100 GREATEST KIDS' TV SHOWS

1. Adventure Game
   Watch out for the aspidistra!
   Outer space quiz and logic games in weird setting. Moira Stewart don't walk into that vortex..!

2. Adventures of Black Beauty
   Classic ITV drama and what music!
   Every Sunday evening a motley assortment of kidnappers, villains and rogues would 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 remember this fifties costume drama with Richard Greene as the eponymous hero then you must remember the theme tune!

4. Andy Pandy
   Andy Pandy, Looby Loo and Teddy living in harmony in a large basket. "Here we go Looby Loo…"

5. Animal Magic
   Some footage of animals, Johnny Morris and an array of dodgy regional accents - an inspiration to a generation of vets.

6. Bagpuss
   Saggy old cloth cat who first appeared in a shop window in 1974. As well as Emily, Gabriel the Toad, Madeleine the rag doll, and the mischievous mice also loved him.

7. Banana Splits
   Kids version of The Monkees! Four grown men dressed up as animals and introduced 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 various human stooges such as Mr Derek Fowlds, Mr Rodney Bewes and Mr Roy North. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Boom boom.

9. Batman
   ZOW!*£ SPLAT*&^% BAM*!)* Comic strip stars brought to life in mid-sixties action serial. Will Batman defy the polls and come top of the Channel 4 chart? Tune in the same Bat-time...same Bat-channel.

10. Battle Of The Planets
    Late 70s animated epic followed fearless young orphans dedicated to saving the 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 and Benny 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 TV map. Youth-club drama with the odd stolen car and gay kiss thrown in for good measure.

15. Captain Pugwash
    The Black Pig sets sail on the ocean to defeat his archenemy Cut Throat Jake. Remember Master Mate…. are you sure?

16. Captain Scarlet
    Thoroughly indestructible superhero creation of Gerry Anderson, charged with keeping the mysterious "Mysterons" at bay.

17. Catweazle
    Medieval magician - finds himself in 1970s Britain, makes friends with a boy called Carrot. As he tries his best to get to grips with modern day life Catweazle ends up in hilarious situations.

18. Cheggers Plays Pop
    Jump-suited Keith Chegwin presides over a studio packed with 150 kids, two team captains, musical guests that no-one's ever heard of and a smattering of bizarre games.

19. Children's Film Foundation
    Short films made by this foundation included many stars of the future such as Keith Chegwin, Phil Collins and Dennis Waterman. Romping around the home counties, saving ponds and defeating villains.

20. Chorlton and the Wheelies
    The unforgettable Chorlton and his weird puppet world with the Happiness Dragon and adopted Guardian of Wheelie World. Named after the Manchester suburb where he was created.

21. Clangers
    Pink, snout nosed little creatures that speak in whistles…sharing the same moon as the Metal Chicken and the Soupdragon. Living on blue string pudding and green soup.

22. Crackerjack
    It's Friday... it's five to five... it's games, music, sketches and panto all rolled into one - and of course the ultimate prize, the Crackerjack pencil! Presenters included: Leslie Crowther, Eamonn Andrews and of course The 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 in deepest Africa.

25. Dangermouse
    The greatest secret agent in the world, and probably the only one ever to operate out of a pillar-box. David Jason and Terry Scott provide the unforgettable voices.

26. Do Not Adjust Your Set
    Sketch show in which most of the Monty Python team can be found, years before 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 London bus! Ring that bell!.

28. Dr Who
    Re-generations of the Doctor have been scaring children's heads behind cushions since 1963. The cult series which broke Sci-fi ground is still as popular today. Who can ever forget the Daleks?

29. Famous Five
    ITV gave Enid Blyton's 1950s stories a '70s makeover. Flares and Chopper bikes written in alongside smugglers and Timmy the dog.

30. Fingerbobs
    Yoffy - aka Play School's Rick Jones - lifts a finger and brings various characters to life Including the indefatigable Fingermouse - television's only paper mouse.

31. Flintstones
    "Yabbadabbado"
    Fred and Wilma head up Hanna-Barbera's pre-historic family who to this day continues to have "a gay old time" on Cartoon Network.

32. Flowerpot Men
    Recently revived simple tales of Bill and Ben, two likeable chaps with restricted 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 all kinds 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 lovely garden full of flowers. Kiki the Frog lives next door and they often play tricks on Hector to teach him a lesson. Leading him to say his catchphrase at 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's fiendish plots became one of the most popular animated children's characters of the 80s.

37. Herbs
    Parsley the Lion, Dill the Dog, Bayleaf the Gardener, Lord Basil, Lady Rosemary, Sage the Owl, and Tarragon the Dragon. Each character with their own 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 a filing cabinet.

39. How
    ITV's question and answer show began in the late sixties and made household names 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 a fantasyland full of monsters and magical happenings. A psychedelic classic for all kids and ageing hippies everywhere.

41. Jackanory
    Scores of the most talented actors, comedians and presenters entertained generations 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 dog Wordsworth. 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 for thousands 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 Bott scream 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 a child, introduced by a pre-pubescent Mark Curry.

47. Knightmare
    Recent but famous Children's ITV fantasy game show adored by kids and populated by weird characters.

48. Lassie
    American drama where yet again an animal could communicate their concerns over such matters as global warming and rising inflation.

49. Magic Roundabout
    French in origin, this show first captivated the UK as long ago as the mid-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, wearing jeans and being trendy!

51. Maid Marian and her Merry Men
    BAFTA-award winning spin on Robin Hood with Tony Robinson as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.

