In the Night Garden...

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This article is about the British children's TV series. For the novel, see The Orphan's Tales.

In the Night Garden...
In the Night Garden logo.png
Created byAndrew Davenport
Developed by
Directed byDirk Campbell
StarringHolly Denoon
Rebecca Hyland
Nick Kellington
Andy Wareham
Elisa Laghi
Justyn Towler
Isaac Blake
Narrated byDerek Jacobi
ComposerAndrew Davenport
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes100 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers
Running time28 minutes approx.
Production companiesRagdoll Productions
BBC
DistributorBBC Worldwide
Release
Original networkCBeebies
Original release19th March 2007 –
6th March 2009
Chronology
Related showsTeletubbies
External links
Website

In the Night Garden... is a British live-action preschool children's television series, aimed at children aged from one to six years old.[1] It is produced by Ragdoll Productions. Andrew Davenport created, wrote, and composed the title theme and incidental music for all 100 episodes.[2][3] It was produced by Davenport and Anne Wood, the team that also co-created Teletubbies. The programme is narrated by Derek Jacobi. It is filmed mostly in live action, and features a mix of actors in costume, puppetry and computer animation. The characters include Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka, the Tombliboos, the Pontipines, the Wottingers, the Haahoos, the Ninky Nonk, the Pinky Ponk, and the Ball.

The first episode was first broadcast on 19 March 2007. Two series were made, with 100 episodes in all. The BBC confirmed in 2010 that it would not be commissioning another series.[4] The show's budget was £14.5 million.[5]

The programme's creators have said that it is designed to relax and entertain its intended audience ages 1 to 7 years old.[5]

Overview[]

The programme features a large cast of colourful characters with unusual names who live in a magical forest scattered with large daisies and brightly coloured pompom flowers. The characters mostly speak short and repetitive phrases and each has their own special song and dance. The garden is a sunny and colourful environment and the music is jaunty and music box-like. Producer Anne Wood said:

"We wanted to explore the difference between being asleep and being awake from a child's point of view: the difference between closing your eyes and pretending to be asleep and closing your eyes and sleeping."[6]

Each episode starts with a shot of a night sky with the stars appearing, followed by a shot of a child in bed, while the narrator introduces the programme's episode. The scene then cuts to Igglepiggle, in his boat, getting ready to go travelling to the Night Garden whilst the theme music plays. The camera pans up to the night sky, followed by brightly coloured flowers. Then we see Igglepiggle going to the gazebo to meet his friends. After that, the title appears on or under a hedge and either the Ninky Nonk or the Pinky Ponk appears.

The episodes end with the Tittifers singing their song (they also sing in between segments), then one character gets ready to go to sleep while they hear a bedtime story, which is generated by the magical gazebo that sits at the centre of the Night Garden. This story is a summary of the plot of the episode. Sometimes the characters all dance together under the Gazebo. Then we see all of the characters except for Igglepiggle going to sleep, while Igglepiggle delivers his goodbye sequence. Then the Night Garden turns and retreats into the night sky and Igglepiggle is seen asleep on his boat as the end credits roll.

In the Night Garden... is intended to help children relax and achieve calming relationships with parents. Producer Anne Wood also states: "We became very aware of the anxiety surrounding the care of young children which manifested itself in all kind of directions; but the one big subject that came up again and again was bedtime. It's the classical time for tension between children who want to stay up and parents who want them to go to bed. So this is a programme about calming things down whereas most children's TV is about getting everything up."[6]

In 2007[7] and 2008,[8] the show won the Children's BAFTA for "Pre-school live action," as well as being nominated in 2009.[9]

Episodes[]

Main article: List of In the Night Garden... episodes

Cast[]

See also: List of In the Night Garden... characters

Broadcast[]

