Teletubbies is a Breetishpre-schuilbairns' televeesion series creatit biRagdoll Productions'Anne Wood anAndrew Davenport. The programme focuses on fower multi-coloured creatures kent as "Teletubbies," named for the telly screens implanted in thair abdomens. Recognised throughoutpopular culture for the uniquely-shaped antenna protruding frae the heads o each character, the Teletubbies communicate throu gibberish an war designed tae bear resemblance tae young bairns.[9]
Parteecularly notable for its heich production values, the series rapidly becam a commercial success in Britain an abroad. It wan multipleBAFTA awards an wis nominated for twaDaytime Emmys throughout its run.[10][11] Asingle based on the shaw's theme sang reached nummer 1 in theUK Singles Chart in December 1997 an remained in the Tap 75 for 32 weeks, selling ower a million copies.[12]
Tho production on the first 365 episodes haed been annoonced cancelled in 2002,[13] sixty new episodes war ordered in 2014.[14] Thay are currently aired onCBeebies in the Unitit Kinrick an onNick Jr. in the Unitit States.[15] Re-runs o the oreeginal 1997 - 2001 series continue tae be shawn on relevant television channels worldwide, some 16 years efter the oreeginal run's conclusion.
The programme takes place in a grassy, floral landscape populated bi rabbits wi bird calls audible in the background. The main shelter o the fower Teletubbies is anearth house kent as the "Tubbytronic Superdome" implanted in the grund an accessed throu a hole at the tap or an especially lairge semicircular door at the dome's fit. The creatures co-exist wi a nummer o strange contraptions sic as the Noo-noo, the group's anthropomorphic bluevacuum cleaner, an the Voice Trumpets. The shaw's colourfu, psychedelic setting wis designed specifically tae appeal to the attention spans o infants an unlock different sections o the mind whiles an aw educatin young bairns o transitions that can be expected in life.
An assortment o rituals are performed throughout the course o every episode, sic as the playful interactions atween the Teletubbies an the Voice Trumpets, the mishaps caused bi the Noo-noo, the footage o live bairns displayed on the screens in the Teletubbies' stomachs, an the magical event that occurs ance per episode. The event differs each time; it is eften caused inexplicably an is frequently strange yet whimsical. Each episode is closed bi the Voice Trumpets an the narrator tae the disappointed, reluctant, but eventually obedient Teletubbies, who bids farewell tae the viewer as thay go back tae the Tubbytronic Superdome whiles the Sun baby sets.
Tinky Winky (played biDave Thompson andSimon Shelton in the oreeginal series and biJeremiah Krage in the revival series)[16][17] is the first Teletubby, as well as the lairgest and auldest o the group. He is covered in purpieterrycloth and haes atriangularantenna on his heid. He awmaist always cairies a reid bag.
Dipsy (played biJohn Simmit in the oreeginal series and biNick Kellington in the revival series)[18] is the seicont Teletubby. He is green and named efter his antenna, which resembles adipstick. Dipsy is the maist stubborn o the Teletubbies, an will occasionally refuse to go alang wi the others' group opinion. His face is notably darker than the rest o the Teletubbies, an the creators hae stated that he isblack.[19]
Laa-Laa (played biNikky Smedley in the oreeginal series and biRebecca Hyland in the revival series)[18] is the third Teletubby. She is yellae and haes a curly antenna. Laa-Laa is very sweet, likes to sing and dance, an is eften shawn leukin oot for the ither Teletubbies. Her favorite toy is an orange rubber ball.
Po (played biPui Fan Lee in the oreeginal series and biRachelle Beinart in the revival series)[18] is the fowert Teletubby, as well as the shortest and youngest. She is reid and haes an antenna shaped lik a stick uised for blowingsoap bubbles. Po normally speaks in a saft vyce and haes been stated bi the shaw's creators tae beCantonese.[19]
TheNoo-noo (operated bi Mark Dean in the oreeginal series)[20] is a conscientious vacuum cleaner who acts as baith the Teletubbies' guardian and housekeeper. He hardly ever ventures ootside the Tubbytronic Superdome, instead remainin indoors and constantly cleaning wi his sucker-lik neb. He communicates throu a series of slurping and sucking noises.
TheVoice Trumpets (voiced biFearne Cotton,Jim Broadbent andAntonia Thomas in the revival series)[21] are several devices resembling periscopes that rise frae the grund and interact wi the Teletubbies, eften engaging in gemmes wi them and serving as supervisors. Thay are the anly residents of Teletubbyland who speak in complete sentences.
TheSun Baby (played bi Jess Smith in the oreeginal series)[22] appears at the beginnin and end of each episode. She acts as a wake-up caw for the Teletubbies.
Numerousrabbits are foond throughout Teletubbyland, an are depicted bi severalFlemish Giant rabbits. The Teletubbies enjoy watching them hop and play. The rabbits are the anly teep of Yird ainimal foond in the land, an tak residence in rabbit holes and bushes.
