Watch with Mother

"Watch with Mother" was a cycle of children's programmes broadcast in the 1950s by BBC Television that was created by Freda Lingstrom.

Originally known as "For The Children", it changed to "Watch With Mother" in 1952. It was the first BBC television programme specifically aimed at pre-school children, like its radio equivalent "Listen with Mother" that also started in 1950. (Note that "Muffin the Mule" was broadcast on TV from 1946 but it was aimed at children of all ages).

"Andy Pandy" was first broadcast in July 1950. At first it was shown between 3:45pm and 4:00pm but was later moved to lunchtime. Later attempts to move it to the morning were met with fierce opposition. Eventually on each weekday a different programme was broadcast. The initial cycle of shows was:

*"Picture Book" - Mondays (from 1955) Presented by Patricia Driscoll and by Vera McKechnie in the 1963 series.
*"Andy Pandy" - Tuesdays (from 1950)
*"Flower Pot Men" - Wednesdays (from 1952)
*"Rag, Tag and Bobtail" - Thursdays (from 1953)
*"The Woodentops" - Fridays (from 1955)

The original programmes had a loyal following and there was concern when it was learned that they would be replaced by new programmes, as in 1965 when it was thought that "Camberwick Green" would replace "Andy Pandy" and "The Flowerpot Men". Eventually the new programmes were added including: "Tales of the Riverbank", "Pogles' Wood", "Bod", "Trumpton" and "Mary Mungo & Midge".

By 1973, the "Watch With Mother" name had been dropped; by 1980 the strand had been named "See-Saw". However a "Watch with Mother" video became a best-seller in 1987, and was followed by a second in 1989. Since the shows were a great success and fondly remembered by many, modern incarnations of the shows, "Andy Pandy" and "The Flowerpot Men" have been produced.

External links

* [http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/tv/children/watchwm/watchwm.htm#Picture%20Book More information and clips from the programmes]
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/W/htmlW/watchwithmo/watchwithmo.htm Link to Museum of Broadcast]
* [http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/wwm2.htm Link to TV Heaven web-site]