Until 29 March 2008, the show aired on the CBeebies channel every day, including weekends, at 6:25 PM in the "Bedtime Hour" slot, in addition to earlier daytime showings on weekdays.[10] From 29 March until 29 August 2008, In The Night Garden... was removed from its 6:25 PM "Bedtime Hour" slot, which resulted in a petition asking for the programme to be re-instated to its normal slot.[11] One parent petitioner was quoted by The Daily Telegraph commenting that "My four-year-old refused to believe it was bedtime because In the Night Garden... hadn't been on and it was daylight outside."[11]

The show returned to the daily "Bedtime Hour" slot at 6:20 pm as of 30 August 2008, and began showing the second series (beginning with "Slow Down Everybody") on 1 September 2008.[12]

Awards and nominations[]

  • Awarded Best Children's Live-Action Series[7]
  • The website for the programme was nominated for Best Interactive Site[7]
  • BAFTA Children's Awards 2008
  • Awarded Best Pre-School Live Action Series[8]
  • BAFTA Children's Awards 2009
  • Nominated for Best Pre-School Live Action[9]

Merchandising[]

In the Night Garden... books, DVDs, toys and Magazines have been marketed since 2007.

Books[]

In 2007, Ladybird Books published a full In the Night Garden range of books, some had lift the flap features (The Prettiest Flower, 2007) and some had sounds from the programme (What a Funny Pinky Ponk!, 2009), these usually retailed for £8.99 when they were released from BBC Books/Ragdoll Productions.

In 2014, Penwizard[13] introduced a line of personalised books where customers can customise the story to include their child's name and likeness in the story alongside Igglepiggle and friends.

DVDs[]

Several Region 2 DVDs have been released in the UK by the BBC since October 2007:

DVD Title Episodes
Who's Here? Makka Pakka Washes Faces
Tombliboos Waving Game
Makka Pakka's Trumpet Makes a Funny Noise
Everybody all aboard the Ninky Nonk
The Prettiest Flower
Hello Igglepiggle! Igglepiggle's Blanket in Makka Pakka's Ditch
Jumping for Everybody
Igglepiggle's Mucky Patch
The Pinky Ponk Adventure
Igglepiggle's Blanket Walks About by Itself
Hello Upsy Daisy! Quiet Please Tombliboos!! Upsy Daisy Wants to Sing!!
Upsy Daisy Kisses Everything!
Upsy Daisy's Big Loud Sing Song!
Igglepiggle Looks for Upsy Daisy and Follows her Bed!
The Ninky Nonk Wants a Kiss!
Hello Makka Pakka! Makka Pakka's Stone Concert
Runaway Og-Pog
Makka Pakka's Present
Makka Pakka Gets Lost
Washing the Haahoos
Hello Tombliboos! Too Loud Tombliboos!! Nice and Quiet!!
The Tombliboos' Busy Day
Tombliboo Trousers!
Tombliboo Ooo Drinks Everybody Else's Pinky Ponk Juice!
The Tombliboos Tower of Five
Isn't That a Pip? The Pontipine Children on the Roof
Looking for Each Other
Slow Down Everybody!
Igglepiggle Goes Visiting
Where is the Pinky Ponk Going?
Look at That! Igglepiggle's Tiddle
Makka Pakka's Piles of Three
Where Are the Wottingers?
Mr. Pontipine's Moustache Flies Away
What loud Music, Tombliboos!
What Fun! Sneezing
Hide and Seek
Mind the Haahoos
The Pontipines Find Igglepiggle's Blanket
Upsy Daisy Dances with the Pinky Ponk
All Together! Waving from the Ninky Nonk
Playing Hiding with Makka Pakka
Wake Up Ball
Over and Under
Sad and Happy Tombliboos!
Best Friends! Upsy Daisy's Tiring Walk
Trubliphone Fun
Shshsh! Upsy Daisy's Having a Rest!
Who's Next on the Pinky Ponk?
Makka Pakka's Circle of Friends
All Aboard Ninky Nonk or Pinky Ponk
Upsy Daisy's Special Stone
Ninky Nonk Dinner Swap
The Tombliboos Swap Trousers
Igglepiggle's Accident.
Out for a Walk Upsy Daisy's Funny Bed
The Ball
Wave to the Wottingers
The Pontipines in Upsy Daisy's Bed
Igglepiggle's Noisy Noises.
What Lovely Music Tombliboo Eee Gets Lost
Make Up Your Mind Upsy Daisy!
Following
Upsy Daisy Dances with the Haahoos
Long Distance Ball Game
Wake Up Igglepiggle Wake Up Igglepiggle
Where Can Igglepiggle Have a Rest
Oh Look It's the Wottingers
Dinner in the Ninky Nonk
The Tombliboos Clean Their Teeth.

