The Ninky Nonk and friends

Television programmes for young children never cease to amaze. We had Mr Ben, all about a businessmen who enjoyed dressing up in his lunch hour; the Magic Roundabout with it huge reference to pot smoking and LSD; then there was Rainbow full of very weird references to sex and "banging all night" between Rod, Jane and Roger; then there was was Pob, the little puppet that thought it was funny to spit at everyone; then along came Teletubbies with tubby custard that makes NooNoo go faster after he snorts it up his nose, plus Acid face tubby toast that makes the Teletubbies hallucinate; and now, the new show on the block is "In the Night Garden".

Anyone with a small child and CBeebies will probably know about this show. I would try to explain it to you but it's just too...well... too damned trippy. The main characters are Igglepiggle, Makka Pakka and Upsy Daisy. We also have the Pontitines (pictured) and a bizarre thing called the Ninky Nonk. I say it's bizarre simply because of the choice of name they've given it. You see a two year old learning to talk has problems with the n's and the k's when they are put together. They make it sound more like a "g" when they say it. This can cause serious double-takes amongst parents when a room of toddlers are walking around talking about "Nigy Nog".

I have no idea what the people who created this show were taking when they came up with it, but whatever it was it was strong. If you don't believe me, go to and check out the CBeebies website (a place I am well versed with now). This show is just plain weird, but it's also hugely popular. Every parent I know says their kids are transfixed by it when it comes on. I have a feeling that Igglepiggle and the Ninky Nonk are going to be difficult to get hold of this Christmas.

The above Rainbow description was based on this little classic - and priceless - video (which I am presuming was never actually broadcast, but then I was only a little kid at the time anyway, so I wouldn't know if it had).