100 Greatest Kids TV Shows...

[Detomah]

100 GREATEST KIDS' TV SHOWS

The Nominees

1. Adventure Game
   Watch out for the aspidistra!
   Outer space quiz and logic games in weird setting. Moira Stewart don't walkinto that vortex..!
   
2. Adventures of Black Beauty
   Classic ITV drama and what music!Every Sunday evening a motley assortment of kidnappers, villains and rogueswould be outsmarted by a couple of kids and a horse!
   
3. Adventures of Robin Hood
   "Robin Hood, Robin Hood riding through the glen" - if you can't rememberthis fifties costume drama with Richard Greene as the eponymous hero thenyou must remember the theme tune!
   
4. Andy Pandy
   Andy Pandy, Looby Loo and Teddy living in harmony in a large basket. "Herewe go Looby Loo?"
5. Animal Magic
   Some footage of animals, Johnny Morris and an array of dodgy regionalaccents - an inspiration to a generation of vets.
6. Bagpuss
   Saggy old cloth cat who first appeared in a shop window in 1974. As well asEmily, Gabriel the Toad, Madeleine the rag doll, and the mischievous micealso loved him.
   
7. Banana Splits
   Kids version of The Monkees! Four grown men dressed up as animals andintroduced cartoons and dramas. Fleegle. Bingo. Drooper and Snork.Tra-la-la?
   
8. Basil Brush Show
   The little fox with the big mouth - along the way accompanied by varioushuman stooges such as Mr Derek Fowlds, Mr Rodney Bewes and Mr Roy North. Haha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Boom boom.
   
9. Batman
   ZOW!*£ SPLAT*&^% BAM*!)* Comic strip stars brought to life in mid-sixtiesaction serial. Will Batman defy the polls and come top of the Channel 4chart? Tune in the same Bat-time...same Bat-channel.
10. Battle Of The Planets
    Late 70s animated epic followed fearless young orphans dedicated to savingthe galaxy! Always five - acting as one.Dedicated. Inseparable. Invincible!
11. Blue Peter
    The British institution and magazine programme which is still running today.Each generation has its own favourite memories!
    
12. Bob The builder
    "Can we fix it?"
    Britain's only builder with a number one hit to his name.
    
13. Boss/Top Cat
    Hanna-Barbera's indisputable "leader of the gang". Brains, Choo Choo andBenny all helped TC earn his fortune and be lifelong plague of local bobby,Officer Dibble.
    
14. Byker Grove
    The series that truly put Newcastle, and Ant and Dec, on the children's TVmap. Youth-club drama with the odd stolen car and gay kiss thrown in forgood measure.
15. Captain Pugwash
    The Black Pig sets sail on the ocean to defeat his archenemy Cut ThroatJake. Remember Master Mate?. are you sure?
    
16. Captain Scarlet
    Thoroughly indestructible superhero creation of Gerry Anderson, charged withkeeping the mysterious "Mysterons" at bay.
    
17. Catweazle
    Medieval magician - finds himself in 1970s Britain, makes friends with a boycalled Carrot. As he tries his best to get to grips with modern day lifeCatweazle ends up in hilarious situations.
    
18. Cheggers Plays Pop
    Jump-suited Keith Chegwin presides over a studio packed with 150 kids, twoteam captains, musical guests that no-one's ever heard of and a smatteringof bizarre games.
    
19. Children's Film Foundation
    Short films made by this foundation included many stars of the future suchas Keith Chegwin, Phil Collins and Dennis Waterman. Romping around the homecounties, saving ponds and defeating villains.
    
20. Chorlton and the Wheelies
    The unforgettable Chorlton and his weird puppet world with the HappinessDragon and adopted Guardian of Wheelie World. Named after the Manchestersuburb where he was created.
    
21. Clangers
    Pink, snout nosed little creatures that speak in whistles?sharing the samemoon as the Metal Chicken and the Soupdragon. Living on blue string puddingand green soup.
22. Crackerjack
    It's Friday... it's five to five... it's games, music, sketches and pantoall rolled into one - and of course the ultimate prize, the Crackerjackpencil! Presenters included: Leslie Crowther, Eamonn Andrews and of courseThe Krankies.
23. Crystal Tipps and Alistair
    Possibly the woman with the strangest hair in television, Crystal Tipps'musical adventures gripped a generation.
    
