Is
CBeebies the best kids telly...
evah?! Discover and Do, Big-Fun Time and Charlies favourite - the Bedtime Hour - punctuate our days and as it's all so entertaining and educational, I'm all for it. I'm not convinced by
Cerrie and Alex (yet) but they've a very hard act to follow. Chris and
Pui had been a fixture on the
CBeebies bedtime hour for so long that even if Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand had taken over as presenters, they'd have struggled. Nothing stays the same, of course. And just when you're getting the hang of the schedules - Space Pirates, Grandpa in my Pocket,
Chugga and then
Iggoo-
Igooo at six, along comes something new. Charlie was becoming quite a fan of 3rd and Bird, for example, only for it to be replaced the other day by 64 Zoo Lane. Thankfully a brand-new
3rd and Bird website has been launched, so we can still sing along to all the tunes and find out more about our favourite characters. It's worth a look for parents, too, with a dedicated section entitled 'Help for Parents' as well as links to lesson activities from the
RSPB - how appropriate.
Music is an integral part of 3rd and Bird of course, and I've been
intrigued by the singing. Like
Chuggington, the show originated in the US but is re-recorded with a range of UK voices - but how old are those singers? If they're as young as they sound, then they're highly-skilled musicians; if they're not, then the results are quite convincing. As the site says, 'the vibrant treetop community of 3rd & Bird is alive with singing, whistling and dancing'. And - best news of all - the songs are all there on the website, too. Except for one - I can't find Charlie's favourite, Baby Jordan. In fact, I can't find any mention of him. Have we dreamt him? Is he real? Have they given him the bird? I might have to check out the new DVD to find out. Watch this space!
