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Teletubbies
From left: Dipsy, Laa-Laa, Po, and Tinky Winky
Created by	Anne Wood Andrew Davenport
Developed by	Ragdoll Productions
Narrated by	Tim Whitnall, Toyah Willcox, Eric Sykes
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of episodes	365 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	David G Hiller Vic Finch
Running time	25 minutes
Original release
Network	BBC
Release	31 March 1997 – 5 January 2001

Teletubbies is a BBC BAFTA winning children's television series, primarily aimed at pre-school viewers, produced from 1997 to 2001 by Ragdoll Productions. It was created by Anne Wood CBE, Ragdoll's creative director, and Andrew Davenport, who wrote each of the show's 365 episodes. Narrated by Tim Whitnall, the programme rapidly became a critical and commercial success in Britain and abroad (particularly notable for its high production values), and won its BAFTA in 1998. (A woman named Dolly O'Neal had a short-run cable-access TV show about the Teletubbies called Dolly O'Neal with Tubby Talk in Cambridge, Massachusetts, making her and her Tubby backpacks local celebrities.) Although the show is aimed at children between the ages of one and four, it is a substantial cult following with older generations, mainly college students, who bought the customary regulation T Shirts. The mixture of bright colours, unusual designs, repetitive non-verbal dialogue, ritualistic format, and the occasional forays into physical comedy appealed to a demographic who perceived the show as having psychedelic connotations. Teletubbies was controversial for this reason, and also for a perception that it was insufficiently educational. Teletubbies is also controversial because of one Teletubby, Tinky Winky, who has a "magic bag" which some belive to be a woman's handbag.

Overview

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The programme features four colourful characters: Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po, who live in a futuristic dome (the "Tubbytronic Superdome"), set in a landscape of rolling hills. The environment is dotted with unusually talkative flowers and periscope-like "voice trumpets". The only natural fauna are rabbits (although birds are often heard, particularly blackcaps and wrens). The climate is always sunny and pleasant save for occasional inclement days, with rain and puddles, and snow at Christmas time. The Teletubbies are played by actors dressed in bulky costumes, although the sets are designed to give no sense of scale. The Teletubbies don't normally wear real clothes other than the colored suits they wear. They have metallic silver-azure rectangular "screens" adorning their abdomens. These screens are used to segue into short film sequences, which are generally repeated at least once. When the series is shown in different countries around the world, the film inserts are to be tailored to suit local audiences. (The British inserts are default.)

The Teletubbies have the body proportions, behaviour, and language of toddlers. The pacing and design of the show was developed by cognitive psychologist Andrew Davenport, who structured the show to fit the attention spans of the target audience. The repetition of practically every word is familiar to everyone who has ever worked with young children. There was also help from Shatarra Willis the stage manager who helped the show to become a success.

The Teletubbies speak in a gurgling baby language which is the subject of some controversy among educationalists, some of whom argue that this supposedly made-up talk is not good for children. (A similar complaint was made forty years previously about another children's series, Flower Pot Men.) The Teletubbies are at the stage of understanding speech but not yet fully capable of articulating it, exactly like their target audience. They often simply groan in disapproval in situations where a human toddler would throw a tantrum. The Teletubbies' catch-phrases are "Eh-oh" (hello), as in: "Eh-oh, Laa-Laa", to which Laa-Laa will respond, "Eh-oh, (other Teletubby's name)", "Uh-oh", a common toddler response to anything that's not good, "Run away! Run away!", especially from Dipsy, and "Bye-bye" at least four times in a row. Laa-Laa, when flustered, will explode with "Bibberly cheese!", which is as angry as the Teletubbies get. But perhaps the most common exclamation is "Big hug!" which one or more of the Teletubbies will invariably call for during the course of an episode, resulting in an enthusiastic group hug.

