Does Makka Pakka get on your Tittifers?
The Tortured Genius of the Night Garden
In the night garden is tortured genius – because it is somewhere between torturously irritating and pure genius to watch. Far from the burn the Teletubbies outcry in 1997, it seems that In the Night Garden has met the parental seal of approval. It certainly meets the BBC’s as you trip over the various Igglepiggle of merchandise in the high street stores.
It is dreamland beauty complete with gentle piano themes that scream the hallmarks of Anne Wood, the pre-school equivalent of Tim Burton.
The BBC describe the programme as: “A modern televisual interpretation of a nursery rhyme picture book. It is about a magical place that exists between waking and sleeping in a child’s imagination.”
Some of the sadness of the programme perhaps lies in the fact that scheduled into the bedtime hour of Cbeebies, the traditional nursery rhyme picture book has been replaced by the televisual version, and this is the last story that children will hear before bedtime.
Yet while there is somewhere substantial and excellent research into why my 2 year old shouldn’t watch the television. Ever. Until he has reached a state of maturity (though it is my understanding that little boys never ever grow up and mature) Sometimes the TV is a necessary evil. It is the device that lets us do the washing up, make a cup of juice, go to the toilet. It is there when a quick distraction is needed. This doesn’t mean that the telly should be on for hours though. The screaming volume and noisy junk that seems to pepper the children’s schedules these days makes most adults want to turn it off.
Another problem with children’s television programmes is that when we were younger there was only three, then four channels. Cartoons were watched after school from about 3.30pm until 5.30pm if you were lucky then that was that. But now there are hundreds of TV channels for those that can afford Sky (contrary to popular belief Sky packages are not handed out at the DSS office with Housing Benefit). There are dedicated round the clock children’s channels jam packed full of cartoons doing little but Americanising our children and driving adults round the bend.
Despite its benefits the television is replacing the parent in too many ways. By the time we crawl into the house after an experience in anger management battling through rush hour, the Ninky Nonk and Upsy Daisy are the perfect wind down not just for the children but for the adults as well.
The programme generally comes in three sections, the first and last section generally always the same. It is the middle section that is the gripping edge of the seat stuff. Much to my dismay I missed the end of one episode and never did find out if Igglepiggle found his lost blanket covering the Tombliboos.
In the night garden is a wonderful break from the pre-teens muck of self-esteem deforming Bratz. A massive girly franchise where the main characters look like ladies of the night.
In the night garden is calming, soothing, repetitive and somehow a beautiful dreamland that feels safe and warm, (despite the serious breaches of health and safety on the Ninky Nonk and Plinky Plonk). This is probably why I’m still watching it when my child has gone to bed and is calling for his bedtime story.