TheTubby Phone (voiced biJane Horrocks)[21] is a character in the revival series, who transports the Teletubbies to the modren warld.
TheTiddlytubbies (voiced biTeresa Gallagher) are baby Teletubbies appearin in the revival series. Thair names are Mi-Mi, Daa Daa, Baa, Ping, RuRu, Nin, Duggle Dee and Umby Pumby.[23]
On 31 Mairch 1997, the first episode ofTeletubbies aired onBBC2. It filled a timeslot previously held biPlaydays. This schedule chynge initially received backlash frae parents, but the shaw wis nae moved.[24] The programme's unconventional format quickly received attention frae the media, an it wis attracting twa million viewers per episode bi August.[25] In Februar 1998,The Sydney Morning Herald noted that it haed "reached cult status" in less nor a year on the air.[26]
Teletubbies haes been aired in ower 120 countries in 45 different leids.[27][28] In the United States, the series airs onNickelodeon as pairt o theNick Jr. block.[29][30] Episodes are an aa released throu the Nick Jr. mobile application and on-demand services.[31][32] The oreeginal series is available as pairt o theNoggin subscription service in North Americae.[33][34] It haed aired onPBS Kids until 2008.BBC Worldwide channels cairy the series in maist of Africae, Asia and Poland.[35] A Spaingie dub airs onClan in Spain.[36] In Greece, the series airs onNickelodeon Greece.[37]NPO Zappelin cairies the shaw in the Netherlands andMTVA airs it in Hungary.[35] In Australia and New Zealand, the series airs on CBeebies Australia[38] andABC Kids.JimJam's Benelux feed airs the series andUltra airs it in Serbia.[36]Teletubbies an aa airs onSIC in Portugal ande-Junior in the Middle East.[35]
A kiddie ride atChuck E. Cheese's featurin theTeletubbies characters.
Golden Bear Toys distributed the first line ofTeletubbies dolls shortly efter the programme's debut.[39] Thay war sauld internationally, wi talking toys available in multiple leids.[40]Hasbro signed on to develop a new range of products in 1998.[41] In 1999,Microsoft UK released a set of interactive "ActiMates" toys based on the characters.[42] The Rasta Imposta company introducedTeletubbies costumes for childer and adults in the same year.[43] Twa educationalvideo games featurin the characters war an aa released throughout the series' run.[44][45]
Teletubbies dolls war the tap-selling Christmas toy in 1997.[46][47] Demand outstripped supply at maist retailers, reportedly prompting mony shops to ration them to one per customer.[48] In some cases, shoppers camped ootside stores overnicht in hopes of purchasingTeletubbies merchandise.[49][50] Fights ower the toys broke oot amang parents and collectors on occasion.[51][52] Ower one million dolls war sauld in Britain bi 25 December of that year, wi Golden Bear representatives estimating that sales coud hae reached three million if supplies haed been available.[53] The plush toys war named "Toy of the Year" bi theBritish Association of Toy Retailers in 1998.[54]
Kids' meal tie-ins hae been released atfast-food restaurants throughout North Americae. In Mey 1999,Burger King distributed a set of saxTeletubbies plush toys.[55] Thay an aa includedchicken nuggets shaped lik the characters on thair menu for a brief period of time.[56] Keychains modelled efter the characters war available atMcDonald's in Apryle 2000.[57] Thir promotions became controversial amang adults who believed thay war intendit to attract toddlers to heich-fat food.[58] PsychiatristAlvin Francis Poussaint considered the deals "troubling."[59] He voiced his opinion on the matter publicly, but did nae tak action against the companies.[60]
OverseasTeletubbies merchandise sales throughout the 1990s delivered €136 million in profits for the BBC.[63] Bi the time o the programme's cancellation,Teletubbies toys haed generated ower £200 million in revenue for co-creautor Anne Wood alone.[64] In 2005, Chris Hastings and Ben Jones ofThe Daily Telegraph criedTeletubbies "the most lucrative show in BBC television history."[65]
To commemorate the tenth anniversary o the premiere ofTeletubbies, a series of events teuk place frae Mairch to Apryle 2007.[66] The characters headlined an invitation-anly event inLondon on 21 Mairch 2007. Thay appeared inNew York City'sTimes Square,Grand Central Terminal, andApollo Theater. Thay war an aa interviewed onThe Today Show in an episode that included the first televised appearance o the actors wioot thair costumes. A partnership wis formed wiIsaac Mizrahi in which Mizrahi designed Teletubbies-inspired bags tae beauctioned off to benefit charities. A new line of claedin wis launched at the Pop-Up Shop[67] and ither specialty stores.New York City mayorMike Bloomberg annoonced 28 Mairch 2007 "Teletubbies Day" and gae thekey to the ceety to the Teletubbies. Following thair shaw in New York, the Teletubbies went on thair first live European tour, performing in London,Paris,Bremen,Darmstadt,Halle,Hamburg,Köln, andHannover.[68]