All the Teletubbies say "Bye-Bye" three times. The narrator bids each Teletubby goodbye, and they disappear, but reappear a moment later saying "Boo!". The narrator then says "No", (which they copy) and proceeds to say goodbye to each Teletubby again. The sun is then shown setting, and the Teletubbies each say goodbye again, before jumping down a hole in the roof of their house. Finally, one Teletubby says goodbye a fourth time - they pop out of a hole in the house and say "Bye-bye!". For special episodes, and at the end of the "Fun With The Teletubbies" cassette, all four Teletubbies say "Bye-bye" in this way. Many of the occurrences of the show, including the end sequence, and the scene preceding the short film broadcast on a character's tummy were shot only once, and the same scenes are used in each episode. The surreal environment is an evocation of a toddler's perception of the world, where they are ordered about and told to go to sleep, while wonderful and mysterious things happen without explanation. A prominent feature of each episode is a radiant sun that has an image of a smiling baby superimposed upon it. The baby in the sun occasionally laughs out loud in short bursts.

Their diet seems to be almost exclusively "Tubby Tustard" (which is sucked through a spiral straw) and "Tubby Toast" (circular toast with a smiley face on it, and they are spectacularly messy eaters. In one episode, the "Tubby Toaster", the machine that makes "Tubby Toast" went seriously wrong and filled the Teletubbies' house with toast. Fortunately, one of their companions is Noo-Noo, a vacuum cleaner. Machines like Noo-Noo, the voice trumpets, and the televisions in the Teletubbies' stomachs were designed to show small children, who are born into a world surrounded by strange and powerful electronic gadgets, that technology is benevolent and helpful, not something to be afraid of. The Teletubbies' landscape is an outdoor set located in rural Warwickshire, England, at Sweet Knowle Farm, Redhill Bank Rd, Whimpstone, CV37 8NR (between Stratford upon Avon and Shipston on Stour, close to the River Stour).

In 2001, production was cancelled and it was announced that no new episodes would be produced. (However, BBC ran a few in-the-can episodes from mid 2001 to early 2002.)It is often alleged that this was due to substantial pay raise demands by the previously anonymous actors portraying the Teletubbies. However, since the four years of production had exceeded the target audience's age span, it was deemed that continuation was unnecessary, and the existing 365 episodes were played in re-runs for years to come.

Characters

These are the characters from the show.Most of them have started controversies because of there behavers.

Tinky Winky

Tinky Winky (played by Dave Thompson, Mark Heenehan, and Simon Shelton) is the first Teletubby. He is the largest of the Teletubbies, is covered in purple terrycloth, and has a triangular antenna on his head. He is notable for the red luggage (described by the show as a "magic bag", but often described by other media as a handbag) he always carries. His character has caused much controversy due to allegations that his character's behaviour and body color carried homosexual undertones.

Dipsy & Laa-Laa

Dipsy (played by John Simmit) is the second Teletubby.He is green and is named "Dipsy" because his horn resembles a dipstick. He likes his black and white furry top hat,which he once lost. Laa-Laa found it, but instead of simply returning Dipsy's hat to the stricken Dipsy, she ran around it for about ten minutes shouting "Dipsy Hat! Dipsy Hat!".He is the most stubbon of the Teletubbies, and will sometimes refuse to go along with the other Teletubbies' group opinion. His face is also notably darker than the rest of the Teletubbies, which is why he's considered to be racist.The creators have atmited that he is Black.Laa-Laa is the third Teletubby. She is yellow, has a curly antenna, and is concerned with the welfare of all.She's the best singer of all the Teletubbies (as well as the best dancer of the Teletubbies), and is a "Drama queen", party-girl, and motherly type. Her favorite thing is a bouncy, orange ball, which is almost as big as she is.

