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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
Production
Executive producers	David G Hiller Vic Finch
Running time	25 minutes
Original release
Network	BBC
Release	March 31, 1997 – January 5, 2001 2003 - 2005

Teletubbies is a BBC 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; it won a BAFTA in 1998.

Although the show is aimed at children between the ages of one and four, it has been a substantial cult hit with older generations, including university students. "Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!", a single based on the show's theme song, reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1997 and remained in the Top 75 for 32 weeks, selling over a million copies.

Overview

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 costumes vaguely resemble large spacesuits, although the Tubbies appear not to wear real clothes. They are instead furry, and 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). Tubbies 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, ; "Uh-oh", a common toddler response to anything untoward; "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 they get. Perhaps the most common exclamation, however, 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", 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 occurances of the show, including the end sequence, and the scene preceding the the short film broadcast on a characters 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. To adults the laughter does not seem to be in response to any stimulus or humorous developments in the plot line of the episode.

The Teletubbies' diet seems to consist exclusively of Tubby Custard (which is sucked through a spiral straw bowl) and Tubby Toast (circular toast with a smiley face on it). One of their companions is the Noo-Noo, a sentient, self-propelled vacuum cleaner.

Machines like the Noo-Noo, 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.

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 rise 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 will be played in re-runs for years to come.

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). It was reported that by 2002 the set had become overgrown, and pending the 2003 lease expiry it was expected to become farmland again.

Tinky Winky has a red handbag, Dipsy has a cow-print hat, Laa-Laa an inflatable orange ball and Po a scooter.

Character summary

Tinky Winky (purple)

(Dave Thompson, Mark Heenehan, Simon Shelton): Male. He is the largest of the Teletubbies, with a triangular antenna on his head. Tinky Winky is notable for the red luggage (described by the show as a "magic bag", but often described by other media as a handbag) he carries. His character has caused much controversy due to allegations that his character's behaviour carried homosexual undertones. He is also found dancing in a ballet-style tutu from time to time, which is also often worn by La-La.

Dipsy (green)

(John Simmit): Male. He has a straight dipstick antenna on his head, hence his name. His favorite item to wear and carry with him is his black and white hat. Dipsy is the most obstinate of the characters, and will sometimes refuse to go along with the other Tubbies' group opinion. His face is also notably darker than the rest of the Teletubbies.

Laa-Laa (yellow)

(Nikky Smedley): Female. She has a curly antenna and is very concerned with the welfare of all. She's the best singer of all the teletubbies. "Drama queen", party-girl and mother type. Her favourite thing is a bouncy, orange ball which is almost as big as her.

Po (red)

(Pui Fan Lee): Female. Her antenna is short with a circle on top. Po is the smallest of all the Teletubbies and often the one who gets into innocent trouble. Her favorite thing is her scooter as she calls it ("Po 'cooter!"). Of all the Teletubbies, Po usually becomes most involved with the audience.

Noo-Noo

No gender specified. Noo-Noo seems to be the Teletubbies housekeeper or cleaner, due to his resemblance to a vacuum cleaner, which is his initial purpose in the house. He hardly ventures outside, instead remaining indoors and constantly cleaning with his sucker-like nose. He 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 him comically around the house until they grow tired, are distracted by something, or forgive Noo-Noo. This sequence ends with them hugging him, or with him shooting out their absorbed objects.

Teletubbies and the instruments

• Tinky-Winky: saxophone, flute, bassoon, clarinet, piccolo, oboe, recorder, English horn, and contrabassoon
• Dipsy: trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, cornet, sousaphone, and euphonium
• Laa-Laa: xylophone, triangle, bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, timpani, castanets, maracas, tambourine, and glockenspiel
• Po: harp, violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, banjo, and mandolin

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 controversies

One of the Teletubbies, 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).

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 May 28 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 May 30 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.

Alternative names

Teletubbies has been reversioned for many different countries, sometimes involving a change of title.

Broadcasters around the world

See also

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

References

1. Deconstructing Teletubbies... – Professor Gregory Gutenko, University of Missouri. Undated.Accessed: 2007-09-03.
2. Literacy Today article regarding a study which found Teletubbies had a negative impact on toddlers in both vocabulary size and expressive language use.
3. 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)
4. Rusak, Gary (March 12, 2007). "Teletubbies celebrate 10th anniversary in high style". KidScreen Magazine. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. "Teletubbies Pop-Up Shop".
6. BBC News article on the Polish gay Tellytubby controversy
7. "Polish watchdog backs away from Teletubbies probe", cbc.ca, May 30 2007, , retrieved May 31 2007
8. Dotinga, Randy (April 12, 2000). "Lawsuit to Target Teletubbies for Gun Talk". APBNews. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• Official: Teletubbies UK site, US
• Broadcaster: CBeebies (UK), PBS Kids (US)
• Teletubbies at IMDb
• Teletubbies producer

• Teletubbies episode list
• British Film Institute Screen Online

• Tomy Toys, a licensee

• BBC children's television programmes
• Fictional characters in children's television
• Children's television series
• 1990s fads
• 1997 television series debuts
• PBS network shows