24. Daktari
    Clarence the cross-eyed lion came to fame in this drama about a vet set indeepest Africa.
    
25. Dangermouse
    The greatest secret agent in the world, and probably the only one ever tooperate out of a pillar-box. David Jason and Terry Scott provide theunforgettable voices.
    
26. Do Not Adjust Your Set
    Sketch show in which most of the Monty Python team can be found, yearsbefore they ran off to join the Flying Circus. David Jason also starred.
    
27. Double Deckers
    Get on board with Scooper and the gang - who have their den in an old Londonbus! Ring that bell!.
    
28. Dr Who
    Re-generations of the Doctor have been scaring children's heads behindcushions since 1963. The cult series which broke Sci-fi ground is still aspopular today. Who can ever forget the Daleks?
29. Famous Five
    ITV gave Enid Blyton's 1950s stories a '70s makeover. Flares and Chopperbikes written in alongside smugglers and Timmy the dog.
30. Fingerbobs
    Yoffy - aka Play School's Rick Jones - lifts a finger and brings variouscharacters to life Including the indefatigable Fingermouse - television'sonly paper mouse.
    
31. Flintstones
    "Yabbadabbado"
    Fred and Wilma head up Hanna-Barbera's pre-historic family who to this daycontinues to have "a gay old time" on Cartoon Network.
    
32. Flowerpot Men
    Recently revived simple tales of Bill and Ben, two likeable chaps withrestricted speech capabilities.
33. Grange Hill
    The series which broke all the rules...
    London's famous fictional comprehensive, one-time home of Tucker, Trisha,Gripper, Zammo, Ziggy, Gonch and hundreds of others.
    
34. Tales from the Riverbank
    The first ever soap for hamsters! Hammy and his friends used to get into allkinds of scrapes. This live action series gripped a nation!
    
35. Hector's House
    Hector, the Dog and Zaza, the Cat live in a house in the centre of a lovelygarden full of flowers. Kiki the Frog lives next door and they often playtricks on Hector to teach him a lesson. Leading him to say his catchphraseat the end of every episode, "I'm a Great Big?Old Hector".
36. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
    "By the power of Grayskull" He-Man always managed to defeat Skeletor'sfiendish plots became one of the most popular animated children's charactersof the 80s.
    
37. Herbs
    Parsley the Lion, Dill the Dog, Bayleaf the Gardener, Lord Basil, LadyRosemary, Sage the Owl, and Tarragon the Dragon. Each character with theirown song which they sang at every given opportunity.
    
38. Hong Kong Phooey
    Surely not Penry, the mild-mannered janitor?could be?
    "Number one super-guy" and probably the only one ever to get changed in afiling cabinet.
    
39. How
    ITV's question and answer show began in the late sixties and made householdnames of Jack Hargreaves and Fred Dinenage. And is still running today! How?
    
40. HR Pufnstuf
    Cockney teenager - Jack Wild - discovers a magic flute and travels to afantasyland full of monsters and magical happenings. A psychedelic classicfor all kids and ageing hippies everywhere.
    
41. Jackanory
    Scores of the most talented actors, comedians and presenters entertainedgenerations on Jackanory. A simple tale - simply read - simple!
    
42. Jamie and the Magic Torch
    Each night Jamie clears off to Cuckoo Land accompanied by his faithful dogWordsworth. With the help of his magic torch hi-jinx is sure to ensue?!
43. Jim'll Fix It
    Santa Claus all year round. Jimmy Saville made dreams come true forthousands of children?even if they wanted to throw up on roller coasters.
44. John Craven's News Round
    The news for children?with everyone's uncle John Craven.
    
45. Just William
    The naughty schoolboy and his gang The Outlaws who made Elizabeth Bottscream and scream until she was sick!
    
46. Junior Showtime
    Talent show for kids as they tried to do magic acts and play the bassoon.Possibly the most embarrassing programme you could have appeared on as achild, introduced by a pre-pubescent Mark Curry.
    
47. Knightmare
    Recent but famous Children's ITV fantasy game show adored by kids andpopulated by weird characters.
    
48. Lassie
    American drama where yet again an animal could communicate their concernsover such matters as global warming and rising inflation.
    
49. Magic Roundabout
    French in origin, this show first captivated the UK as long ago as themid-sixties and has become cult TV. Time for bed, said Dougal.
    
