Dòtaman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dòtaman |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's |
| Presented by | Donnie Macleod Rhoda Macleod Anne Sinclair Cathy MacDonald John Urquhart Mairi Macinnes Anna Murray |
| Country of origin | Scotland |
| Original language(s) | Scottish Gaelic |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One Scotland |
| Original release | 17 October 1985 – 8 December 2000 |
Dòtaman (pronounced "DOH-tah-man") was a very popular Scottish Gaelic children's TV show. Its name means "spinning top" in Scottish Gaelic. It was the longest-running TV show for young children in Gaelic. The show started on October 17, 1985. Donnie Macleod was a main star, known for his singing. He became a very popular figure on the show. Donnie often shared the presenting role, especially when it was time to tell the time at the end of each episode.
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Meet the Dòtaman Presenters
A team of presenters hosted Dòtaman. These included Donnie Macleod, Rhoda Macleod, Cathy Macdonald, and John Urquhart. Well-known Gaelic singers Mairi Macinnes and Anna Murray also presented the show. In the very first series, Anne Sinclair was the singer. She played the piano and did not wear hats like Donnie.
What Was Dòtaman About?
Donnie Macleod was famous for wearing many different silly hats. Each hat was decorated to match the song or the theme of that day's programme. Sometimes, if there wasn't a specific theme, Donnie would wear his special seagull hat. Many of these fun hats were designed by Kirsty Colam, the costume designer.
Meet the Dòtaman Puppets
The show also featured six friendly puppets!
- Nelson and Napoleon were two parrots. They would squawk during the "what's the time" part at the end of the show.
- Cagnaidh the dog and Crotal the rabbit often joined in the activities at the start of the programme.
- Oighrig the hippo and Ealasaid the elephant usually sat and listened to stories.
The Music of Dòtaman
The songs in Dòtaman were about everyday things that matter to children. The style of the songs was based on traditional Gaelic music. A team of writers created the songs for different themes. Both Donnie and some of the writers helped compose the music for the lyrics. Most of the songs were about Gaelic culture or life in rural Scotland.
The show's main theme tune was also used for the start of The Further Adventures Of Noddy. This was another children's series based on Enid Blyton's famous 'Toyland' books.
How Dòtaman Influenced People
Many young Gaelic speakers today learned their first words from watching Dòtaman. The show's unique music style also inspired many young singers and musicians. They were encouraged to create and play music in their own traditional way.
Dòtaman is even mentioned in a modern song! The Western Isles band Peat and Diesel referenced the show in their 2019 song 'Fairytale of Stornoway'. This song is a fun, reworked version of 'Fairytale of New York' by The Pogues.
