British or Not? Children's TV Classics Quiz

Answer:

'The Clangers' were small pink creatures who lived on a moon. They spoke in whistles and ate green soup. Created by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, the show first aired in 1969. Children loved every minute of it.

A saggy old cloth cat called 'Bagpuss' lived in a lost-and-found shop owned by a little girl called Emily. When she brought in a lost object, Bagpuss would wake up, and he and his friends would weave a story around it. Only 13 episodes were ever made, yet in 1999 it topped a BBC poll as the nation's favourite children's programme of all time.

'Trumpton' was a cheerful market town where nothing much went wrong, and the fire brigade were always on hand. Gordon Murray created the programme in 1967. I can still remember the roll call of firemen: 'Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb'.

Every episode of 'Mr Benn' followed the same pattern. Wearing his black suit, bowler hat and carrying his trademark briefcase, he visited a costume shop. After choosing a costume, such as a knight, pirate or astronaut, he stepped through the changing-room door into a matching adventure. It was as simple as that, and it worked brilliantly every time.

'Ivor the Engine' was set in the Welsh valleys. Ivor was a small green steam engine with a big heart. He longed to sing with the local choir and somehow managed to do so. The storytelling and Welsh setting made it unlike anything else on television.

Originally a French series, 'The Magic Roundabout' had Eric Thompson write entirely new BBC scripts based purely on the visuals, ignoring the French originals completely. Zebedee, Dougal, Florence and friends lived in a world that made its own rules. Adults enjoyed it just as much as children, me included.

'Postman Pat' followed Pat Clifton and his black and white cat Jess as they went about their daily rounds in the village of Greendale. First broadcast in 1981, the show ran for many years and became a firm favourite with young children. It was my favourite. I discovered it as an adult and loved the programme and its catchy theme tune.

The 'Teletubbies' - Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po - were four brightly coloured creatures with television screens in their tummies. They lived in a sunny land full of rabbits and tubby custard. Some adults found it baffling, but children under five absolutely loved it, and that was all that mattered.

'Rosie and Jim' featured a ragdoll called Rosie and her friend Jim, who lived on a narrowboat called the Ragdoll. Their owner John never noticed them come to life when his back was turned. It first aired in 1990 and became a regular feature of early morning children's television.

'Dog and Duck' were two toys that came to life when their owners weren't looking. Broadcast on CITV from 1999, the voices were provided by Josie Lawrence and James Fleet. Nearly 200 episodes were made, though the show has been largely forgotten since.

The animation in 'Bod' couldn't have been simpler, with flat shapes, few colours and minimal movement. Characters included Bod himself, Aunt Flo, PC Copper, Farmer Barleymow and Alberto Frog. Each episode ended with Alberto naming a famous musician.

These next four were featured on 'Watch with Mother', which was a BBC children's television strand. It ran from 1952 to 1973 and was aimed at pre-school children who were expected to watch with their mothers (or another adult), which is where the name came from.

'Bill and Ben' were two flowerpot men living at the bottom of a garden. They came to life when the gardener wasn't around and spoke in a language all their own. Their friend Weed grew between their flowerpots, and 'Flobadob' was a word only they understood. It first aired in 1952 and soon became a classic.

'Rag Tag and Bobtail' featured a hedgehog, a mouse and a rabbit who had adventures in the countryside. It was first shown in 1953. Few remember it today, but it was a favourite with very young viewers at the time.

'Andy Pandy' and his friends Teddy and Looby Loo lived in a basket and played in a striped tent. One of the very first BBC children's programmes, it began in 1950. At the end of every episode Andy waved goodbye and climbed back into his basket.

The 'Woodentops' were a family living on a farm, with 'the biggest spotty dog you ever did see'. They were wooden puppets brought to life with simple strings. Another favourite, it first aired in 1955 and delighted a whole generation of young viewers.

The non-British programmes are: 'Casey Jones' (United States), 'Champion the Wonder Horse' (United States), 'The Lone Ranger' (United States), 'The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin' (United States), 'Davy Crockett' (United States), 'Sesame Street' (United States), 'Tales of the Riverbank' (Canada), 'Skippy the Bush Kangaroo' (Australia).