Each DVD features five episodes.

A boxset, Hello Everybody!, has been released, containing "Hello Igglepiggle!", "Hello Upsy Daisy!", "Hello Makka Pakka!" and "Hello Tombliboos!" Each of these titles have episodes relating to the character on which the DVD is based.

Toys[]

The show's producers, Ragdoll Productions, signed a deal to make the toy producer Hasbro a global partner before the show was first broadcast, and merchandise was first made available in July 2007. The range includes small Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka stuffed toys and a small Ninky Nonk train with detachable carriages. Wheeled toy licensee MV Sports & Leisure Limited produced a range of scooters and trikes. Play-Doh made some dough that came packaged with an Igglepiggle-shaped cut-out.

In spring 2008, several new toys arrived, including roll-along characters, Talking Cuddly Makka Pakka, Ninky Nonk Pop-up tent and more. Hasbro won the 2008 "Best Licensed Toy or Game range" Licensing Award for their In The Night Garden... range.[14]

In January 2009, a spokesman for the BBC confirmed that they had asked Hasbro to change the skin colour of the Upsy Daisy doll following "a handful of complaints". The doll was originally released with a noticeably lighter complexion than seen in the television series, as it was based on the animated version of Upsy Daisy.[15]

In 2010, more New Toys were released like the Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy set that contained a copy of the Series 2 episode The Pontipines' Picnic (2008) on DVD as well as an electronic Ninky Nonk (which made the actual sounds from the Show) and a Playmat that had the Bridge, the Tombliboo Bush (with The Tombliboos and their beds) The Gazebo and the Pinky Ponk.

Live theatrical show[]

In the Night Garden...Live! started a UK tour in July 2010. The show took place in an inflatable purpose-built show dome. The show premiered in Liverpool, and moved on to London, Glasgow and Birmingham. In the Night Garden Live has toured the UK every summer.[16][17]

References[]

  1. ^ "BBC – CBeebies Grownups – In the Night Garden". BBC. Archived from the original on 24 July 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  2. ^ Brown, Jonathan; Robinson, Josie (18 April 2007). "In the Night Garden: Bedtime for Teletubbies". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 December 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  3. ^ Lane, Harriet (25 November 2007). "Night Fever". The Observer Magazine. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  4. ^ Conlan, Tara (27 September 2010). "BBC puts In the Night Garden to bed". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Carter, Meg (18 March 2007). "They come in peace". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "In The Night Garden". Press Pack – From tot to toddler to tearaway, CBeebies celebrates its fifth birthday (Press release). BBC – Press Office. 19 March 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Past Winners and Nominees – Children's – Awards – 2007". BAFTA. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Past Winners and Nominees – Children's – Awards – 2008". BAFTA. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "Past Winners and Nominees – Children's – Awards – 2009". BAFTA. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  10. ^ http://www.radiotimes.com – search results 25 February 2008
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Reynolds, Nigel (2 April 2008). "Anger as BBC moves In The Night Garden". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  12. ^ "BBC - Press Office - CBeebies Autumn 2008 schedule". BBC. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  13. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ Dungan, Ronnie (18 September 2008). "Toy firms scoop Licensing gongs". Toy News. Archived from the original on 2 May 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  15. ^ "BBC acts over light-skinned doll". BBC News. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  16. ^ Jones, Catherine (26 March 2010). "In The Night Garden coming to Sefton Park this summer". liverpoolecho.co.uk.
  17. ^ "It's time to book your tickets!". nightgardenlive.com.

External links[]

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