, but we’ve watched pretty much all the series and are now waiting for the next new episode to appear each week. I suppose it has a moral tale, as well as encouraging children to aspire and work hard to reach their dreams. The children’s version of a soap opera set on a football field.

The Worst Witch

I remember this from my childhood (the book and tv show), and it’s amazing how close they’ve managed to cast it vs the previous series. N will even watch this and he’s not usually a fan of tv shows (or books) with a female lead character Mildred Hubble. It’s funny and good always wins in the end.

Horrible Histories

if this had existed when I was a child, I would have known so much more about history than I do know. And might have been more interested in it. We like people spotting in it, and I can chuckle recognising the original songs they’ve based the historical ones on. N just likes learning facts, and it really does stick well. I do sometimes get a bit worried that N’s not got it quite right when he’s commenting on something being ‘wrong’ at a museum we might go to. He usually knows more than me.

Operation Ouch

Twin doctors educating children about emergency services, the body, illnesses, disabilities and quirky facts about the body including mad experiments and them looking a bit stupid trying things out.  When I was about N’s age, I was reading the Reader’s Digest ‘999 What to do in an Emergency’ book to find out about CPR and other solutions should I ever need to help someone. Now, they have Operation Ouch to learn it.

Show me What You’re made of

We love Stacey Dooley and this show is a children’s version of any reality show where they put privileged young adults into jobs they’d turn their noses up at. The tweens and young teens who are usually pretty spoilt or rule the roost at home, are put into several jobs where they have to show what they can do and how they can behave appropriately and as a team. Some are set abroad, most in the UK. N is quite scathing about how terrible some of them behave, and how he’d definitely go on the show because he thinks he’s a hard worker (he is if they’re not chores at home!).

N refuses to watch the dance shows or gym and ice stars shows, but there’s certainly plenty of kids tv programmes that show children at home how hard some kids work to follow their dreams in future.

Which kids tv shows do you watch (with or without the children)?