Po

Po (played by Rebecca Marr) is the fourth (and last) Teletubby. She is red, has an antenna that is shaped like a stick used for blowing soap bubbles, is the smallest of the Teletubbies (possibly the youngest), and is most often the one who always gets into trouble. She also says the word "Eh-oh" (hello), a word used by all of Teletubbies, and is cubby and cute. Her favorite object is her scooter, which she calls "scoota" (she also calls it "Po 'cooter!",or just "cooter"). Po often wants attention and can sometimes be mischievous and naughty when she disobeys the commands of the "voice trumpets".She is the only bilingual Teletubby, speaking English (the broadcasting country's language) and Cantonese, is a problem solver and "spider-fighter", and is a Tomboy type.Of all the Teletubbies, Po usually becomes most involved with the audience. She loves both attention and her curly red circular antenna on her head. In the Teletubbies' house, she sleeps at the side of all the other Teletubbies and sometimes eats Tubby Toast while the others are sleeping. Po is voiced by Pui Fan Lee, which is why she can speak in dual languages.

Noo-Noo

Noo-Noo (prononced Nuu-Nuu) seems to be both the Teletubbies guardian and housekeeper, due to its resemblance to a vacuum cleaner, which is its initial purpose in the house. Noo-Noo hardly ventures outside, instead remaining indoors and constantly cleaning with its sucker-like nose. It does not speak like the other characters, instead communicating through a series of slurping and sucking noises. At times, Noo-Noo gets annoyed with the Teletubbies antics and can vacuum their food or toys. This usually prompts the Teletubbies to scold Noo-Noo through a cry of "Naughty Noo-Noo!". Usually after this, Noo-Noo flees and the Teletubbies pursue it comically around the house until they grow tired, are distracted by something, or forgive Noo-Noo. This sequence ends with them hugging it, or with it shooting out their absorbed objects.

Other

The show also features the voices of Toyah Willcox and Eric Sykes, and occasionally Sandra Dickinson and Penelope Keith, all of whom provide narration.The only physical cast member is Tamzin Griffin, who plays the manic "Funny Lady".The Sun is personified with the face of baby Jessica Smith, who is believed to have been around seven months old at the time of filming. Her giggle was included in the single Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!. Although she was not credited, this does make her technically the youngest person ever whose vocal appeared on a number one song.

Character mnemonics

For parents and others who don't watch the show, but want to tell the characters apart, say, for a toddler who wants you to get them a particular doll, the antenna shapes provide mnemonic clues:

• Triangle: "Tinky-Winky"
• Dipstick: "Dipsy"
• curLy: "Laa-Laa"
• circle: "O" shape rhymes with "Po"

Reception

Teletubbies 10th Anniversary events

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the premiere of Teletubbies, a series of events took place at the end of March through the beginning of April 2007.

• The characters appeared outside of Teletubbyland for the first time on March 21, 2007 in London, England at an invitation-only event to officially begin the programme's tenth anniversary year sponsored by BBC Worldwide, the programme's licensees.
• They appeared in the United States for the first time. They made appearances in New York City's Times Square, Grand Central Station, and Apollo Theater. They also appeared on The Today Show on 29 March 2007. The episode included the first ever televised interview with the actors outside of their costumes.
• A partnership was formed with Isaac Mizrahi in which Isaac designed Teletubbies-inspired bags to be auctioned off to benefit the Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks charities.
• A new line of clothing was launched to be sold in the Pop-Up Shop and other specialty stores.
• New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg announced March 28, 2007 "Teletubbies Day" and gave the key to the city to the Teletubbies.

TakeTheTeletubbiesTest.com

TakeTheTeletubbiesTest.com launched on 26 March 2007. On the website, users can create profiles, take "tests", ask Po questions, and submit their own pictures and videos. There was also a station set up at the Teletubbies Pop-Up Shop where visitors could record themselves giving their reactions to the Teletubbies programme and upload it onto the website.

Pop-Up Shop

• A Pop-Up Shop opened in New York City's West Village from March 28 to April 7, 2007. The opening night party was DJ'ed by MisShapes. A percentage of the store's profits went to the Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks charities.
• DJs from all different genres of music (electronica, funk, Brazilian jazz, old school hip hop, alternative rock and house music) played in the store in the evenings. Some evenings included DJ scratching lessons and record spin art.
• On April 6, 2007, the store held a 12-hour Teletubbies viewing marathon.

