h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Kids cartoon from early 80s. Evil Edna was a ... oh boy... witch who was also a TV set. Or vice versa. Played by Kenneth Williams. There's a probably a Will o' the Wisp webring out there somewhere...

I might've seen it then... not that I'd remember being in the very young years back then
Was it on the 100 Greatest Kids TV Shows? (I loved that thing!!)

Can't remember. All I remember from that show is that Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds were ranked much too low and the Muppets and the Simpsons shouldn't have been eligible!

(Not sure about Doctor Who. Yes a lot of little kids watched it, but it did contain a massive amount of horror and violent death.)

My (hypothetical) vote went for Knightmare.

yeah, since when were The Simpson's kiddie - they just can't quite appreciate all the joys in that one.

and if I remember rightly Thundercats was nowhere on the list - which is disgraceful!

Must point out that if the simpsons doesnt count, then neither do the muppets (or dr who, for that matter).
It would be better if it was only things that were definitely aimed at children, maybe by restricting it to the after-school or saturday morning timeslots.
If it's put on at a time for adults to be able to watch it, it's not a children's programme.

I did say Simpsons and Muppets shouldn't have been allowed, and that Dr Who was a borderline case.

But what about The Magic Roundabout, which had a huge adult following (there were thousands of complaints when it was moved back from its' just-before-the-evening-news slot), and Ivor the Engine (my dad has every episode on video)?

Isn't Ivor the Engine followed by adults who were children at the time?
It's about it being made FOR children.

So what about family shows that have huge kid followings? Shows that work on multiple levels? Damn, I've just let Muppets and Simpsons back in...

well, maybe just let in shows that are "kiddy" - not those that have in-jokes and stuff designed to appeal to adults as well. I think things like Magic Roundabout and Trumpton (which my mother adores) were designed for children, and then adults loved them as well cos they were such high quality.

Did you know that The Clangers had actual scripts?

I'm not surprised. Apparently the UK version was the only one with actual narration, everyone else got by perfectly well on the flutey noises...

Pop quiz - which early 90s baggy group was named after a character from the Clangers?

Oh, the whistling makes sense in any language (well, most european languages at least).

The BBC disagreed. Hence Oliver Postgate's dulcet tones overlaying the action.

Spookily enough there's an episode of Dr Who where the Master is watching the Clangers on TV and he understands what they're saying too...

It makes sense in any language, but people are lazy.

I saw an interview with someone (presumably someone to do with it) who was, trying to sell it to Germany (?) and he said 'I suppose this sounds like rubbish to you' and got told 'no, they are speaking perfect german.'

(must remember who I see on TV and what they're talking about, details)

I saw the same thing. I think it was Oliver Postgate himself.

If only it were true, I could've aced German at school...

yeah, just get a random wind instrument...