In Januar 2016, costumedTeletubbies characters appeared at theAmerican International Toy Fair.[69] In Apryle 2016, the series' premiere on the Greek Nickelodeon channel wis advertised wi a series of appearances bi the Teletubbies at malls throughoutAthens.[70][71] This began wi a live shaw at Avenue Mall on 16 Apryle, which featurt baith the Teletubbies and a host frae the network.[72] Throughout Mey 2016, the characters appeared on variousbreakfast television programmes to promote the upcoming series' debut on Nickelodeon in the United States.[73][74]
The series received mixed reviews frae critics.Common Sense Media's Emily Ashby foond that "while the show's examples of cooperative play, wonder, and simple joys are gentle and pleasing, the creatures can still be a little grating to parents watching along."[75] Caryn James ofThe New York Times stated in her review that the episodes "offer a genuinely appealing combination: cute and slightly surreal."[76]
Upon the shaw's release, some critics feared that the characters' uise of babbling in place of complete sentences wad negatively affect young viewers' ability to communicate. TheDaily Mirror reportit in 1997 that mony parents objected to its "goo-goo style" and "said the show was a bad influence on their children."[77] Marina Krcmar, a professor of communication at theWake Forest University, told interviewers in 2007 that "toddlers learn more from an adult speaker than they do from a program such asTeletubbies."[78] Psychiatrist Aric Sigman haes expressed his belief that "Teletubbies is as bad for your child as a violent video game."[79] Houiver, Paul McCann ofThe Independent defended this aspect o the shaw, statin that "Teletubbies upsets those who automatically assume that progressive and creative learning is trendy nonsense. Those who believe that education should be strictly disciplined and functional, even when you're 18 months old. ThankfullyTeletubbies isn't for them. It's for kids."[24]
Tinky Winky stairtit a controversy in 1999 acause of his carrying a bag that looks much lik a woman's handbag (awtho he wis first "outed" bi the academic and cultural critic Andy Medhurst in a letter of Julie 1997 toThe Face).[80] He aroused the interest ofJerry Falwell in 1999 when Falwell alleged that the character wis a "gay role model". Falwell issued an attack in hisNational Liberty Journal, citing aWashington Post "In/Out" column which stated thatlesbian comedianEllen DeGeneres wis "out" as the chief national gay representative, while trendy Tinky Winky wis "in". He warned parents that Tinky Winky coud be a covert homosexual seembol, acause "he is purple, thegay pride colour, and his antenna is shaped like a triangle: thegay pride symbol."[81] The BBC made an offeecial response, expleenin that "Tinky Winky is simply a sweet, technological baby with a magic bag."[82] Ken Viselman of Itsy-Bitsy Entertainment commented, "He's not gay. He's notstraight. He's just a character in a children's series."[83]
In Mey 2007, Pols Ombudsman for ChilderEwa Sowińska revisited the matter, an planned to order an investigation.[84] "I noticed that he has a woman's handbag, but I didn't realise he's a boy," Sowińska said in a public statement. She asked her office'spsychologists to leuk intae the allegations. Efter the research in late 2007, she stated: "The opinion of a leadingsexologist, who maintains that this series has no negative effects on a child's psychology, is perfectly credible. As a result I have decided that it is no longer necessary to seek the opinion of other psychologists."[85]
Despite the objections, theIndependent on Sunday's editors included Tinky Winky as the anly fictional character in the 2008 inaugural "Happy List", alongside 99 real-life adults recognised for makin Britain a better and happier place.[86]
Awtho the programme is aimed at childer atween the ages of one and fower, it haed a substantialcult following wi aulder generations, mainlyuniversity andcollegestudents.[51][87][88] The mixture of bricht colours, unusual designs, repetitive non-verbal dialogue, ritualistic format, an occasional forays intae physical comedy appealed to mony who perceived the programme as haeinpsychedelic qualities.[89]
In the eleventh episode o the seicont series ofThe Chaser's War on Everything, the possibility of Tinky Winky bein homosexual wis parodied when the Chaser's testit the Peel Hotel (inCollingwood,Melbourne,Victoria)'s gaydar wi a Tinky Winky costumed figure that acted in a stereotypical homosexual fashion.
In December 1997,BBC Worldwide released a CD single frae the series, based on the shaw's theme sang, cried "Teletubbies say 'Eh-oh!'" It is the anly single fraeTeletubbies, makin the characters aone-hit wonder in the United Kinrick. The sang wis written biAndrew McCrorie-Shand andAndrew Davenport, and produced bi McCrorie-Shand and Steve James. The single reached nummer 1 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1997, an remained in the Tap 75 for 32 weeks efter its release.[107]
↑Gutenko, Gregory. "Deconstructing Teletubbies: Differences between UK and US college students' reading of the children's television programme". Kansas City, Missouri, USA: College of Arts & Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City.Missing or empty|url= (help)
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