Moving In
Tom, Dick and Harry move into their new home in this first episode of a Yorkshire TV children's series
The gentle comedy of children's television is often built around a set of platonic friends or siblings. There is no conflict or complicated emotions that might feature in a drama or situation comedy for adults, just the requisite amount of misunderstanding and slapstick to put a smile on children's faces. The characters of Tom, Dick and Harry here are basically big kids, but appropriately hirsute for their 1970s origins.
Six episodes were released from May to June in 1976, though a pilot episode, featuring a different Harry and an alternate setting, also survives in the BFI National Archive.
Kid's TV
Our relationship with the small screen starts early in life, opening our square eyes to a heady mix of drama and comedy; fantasy and fact.
Dedicated children’s programming has been part of the television mix from its earliest years, growing from short intervals “For The Children” after WWII, to a plethora of standalone channels today. The start of the BBC’s long-running “Watch With Mother” series in 1953 set much of the template for pre-school television, blending puppets, song and animation, with the implicit expectation that mum - assumed to be a housewife - would supervise.
Catering for older children, meanwhile, sought to balance the kinds of programmes children want to watch with those their parents want them to see. Eventually a fuller menu of drama, comedy, factual and magazine programmes for children - in other words, versions of 'grown-up' programmes for 'small people' - came to fill the schedules of weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings.
Sadly, the segregation of children’s television to its own satellite, cable and digital channels has made its much less likely for adults to experience the frequent delights of kids’ TV. But our collection welcomes all ages! (Though please note that some programmes maybe flagged as unsuitable for young children.)
47 videos in this collection
Watch in libraries only
Watch in libraries only
Diane's Panda Party [28/09/72]
Watch in libraries only
Animal Kwackers [09/10/75]
Watch in libraries only
Witches' Brew [28/12/72]
Watch in libraries only
Origami [09/04/70]
Watch in libraries only
Mr. Trimble [21/02/73]
Watch in libraries only
Gathercole Bunch
Watch in libraries only
The Distant Voice
Watch in libraries only
The Challenge
Watch in libraries only
Play It Again, Stewpot [25/07/74]
Watch in libraries only
Play It Again, Stewpot [05/09/74]
Watch in libraries only
A Handful of Songs [27/05/77]
Watch in libraries only
Saturday Scene Road Show [11/05/75]
Watch in libraries only
Big and Bigger
Watch in libraries only
Mickey the Demon Barber
Watch in libraries only
Kevin Goes to the Library
Watch in libraries only
Ragdolly Anna and the Bacon
Watch in libraries only
Britain in the Year 2000
Watch in libraries only
Delilah
Watch in libraries only
Zzzap! [19/02/93]
Watch in libraries only
Granny's Kitchen [26/05/77]
Watch in libraries only
Heavens Above [23/02/81]
Watch in libraries only
Moving In
Watch in libraries only
Nature Trail [16/05/83]
Watch in libraries only
Our Show [29/10/77]
Watch in libraries only
Peter Ustinov Tells Stories from Hans Andersen
Watch in libraries only
Quest of Eagles Episode 1 Sailor
Watch in libraries only
Sunny Side Up [28/04/82]
Watch in libraries only
The Children's Royal Variety Performance
Watch in libraries only
There's Nobody There
Watch in libraries only
Think Tank [18/08/81]
Watch in libraries only
Two Good Turns
Watch in libraries only
William Clears the Slums
Watch in libraries only
Gus Hunnybun
Watch in libraries only
One Day in the Life of Television
Watch in libraries only
Gus Honeybun Animation
Watch in libraries only
Gus Honeybun around Plymouth
Watch in libraries only
Modern Music
Watch in libraries only
Calendar Kids
Watch in libraries only
Sus
Watch in libraries only
Tots TV [19/03/93]
Watch in libraries only
The Raggy Dolls [10/11/92]
Watch in libraries only
Skoosh Summer Special [14/07/98]
Watch in libraries only
Zig Zag (Prog 11)
Watch in libraries only
Stookie [15/09/85]
Watch in libraries only
Brushes
Watch in libraries only