52. Mary Mungo and Midge
    Do you live in a town? Mary, Mungo and Midge do. They live in a block of flats. Right at the top. Kitchen sink pre-school drama!

53. Metal Mickey
    Anarchic comedy cult robot spun off, of all things, from Bill Oddie's Saturday 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. As popular 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 worlds depending on what costume he put on.

56. Muffin The Mule
    Annette Mills became the first "lady" of Children's TV as her and the wooden horse sang and played through Watch With Mother.

57. Multi-Coloured-Swap-Shop
    The original, live, Saturday morning show where you could swap a xylophone for a Barbie-doll. Noel, Keith, Maggie and Posh Paws the dinosaur. The legacy of BBC Saturday morning shows started here and was followed by Staurday Superstore, Going Live and Alive and Kicking!

58. Muppet Show
    Kermit's a frog. Fozzie's a bear. And Gonzo? Generations of kids and adults laughed through thousands of puppet sketches where everything went wrong...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 tries to 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 peak positions 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 led by 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. Celebrity guests, stories, and lots of complaints about Pob spitting and writing his name in it.

64. Pokémon
    Badly-animated story of Ash and his mates, including that one who doesn't seem 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 in the morning. Magic!

66. Press Gang
    Acclaimed and award-winning comedy about a teenage team of reporters working on their own newspaper with dialogue more like a Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn film. Julia Sawalha and Dexter Fletcher starred.

67. Rainbow
    ITV's longest-running show for pre-schoolers in which all the puppets slept together 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 and getting involved. And a little dedication of course...

69. Rentaghost
    Gadzooks! A long-running sitcom of ghosts and rather odd people running an odd-job agency. Master Meaker and Timothy Claypole started this series created by comedy supremo, Bob Block.

70. Roland Rat
    The classic mega-star that still thinks nothing of speaking as he finds and rapping 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 balls and Mike Reid.

73. Scooby Doo
    Animated thrillers with Scoob, Shaggy and the rest of the "pesky kids" from the 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 Brian Trueman. 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 and games. The stomping ground of Jim Henson's muppets and often brought to you by the letters G, P and the number 2.

76. Secret Garden
    BBC costume-drama respective of a great many other successful adaptations from famous literary works. Sunday evenings in with the family as you walked out of your back garden and into a mystery world.

77. Simpsons
    Probably the most sophisticated cartoon ever made! Bart, Lisa, Homer and the rest of the characters pull American suburban life to pieces in this adult/kids cartoon that pulls no punches.

78. Skippy
    Surely the world's most intelligent and famous kangaroo. Skippy came to the rescue 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 swear that there were more! The usual menu of handsome princes, kings, a wicked dwarf, a soldier and a singing, ringing tree.

80. SM:tv
    Ant & Dec's Saturday morning bonanza with Cat Deeley. Live guests, music and double entendres. Bring on the Beavers!

81. The Snowman
    The animated adaptation of Raymond Briggs' book is now as synonymous with Christmas as eating too much turkey. A true classic.

82. The Sooty Show
    Television's least talkative bear is still going strong after 50 years of having a hand up his cassock!

83. Teletubbies
    World-wide smash-hit series for pre-schoolers starring four colourful technological babies and their over-conscientious vacuum cleaner.

84. Thomas the Tank Engine
    Ringo Starr narrated these ever-popular stories about Thomas the steam engine.

85. Thunderbirds
    The puppets which launched a thousand spoofs! Gerry Anderson's creations are thirty years old and Thunderbirds are still go. FAB!

86. Wide Awake Club
    Timmy Mallett a lot of shouting and mad goings on. Spawned other shows including Wacaday.

87. TISWAS
    "Today is Saturday, Watch and Smile". Legendary anarchic Saturday morning show, 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 there can't be many people in the world who don't know the famous cat and mouse duo.

89. Tomorrow People
    Low-budget science fiction series with scary title sequence, outrageous story lines and the occasional Nazi / bondage scene.

90. Trumpton
    In the same part of the world as Camberwick Green and Chigley, the folk of Trumpton 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 show with 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 show especially enjoyed by hard-of-hearing kids because of its minimal speech content.

93. Wallace and Gromit
    In this collection of Nick Park's Oscar-winning films Wallace and Gromit get in and out of hilarious trouble in The Wrong Trousers, A Grand Day Out and A Close Shave.

94. We are the Champions
    Ron Pickering presided over this outdoor activity based contest - the nearest 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 white horses and unforgettable title music.

96. Wind in the Willows
    Cosgrove-Hall animated puppets in this tale where all the voices are classically trained!

97. Why Don't You
    School holiday BBC series featuring "gangs" of kids from the BBC regional centres. The programme which advised viewers to "switch off and do something less boring instead"...after they'd finished watching off course!

98. Wombles
    Uncle Bulgaria, Tomsk, Orinocco and the rest who live on Wimbledon Common and collect useful rubbish left behind by the thoughtless humans. The first re-cycling bears on children's TV!

99. Woodentops
    There was Mummy Woodentop and the baby. And Daddy Woodentop, then there were Willie and Jenny the Twins. And Mrs Scrubbit, who comes to help Mummy Woodentop. And Sam, who helps Daddy Woodentop. And last of all - the very biggest spotty dog you ever did see. And they all lived in a big house in the country.

100. Worzel Gummidge
     Jon Pertwee often lost his head over Aunt Sally (Una Stubbs) in this drama about scarecrow passion in a farmer's field.