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Big & Small facts for kids
"Big and Small" redirects here. For the play by Botho Strauß, see Big and Little. For the dice game sometimes known as "big and small", see sic bo.
| Big & Small | |
|---|---|
Big (right) and Small (left)
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| Genre | Children's comedy Musical |
| Created by | Kindle Entertainment |
| Voices of | Lenny Henry (Season 1–3 UK) Todd Doldersum (Season 1-3 CAN) Jason Hopley (Season 1-3 CAN) Imelda Staunton (Season 1–2 UK) Tamsin Heatley (Season 3 UK) |
| Opening theme | "The Big and Small Song" by Lenny Henry (UK)/"The Big and Small Song" by Todd Doldersum & Jason Hopley (CAN) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 78 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Anne Brogan Series 1–3 |
| Producer(s) | David Collier |
| Running time | 11 minutes/ep |
| Production company(s) | Kindle Entertainment 3J's Productions Sixteen South (season 3) Studio 100 |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBeebies (United Kingdom) Treehouse TV (Canada) |
| Picture format | 1080i ( HDTV) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 6 October 2008 – 7 November 2011 |
Big & Small is a fun children's television series. It was made in both Britain and Canada. The show features puppets and is about two main characters, Big and Small.
This series was a team effort. It was created by Kindle Entertainment and 3J's Productions. They worked with the BBC, Treehouse TV, and Studio 100. The show aired three seasons. These seasons ran from 2008 to 2011. In the UK, you could watch it on CBeebies.
Contents
Exploring the Show's Structure
Each episode of Big & Small follows a clear pattern. It usually starts with the characters doing something fun. This could be playing a game or making something new.
How Episodes Unfold
After the opening, a small problem or conflict often happens. This conflict becomes the main plot of the episode. Big and Small, along with their friends, then work together to solve this problem. They always find a way to fix things before the episode ends.
Music and Animation in Big & Small
A special part of every episode is the music. There is always at least one song. These songs are filmed using a cool technique called shadowmation. This makes the songs look unique and artistic.
Meet the Characters of Big & Small
The show features a small group of friendly characters. Each one has a unique personality. They live together and learn about friendship.
| Character | Voices | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Big | Lenny Henry (Season 1–3 UK) Todd Doldersum (Season 1-3 CAN) |
Big is a large, purple creature. He looks a bit like a cow. He has bright fuchsia polka dots on his back. Big is known for being very friendly. He is also quite relaxed and easygoing. |
| Small | Lenny Henry (Season 1–3 UK) Jason Hopley (Season 1-3 CAN) |
Small is a small, orange creature. He looks like a rabbit with long ears. Unlike Big, Small is very energetic and loud. He is also quite impulsive, meaning he acts quickly. |
| Ruby | Jamie Shannon (Season 1-3 CAN) Imelda Staunton (Season 1–2 UK) Tamsin Heatley (Season 3 UK) |
Ruby is a pink mouse. She has red hair. Ruby lives in Big and Small's house. Her home is a cozy mouse hole. |
| Twiba | Jamie Shannon (Season 1-3 CAN) Imelda Staunton (Season 1–3 UK) | Twiba is a green worm. She has curly hair. Twiba lives in an apple. This apple is on a tree in Big and Small's garden. Her name, Twiba, stands for "The Worm in Big's Apple." |
| The Frogs | Unknown | The Frogs are a pair of green frogs. They wear hats. They live in the garden pond. One frog is lime green and wears a red wool hat. The other is dark green with a business hat. |
Where Big & Small Was Shown
Big & Small was a popular show around the world. It was broadcast on many different channels.
Broadcasting in the UK and Canada
In the United Kingdom, the show aired on BBC1, BBC2, and CBeebies. It was also shown on Cyw in Wales. In Canada, Treehouse TV was the channel that broadcast Big & Small.
Global Reach of the Show
Overall, more than 40 channels worldwide featured the program. This shows how popular Big & Small became. You could also find episodes on DVD. These DVDs were released by ITV DVD.
Recognitions and Awards
Big & Small received several awards. These awards recognized the show's quality and appeal.
- In 2013, the show won "Best Writing" at the KidScreen Awards.
- The show's online service, Big & Small Online, won "Best Interactive Service". This award was given at the BAFTA Children's Awards in 2009.
- The episode "Blame It on the Drain" won "Best Children's Programme". This was at the Royal Television Society's Educational Television Awards in 2009. The judges praised the show. They called it "A well constructed programme with great warmth, charm and child appeal."
Big & Small at BBC Programmes