50. Magpie
    ITV's answer to Blue Peter. Susan Stranks, Mick Robertson et al, wearingjeans and being trendy!
    
51. Maid Marian and her Merry Men
    BAFTA-award winning spin on Robin Hood with Tony Robinson as the evilSheriff of Nottingham.
    
52. Mary Mungo and Midge
    Do you live in a town? Mary, Mungo and Midge do. They live in a block offlats. Right at the top. Kitchen sink pre-school drama!
    
53. Metal Mickey
    Anarchic comedy cult robot spun off, of all things, from Bill Oddie'sSaturday Banana. Watch out for those Atomic Thunderbusters "boogie boogie"
    
54. Michael Bentine's Potty Time
    Michael Bentine and his band of madcap characters re-tell famous tales. Aspopular with adults as with kids.
55. Mr Benn
    Regular visitor to his local fancy dress shop where the mild mannered,bowler-hatted hero, changed costumes and visited rather surreal worldsdepending on what costume he put on.
    
56. Muffin The Mule
    Annette Mills became the first "lady" of Children's TV as her and the woodenhorse sang and played through Watch With Mother.
    
57. Multi-Coloured-Swap-Shop
    The original, live, Saturday morning show where you could swap a xylophonefor a Barbie-doll. Noel, Keith, Maggie and Posh Paws the dinosaur. Thelegacy of BBC Saturday morning shows started here and was followed byStaurday Superstore, Going Live and Alive and Kicking!
58. Muppet Show
    Kermit's a frog. Fozzie's a bear. And Gonzo? Generations of kids and adultslaughed through thousands of puppet sketches where everything wentwrong...and Kermit always got hit by Miss Piggy!
    
59. Noggin the Nog
    In the Land of Nog, the sagas of Noggin are the stuff of legend as he triesto defeat his evil uncle Nogbad the Bad and marry his love Nooka.
60. Pinky and Perky
    Pair of puppet pigs with speeded up voices that perennially populated peakpositions in the pop parade as well as their own TV series.
    
61. Pipkins
    The lunchtime antics of a group of puppets on a mission to help others ledby television's most camp hare, Hartley."It's time for Pipkins."
    
62. Play School
    Lets see what's through the Square window...
    The first school most children wanted to go to.While the older kids watched the sister show - Play Away!
    
63. Pob's Programme
    Strange puppet creation from Teletubbies creator Anne Wood. Celebrityguests, stories, and lots of complaints about Pob spitting and writing hisname in it.
    
64. Pokémon
    Badly-animated story of Ash and his mates, including that one who doesn'tseem to have any eyes, in their quest for Pokémon.They've gotta catch 'em all.
    
65. Postman Pat
    A dull looking geezer delivering letters with a black and white cat early inthe morning. Magic!
    
66. Press Gang
    Acclaimed and award-winning comedy about a teenage team of reporters workingon their own newspaper with dialogue more like a Spencer Tracy/KatherineHepburn film. Julia Sawalha and Dexter Fletcher starred.
    
67. Rainbow
    ITV's longest-running show for pre-schoolers in which all the puppets slepttogether and no one said anything? Zippy especially.
    
68. Record Breakers
    The all-trumpeting, all tapping, Roy Castle made this show a great success.With Roy it wasn't just about facts and records but about taking part andgetting involved. And a little dedication of course...
    
69. Rentaghost
    Gadzooks! A long-running sitcom of ghosts and rather odd people running anodd-job agency. Master Meaker and Timothy Claypole started this seriescreated by comedy supremo, Bob Block.
    
70. Roland Rat
    The classic mega-star that still thinks nothing of speaking as he finds andrapping along to the odd hit single.
    
71. Roobarb and Custard
    Probably best known for Bob Godfrey's distinctive felt-tip animation style,Roobarb is a dog with attitude - Custard a cat that wobbled!
    
72. Runaround
    G-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-go! Fast-moving 70s studio quiz with ten kids a lot of ballsand Mike Reid.
    
73. Scooby Doo
    Animated thrillers with Scoob, Shaggy and the rest of the "pesky kids" fromthe Mystery Machine. Who did it??why Mr Bleepers the janitor of course!
74. Screen Test
    The quiz about movies, hosted by Michael Rodd, Mark Curry and latterly BrianTrueman. Pick out the waiter from the scene you've just seen!
    
75. Sesame Street
    For over 30 years Sesame Street has been teaching children through fun andgames. The stomping ground of Jim Henson's muppets and often brought to youby the letters G, P and the number 2.
    
