Picture credit: BBC
I LOVE CBeebies. But I hate it when they change stuff. Until I come to love it again, that is. Coming to accept a new CBeebies show follows a standard pattern. Here’s the timeline of how I – and maybe you too – move from fear to love.
Day 1: Shock or Disbelief. Kate and Mim-Mim. A show that at first glance, beggars belief. Why is Kate so often left alone? Why does she have an adult’s voice? Why does she never talk below a bellow? When you’re used to Tree Fu Tom following Octonauts like night follows day, it is a terrible shock to have a shake-up to the schedule. An imposter in the midst of your afternoon viewing. One to be treated with hostility and scorn.
Day 2: Denial. Kids are much more adaptable than adults. Never is this made more clear than by the fact that they are actually beginning to like this show. I can deny it as much as I want, but that is what they are asking for when the TV flickers into life.
Day 3: Anger. Why did anything have to change? I remember the days before Tree Fu Tom. Heck, I remember the days before The Octonauts. Yes – and I greeted those little legends as underwater agents of evil. “Gup!” I scoffed. ‘What kind of a word is that?” We now own every single one, obviously. The subtext to this, of course, is: why does my child have to change? Why isn’t he happy watching the same vintage Postman Pats I grew up with? Why does he have to grow up? My baaaaaby!
Day 4: Bargaining. If I let you watch two Kate and Mim-Mims, please please can you then watch a Grandpa in My Pocket (my previous bête-noir)? These are the kind of pleas I hear myself making.
Day 5: Guilt. My kids love this show – who am I to mutter about it in the background? I’m poisoning their innocent enjoyment of this wonderful programme. I’m not the target audience, anyway.
Day 6: Attrition. By the magic of the I-Player, we have now seen every released episode 18 times. I have come to smile when it comes on. I’m humming the theme tune in the shower. I believe there’s a name for this: Stockholm Syndrome.
Day 7: Acceptance… and Love. How else can you respond to a programme that both delights your children and keeps them quiet while you cook their tea?
Thus, like Statler and Waldorf, the Muppets in the balcony, I move from outright criticism to abundant praise in a volte-face as hilarious as it is predictable. Talking of the Muppets, The Furchester Hotel skipped right from Disbelief to Love for me. It’s hard to believe that The Muppets could be recreated but they had me at “Cooookie”. Those tunes are catchy, man! And the Vegetones – they rock!
Picture credit: www.muppet.wikia.com
‘That was awful! That was really bad! Well, it was OK. It was pretty good. That ROCKED!’
There’s one final stage that I haven’t listed above: Boredom. Like any craze, after a certain time, it dies out. Real stayers, like Octonauts, have a renaissance every few months, and obviously there’s huge excitement when there’s a new series out. And then you realise: the guys at CBeebies are not mixing the schedule up for the children. It’s to keep us parents interested.
Is it just me who struggles with changes to CBeebies?
I love your seven stages, so true! #PoCoLo
Thanks – I live through them every time they launch a new show.
Hehe ohhh I went through this regularly with Z. Especially when they changed the early evening stuff. Plus I was a bit in love with Charlie n Lola 🙂
Charlie N Lola is one I used to hate. Why isn’t she speaking properly? I used to moan. Now I miss it too…
ha ha love this Jess – so true and mine love Kate and Mim right now! You are very right in that it’s irritating as hell but it always turns to love when you realise that you are getting a bit of peace and quiet 🙂 x
I just can’t get over her annoying voice! But they seem rapt by it so what can I say?x
Stockholm Syndrome – brilliant analogy.
But, Listen with Mother anyone? Muffin the Mule? The Woodentops? For some of us Postman Pat was the newbie to sneer at…
Ha ha! Wow, we don’t know we’re born with the extensive schedule we have these days, do we? x
Oh I love this- absolutely brilliant. Have definitely gone through every one of these stages over the past seven years and two kids!¬
Thanks Carin – I fear it is something all us mothers have to go through. At least there’s no swearing or violence!
There is a new cbeebies programme that I don’t know about (sob). My children are firmly in the cbbc camp now and Gabe is stuck on The night Garden. I think I am kind of relieved haha xx
Ooh CBBC is way too raunchy for my tots! The Night Garden is one I have yet to fathom, but I don’t actively hate it…xx
Oh I am so with you on this one. We seem to have moved away from cbeebies now but when A was younger, I was enraged when they changed things and when Chris and Pui left without even saying goodbye, I was far more devastated than the children. Great post and all so very true
Thanks Nikki! I know, they just wrench stuff away from us without so much as a by your leave!
I love this! I remember going through all of this when my kids were little. CBeebies used to be on a four hour schedule when my eldest was little, so you always knew the programme on at 8 would be on at 12 and again at 4! It was very stressful when they changed it.
I thought I was bad watching Home and Away twice at uni! I don’t think I could cope with three of the same Mim-Mims in one day – but the kids probably could. Unfathomable!
Oh no, no, no!! I will never accept Kate and Mim Mim – see here: http://andthenthefunbegan.co.uk/favourites/cbeebies-its-a-lovehate-thing/ 🙂
He he very funny we have just mo ed on from octanauts to peter rabbit. Oh the upheaval….
Mine have just come to love Peter Rabbit after being terrified of it for MONTHS. They still find it a bit scary. Old Brown the Owl, man! Spooky!
Definitely a case of no, no, no, yes!?
I know, exactly! It’s a question of attrition for sure.
This so brilliant – and so true! I come from the time before Octonauts too and they were just starting to become popular when Grace transferred to CBBC! Sounds like you have that to look forward to at some point?! Great to see you back lovely lady, thank you for linking to PoCoLo 🙂 x
Thanks Vic, lovely to be back! Thanks for your lovely comment. CBBC looks way too grown-up at this stage! x
I challenge you to ever find anything to love about Topsy & Tim. Master ATWWAH loves it while my blood boils from the opening credits
Ha ha – true, it does look a bit hard to love. Luckily the boys aren’t into it so we don’t watch it, just Mim-Mim on repeat!
They are changing a lot of programs lately! I really dont like the new numtums and no matter what I do I cant love it! Then again the channel is not aimed for my age so =P
Nice post! #pocolo
Thanks Merlinda! I actually like the new Numtums with its groovy new theme tune! I guess they cover all bases and tastes 😉
Ha ha ha ……very clever comparing a children’s program to the stages of grief! X
Thank you – very clever of you to pick up on it. No surprise from you! x
Brilliant post Jess! I wish my 3 would go back to Cbeebies. We are all about PopGirl and Disney Junior now 🙁 I miss Mr Bloom and Nina (and the Neurons!) 🙂 xx
I know, I’ll miss CBeebies when we’ve grown out of it. A good few years for me though! xx
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Love this and completely relate to it. But I still can’t get into Kate and mim mim, she’s just so annoying. I think my biggest objection to CBeebies has to be the over exposure of Justin (said in an evil action film voice over style) I cannot stand him and think there is something really sinister about him. Yet he seems to be on every other CBeebies programme.
On a more positive note Charlie and Lola has been my fave since before the kids were born, despite my many attempts my little girl just doesn’t relate 🙁
Haha, evil Justin takeover! I don’t mind him but his programmes have never gripped my boys. It took me a LONG TIME to get into Kate and Mim Mim. My 3yo has moved on now and…I kind of miss her…
I think there should be a campaign to get Tweenies out. It’s so wrong. It’s like a bad drama lesson using the props and costumes from the back of the cupboard.