Dean Wilkinson

m a dad I find it heartbreaking that the children’s telly my daughters have to choose from is - colossal because of the myriad cable channels on offer, but - incredibly limited in terms of qu

Not all of it though! I’ve included the fairly modern Spongebob in this book because

merican Eerie Indiana was one of the best shows of the 1990s.

hope you’ll come to realise, like I did when compiling this book, that as a kid I was incredibly lucky to have such a wide and varied choice of viewing.

sometimes without much of a budget), imaginative and downright awe inspiring shows mentioned in this book

And our youth might grow up with a sense of magical

Introduction
By Dean Wilkinson

Working largely in children’s telly since 1990, I’ve clocked up a few shows myself and modesty prevents me from including any of them in this tome - one would have thought! You’ll find SMTV Live and Stupid in here somewhere. I’m really proud of these shows, especially Stupid, and when I snuff it I want there to be a headline in my local paper stating ‘STUPID MAN DIES’.
The emphasis of this quiz book seems to be the children’s telly of the seventies and eighties. This is because I was a kid myself at that time spending hours upon hours watching the haunted fish tank trying to escape from the reality of a grim home life. And wow, was I spoilt for choice - so many classics! and I’ve enjoyed all of those shows again whilst researching this book, either by hiring them from Amazon, bidding for the last tatty VHS versions on Ebay, or seeking out clips on You Tube.
The American wit Lily Tomlin once said: ‘If you read a lot of books you are considered well read, but if you watch a lot of TV you are not considered well viewed.’
Depends on the telly, Lily. I’d much rather spend an evening in front of a DVD copy of Children of the Stones or Dangermouse or Maid Marian and her Merry Men than doing anything else. I spent half my childhood watching telly, I wasted the rest, so I’m spending my adult life catching up.
I’ve trawled the Internet, scoured books on TV history and bugged friends and colleagues in the biz for their memories, to make this the ultimate classic children’s telly quiz book. I hope I’ve succeeded.
Even if you don’t remember the show, you can get a lot out of the DID YOU KNOW? sections, or glean amazing nuggets of information about kids’ telly by cheating and looking at the ANSWERS in the back. Impress your friends with some impromptu facts about Willo the Wisp, or The Double Deckers.

I wanted to! We have to get back those glorious must-see-TV days

Look at any of today’s pointless celebrities and their God awful vehicles and just think