76. Secret Garden
    BBC costume-drama respective of a great many other successful adaptationsfrom famous literary works. Sunday evenings in with the family as you walkedout of your back garden and into a mystery world.
    
77. Simpsons
    Probably the most sophisticated cartoon ever made! Bart, Lisa, Homer and therest of the characters pull American suburban life to pieces in thisadult/kids cartoon that pulls no punches.
    
78. Skippy
    Surely the world's most intelligent and famous kangaroo. Skippy came to therescue of many in his 90-odd-episode run.
    
79. The Singing Ringing Tree
    A fairy tale film with only three parts made though generations would swearthat there were more! The usual menu of handsome princes, kings, a wickeddwarf, a soldier and a singing, ringing tree.
80. SM:tv
    Ant & Dec's Saturday morning bonanza with Cat Deeley. Live guests, music anddouble entendres. Bring on the Beavers!
    
81. The Snowman
    The animated adaptation of Raymond Briggs' book is now as synonymous withChristmas as eating too much turkey. A true classic.
    
82. The Sooty Show
    Television's least talkative bear is still going strong after 50 years ofhaving a hand up his cassock!
    
83. Teletubbies
    World-wide smash-hit series for pre-schoolers starring four colourfultechnological babies and their over-conscientious vacuum cleaner.
    
84. Thomas the Tank Engine
    Ringo Starr narrated these ever-popular stories about Thomas the steamengine.
    
85. Thunderbirds
    The puppets which launched a thousand spoofs! Gerry Anderson's creations arethirty years old and Thunderbirds are still go. FAB!
    
86. Wide Awake Club
    Timmy Mallett a lot of shouting and mad goings on. Spawned other showsincluding Wacaday.
    
87. TISWAS
    "Today is Saturday, Watch and Smile". Legendary anarchic Saturday morningshow, which began life as a regional show before storming the ITV network.
    
88. Tom and Jerry
    Often dubbed one of the most violent programmes on television, but therecan't be many people in the world who don't know the famous cat and mouseduo.
    
89. Tomorrow People
    Low-budget science fiction series with scary title sequence, outrageousstory lines and the occasional Nazi / bondage scene.
    
90. Trumpton
    In the same part of the world as Camberwick Green and Chigley, the folk ofTrumpton are famed for placing unreasonable demands on their fire station.
    
91. Tweenies
    Four Tweenies sing and dance their way through life in this pre-school showwith an adult following. Features Bella (the bossy one), Milo (purple), Fizz(the nice polite one) and Jake (yellow mohican) and Doodles the talking dog.
    
92. Vision On
    Long-running compendium of visual items and Tony Hart's art. A showespecially enjoyed by hard-of-hearing kids because of its minimal speechcontent.
    
93. Wallace and Gromit
    In this collection of Nick Park's Oscar-winning films Wallace and Gromit getin and out of hilarious trouble in The Wrong Trousers, A Grand Day Out and AClose Shave.
    
94. We are the Champions
    Ron Pickering presided over this outdoor activity based contest - thenearest thing kids got to It's a Knockout. "Away you go!"
    
95. White Horses
    Black and white French speaking drama with a bunch of kids, a host of whitehorses and unforgettable title music.
    
96. Wind in the Willows
    Cosgrove-Hall animated puppets in this tale where all the voices areclassically trained!
    
97. Why Don't You
    School holiday BBC series featuring "gangs" of kids from the BBC regionalcentres. The programme which advised viewers to "switch off and do somethingless boring instead"...after they'd finished watching off course!
98. Wombles
    Uncle Bulgaria, Tomsk, Orinocco and the rest who live on Wimbledon Commonand collect useful rubbish left behind by the thoughtless humans. The firstre-cycling bears on children's TV!
    
99. Woodentops
    There was Mummy Woodentop and the baby. And Daddy Woodentop, then there wereWillie and Jenny the Twins. And Mrs Scrubbit, who comes to help MummyWoodentop. And Sam, who helps Daddy Woodentop. And last of all - the verybiggest spotty dog you ever did see. And they all lived in a big house inthe country.
    
100. Worzel Gummidge
     Jon Pertwee often lost his head over Aunt Sally (Una Stubbs) in this dramaabout scarecrow passion in a farmer's field.