Teletubbies live events

Following the Teletubbies' appearance in New York City, they went on their first live European tour, performing shows in London, Paris, Bremen, Darmstadt, Halle (Saale), Hamburg, Köln, and Hannover.

Are You the 5th Teletubby?

Also in celebration of the Teletubbies' 10th anniversary, a contest is being held at 5thTeletubby.com where fans can create videos of themselves as the "5th Teletubby," a character of their own creation. Audio and video clips from the show are available on the website for the entrants to use in creating their videos.

Tinky Winky controversy

Tinky Winky started a still hinted-at controversy in 1999 due to his carrying a bag that looks much like a woman's handbag (although he was first "outed" by the academic and cultural critic Andy Medhurst in a letter of July 1997 to The Face). He aroused the interest of Jerry Falwell in 1997 when Fallwell alleged that the character was a "gay role model". Falwell issued an attack in his National Liberty Journal, citing a Washington Post "In/Out" column which stated that homosexual comedian Ellen DeGeneres was "out" as the chief national gay representative -- while trendy Tinky Winky was "in."This has caused many Christians to boycott Teletubbies because it makes them think that Teletubbies support homosexuality. He is also found performing his Tinky Winky Round and Round Dance in a ballet-style tutu from time to time, which is also often worn by Laa-Laa.(Supporters of the interpretation that Tinky Winky is gay may take this as evidence)

A February 1999 article in the National Liberty Journal, published by evangelical pastor Jerry Falwell, warned parents that Tinky Winky could be a hidden homosexual symbol, because "he is purple, the gay pride colour, and his antenna is shaped like a triangle, the gay pride symbol". A spokesman for Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Co., who licenses the characters in the United States, said that the bag was just a magic bag. "The fact that he carries a magic bag doesn't make him a homosexual. It's a children's show, folks. To think we would be putting sexual innuendo in a children's show is kind of outlandish", he added.

In May 2007, Polish Ombudsman for Children Ewa Sowińska revisited the matter, and planned to order an investigation. She said in the 28 May 2007 edition of Polish magazine Wprost that the woman's handbag-carrying Tinky Winky could promote homosexuality. Journalists from Wprost mentioned claims the Teletubbies promote homosexuality, to which Sowińska replied that she had heard of the issue. The journalists then asked about Tinky Winky. "I noticed that he has a woman's handbag, but I didn't realize he's a boy", Sowińska told the magazine in an interview her office approved before publication, adding: "Later I learned that there could be some hidden homosexual undertones." Sowińska said she would ask her office's psychologists to look into the allegations "and judge whether it can be shown on public television and whether the suggested problem really exists."

But on 30 May 2007, Sowińska said in a public statement that she no longer suspected the Teletubbies of promoting homosexuality. She said: "The opinion of a leading sexologist, 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." In an unrelated incident reported in 2000, a girl's Tinky Winky toy reportedly said "I got a gun". Kenn Viselman, then chairman of the Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Co., claimed the toy actually said "Again, again!", a catchphrase from the show.

Teletubbies in popular culture

• In the webstrip Sluggy Freelance dated 9 March 1999, the characters Torg and Riff discuss the fact that "Drinky Winky" from the "Teletubbles" is "an abusive drunk because of the bottle of booze he carries", says Torg reading from a newspaper. Riff counters saying "That's not a bottle of booze! It's his magic bottle that makes his problems go away! (...) never mind." Torg goes on reading, "The abusive side of Drinky Winky is demonstrated by..." to which Riff argues "Tipsy and Hoe had it coming!"

• In 1998, Tom Fulp of Newgrounds created a spoof of Teletubbies called "Teletubby Fun Land"" which resulted in a law suit from the BBC. This resulted in a boost of notoriety and media exposure,and the video was renamed "Tellybubby Fun Land".