FINAL AND DEFINITVE ORDER OF RESULTS

1. The Simpsons
2. The Muppet Show
3. Dangermouse
4. Bagpuss
5. Grange Hill
6. Mr Benn
7. Rainbow
8. Scooby Doo
9. Dr Who
10. He-Man and Masters of the Universe
11. The Magic Roundabout
12. The Clangers
13. Wallace and Gromit
14. Rentaghost
15. Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
16. Tom and Jerry
17. The Wombles
18. The Flintstones
19. Hong Kong Phooey
20. Worzel Gummidge
21. Knightmare
22. Trumpton
23. Postman Pat
24. Thunderbirds
25. Jim'll Fix It
26. Thomas The Tank Engine
27. Roobarb and Custard
28. Jamie and the Magic Torch
29. SM:TV Live
30. Sesame Street
31. The Basil Brush Show
32. Boss / Top Cat
33. Blue Peter
34. Byker Grove
35. Banana Splits
36. The Sooty Show
37. Chorlton and the Wheelies
38. Roland Rat
39. The Adventure Game
40. Why Don't You?
41. Tiswas
42. Battle of the Planets
43. Play School
44. Batman
45. Captain Pugwash
46. Press Gang
47. Crackerjack
48. Fingerbobs
49. The Tomorrow People
50. Multi-Coloured Swap Shop
51. Captain Scarlet
52. The Herbs
53. Timmy Mallett's Wide Awake Club
54. Animal Magic
55. Pipkins
56. Wind In The Willows
57. The Flowerpot Men
58. Metal Mickey
59. Pob's Programme
60. The Adventures of Black Beauty
61. Andy Pandy
62. Lassie
63. John Craven's Newsround
64. Famous Five
65. How
66. Double Deckers
67. The Snowman
68. Record Breakers
69. Mary, Mungo and Midge
70. Jackanory
71. Bob The Builder
72. Michael Bentine's Potty Time
73. Pokemon
74. Skippy
75. Noggin The Nog
76. We Are The Champions
77. Catweazle
78. Tweenies
79. Hammy Hamster's Tales From the Riverbank
80. Cheggers Plays Pop
81. The Adventures of Robin Hood
82. Pinky and Perky
83. The Secret Garden
84. Vision On
85. Just William
86. Hector's House
87. The Woodentops
88. Teletubbies
89. Daktari
90. Runaround
91. Magpie
92. Screen Test
93. White Horses
94. H R Pufenstuf
95. Children's Film Foundation
96. The Singing Ringing Tree
97. Crystal Tipps and Alistair
98. Muffin the Mule
99. Do Not Adjust Your Set
100. Junior Showtime

This is as decided by Channel 4 viewers, it doesn't necessarily reflect my own personal views or the aggregate views of TF or TFs community.

Oh, by the way, this is just a tiny percentage of the kids tv and cartoons that you will be able to see detailed and full info and guides for soon in one of the new sections being developed.

[meow]

wow so many memories,
I thought everyone had forgotton about the tomorow people.

[Detomah]

I found this quote about this list on a kids tv website while I was looking at various kids shows. I thought what it says was really true about the show, when it showed on Channel 4 a few months back...

100 Greatest Kids' Shows, broadcast by Channel 4 on Bank Holiday Monday 27 August, should have been an enjoyable feast of nostalgia for lovers of classic children's television. Instead, it was a superficial skimp filled with pointless interjection from unknown commentators (who are these people?), disappointing choice of clips, and a completely infuriating number one - Fox's The Simpsons.

But of course, The Simpsons is not a children's programme.

It is one of the most sophisticated adult comedies ever made. It has never been broadcast in a children's slot in this country (with the exception of a few weeks in Live and Kicking in an effort to prop up falling ratings, a move which the BBC has since acknowledged as a mistake.) The inclusion of The Simpsons is presumably attributable to its animated style and the main protagonists being children - but that doesn't make it a children's show.

Why not include South Park, or any number of adult TV shows that children have watched? The Sweeney? The Onedin Line? Crossroads?

I just can't help but agree. I love The Simpson, but it's just not a kids show, it's aimed at adults not kids.

They put these shows on Channel 4, then ruin them by having really lame presenters and commentators that do nothing but slag off and take the pee out of every nominee and every single thing about them that they can. It's like they are basically saying "i'm only doing this for the cash and publicity, I really know bugger all about the subject and don't want to either, where's the dummy board for me to read from"...