Teletubbies in other media

• In 2007, a Jeep commercial featured Jeeps driving through famous scenes in history and popular culture, including an Elvis Presley film, a Godzilla film, the moon landing, Woodstock, a Road Runner cartoon, a Jane Goodall documentary, Devo's "Whip It" music video, at the fall of the Berlin Wall, an episode of Lost, and in Teletubbyland with Laa-Laa and Po.

• In September, 2007, in a hazing ritual for the Boston Red Sox, pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and his translator, Masa Hoshino, dressed as Dipsy and Tinky Winky, respectively.

• In the 2007 episode of BBC's Doctor Who, The Sound of Drums, the Doctor's nemesis The Master watches television and upon encountering the Teletubbies, marvels at the evolution that has given them televisions in their chests.

• In December 1997, BBC Worldwide released a CD single from the series, based on the show's theme song, called "Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!". The song is the only single from Teletubbies, making them a one-hit wonder in the UK, and mostly a remix of the theme song from the hit Television program performed by the series characters written by Andrew McCrorie-Shand and Andrew Davenport. Produced by McCrorie-Shand and Steve James, this single reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1997, remaining in the Top 75 for 32 weeks after its release, selling over a million copies. A music video of this single can be fouund here.

Funding

• Direct TV (1999-2000)
• KB Kids.com (1999-2000)
• Viewers Like You (1997 Present)
• Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (1997)
• Payless Shoe Source (2000-2001)

References

1. Gutenko, Gregory. "Deconstructing Teletubbies: Differences between UK and US college students' reading of the children's television program". Kansas City, Missouri, USA: College of Arts & Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City. Archived from the original on 2006-09-22. Retrieved 2008-09-30. Unexpectedly, the four furry alien-like "techno-baby" Teletubbies and their surreal Tubbyland world have also generated a cult following among college students. (The campus activities calendar at Imperial College includes the airtimes and episode highlights for each show).
2. Literacy Today article regarding a study which found Teletubbies had a negative impact on toddlers in both vocabulary size and expressive language use.
4. Sweet Knowle Farm is at coordinates 52°07′32″N 1°42′12″W / 52.125515°N 1.703446°W / 52.125515; -1.703446 (Sweet Knowle Farm)
7. http://pbskids.org/teletubbies/parentsteachers/progfaq.html
8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evpGgrhnsL8
9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxciMdQ8iq8
10. "Singles : Artists : Age". Record Breakers and Trivia. EveryHit.com. Retrieved 2008-09-30. Jessica Smith played the part of 'Baby Sun' in the Teletubbies TV programme. Her giggle was used on The Teletubbies 1997 chart-topper "Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!" Though not credited for this 'performance,' she is the youngest person to have appeared on a no.1 single. We are currently trying to ascertain her precise age at the time of recording; it is certainly less than one year old and thought to be around the seven month mark.
11. Rusak, Gary (March 12, 2007). "Teletubbies celebrate 10th anniversary in high style". KidScreen Magazine. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
12. "Teletubbies Pop-Up Shop".
13. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E4DD1F3BF932A25751C0A96F958260
14. BBC News article on the Polish gay Tellytubby controversy
15. "Polish watchdog backs away from Teletubbies probe", cbc.ca, 30 May 2007, , retrieved 31 May 2007
16. Dotinga, Randy (12 April 2000). "Lawsuit to Target Teletubbies for Gun Talk". APBNews.
17. Newgrounds Presents: Teletubby Fun Land
18. Newgrounds Literature
19. "Jeep Touts Timeless Fun" - Ad Week, July 30, 2007
20. "Just Call Matsuzaka ‘Dipsy’" - The New York Times, September 17, 2007

See also

• Boohbah
• In the Night Garden
• Earth house, the type of building they live in

External links

• Official Teletubbies website
• Official USA Teletubbies website
• Official CBeebies Teletubbies website
• Official PBS KidsTeletubbies website
• Teletubbies at IMDb

• Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2008
• 1990s fads
• Teletubbies
• PBS network shows
• Children's television series
• 1997 television series debuts
• 2001 television series endings
• BBC children's television programmes
• Fictional characters in children's television