In the Night Garden... facts for kids

Quick facts for kids In the Night Garden...
Created by	Andrew Davenport
Developed by	Anne Wood Andrew Davenport
Starring	Holly Denoon Rebecca Hyland Nick Kellington Andy Wareham Elisa Laghi Justyn Towler Isaac Blake
Narrated by	Derek Jacobi
Composer(s)	Andrew Davenport
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	100 (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	Anne Wood Andrew Davenport
Running time	30 minutes approx
Production company(s)	Ragdoll Productions BBC Worldwide
Release
Original network	CBeebies BBC Two
Original release	19 March 2007 (2007-03-19) – 6 March 2009 (2009-03-06)
Chronology
Related shows	Teletubbies Rosie and Jim

In the Night Garden... is a popular British TV show made for young children. It was created by Andrew Davenport, who also helped make Teletubbies. The show first aired on CBeebies and BBC Two in the United Kingdom.

The series is narrated by Derek Jacobi. It uses a mix of real actors in costumes, stop motion (where objects are moved slightly between photos to look like they're moving), puppetry, and CGI animation (computer-generated images). The show features many colorful characters with unique names, like Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, and Makka Pakka.

In the Night Garden... has been translated into several languages. For example, it's called ‘El Jardín de los Sueños’ in Spanish and ‘Drømmehagen’ in Norwegian.

Creating the Night Garden World

How the Show Was Inspired

Andrew Davenport shared that his own childhood dreams were the main idea behind In the Night Garden.... He started drawing characters like Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, and Makka Pakka in 2004. The show was officially announced in 2005, and filming began soon after.

Filming Techniques and Props

The show used special green screen sets, known as Chroma key, to create its magical world. Real forest videos were changed and used as backgrounds. The show was filmed in a private forest called Smatchley Wood in Warwickshire, England.

Hundreds of props were made for the show. Many of these were large, round flowers that looked like pom-poms. There were also many big, oval-shaped stones. The drawings of characters and props seen in the show, like on the gazebo, were designed using Adobe Illustrator.

Making each episode was quite expensive. This was because of the huge inflatable structures, many props, special green screen technology, heavy costumes, and radio controlled vehicles.

Exploring the Night Garden

Characters and Their Magical Home

The show features many colorful characters with unusual names. They all live in a magical forest filled with large daisies and bright flowers. The characters often speak short, repeated phrases. Each character also has their own special song and dance.

The Night Garden is a sunny and colorful place. The music is cheerful and sounds like it comes from a music box. One of the producers, Anne Wood, explained that the show helps children understand the difference between being awake and being asleep.

A Typical Night Garden Adventure

Every episode begins with a view of the night sky and stars. Then, you see a child in bed, and the narrator introduces the episode. The scene then switches to Igglepiggle in his boat, traveling to the Night Garden as the theme music plays.

The camera then shows the night sky and bright flowers. Igglepiggle goes to the gazebo to meet his friends. After that, the show's title appears on a bush, and either the Ninky Nonk or the Pinky Ponk appears.

Bedtime in the Night Garden

Episodes end with the Tittifers singing their song. Then, one character gets ready for sleep. They listen to a bedtime story from the magical gazebo in the center of the Night Garden. This story is a summary of what happened in the episode. Sometimes, all the characters dance together under the Gazebo.

After the story, all the characters except Igglepiggle go to sleep. Igglepiggle then says his goodbyes. The theme music plays as the Night Garden fades into the night sky. Finally, Igglepiggle is seen asleep on his boat as the credits roll.

Helping Kids Relax at Bedtime

The show was designed to help children relax. It also aims to create calm moments between children and their parents. Producer Anne Wood noted that bedtime can often be a stressful time for families. She said, "This is a programme about calming things down whereas most children's TV is about getting everything up."

In the Night Garden... has won awards for its calming approach. It won the Children's BAFTA for "Pre-School Live-Action" in 2007 and 2008. It was also nominated again in 2009.

Episodes and Problem Solving

Gazebo's Problem-Solving Pictures

In some episodes, when a problem needs to be solved, the gazebo spins. It then chooses a picture that shows a solution to the problem. Here are some examples:

• "Episode 8: Igglepiggle's Blanket in Makka Pakka's Ditch" - The gazebo shows Igglepiggle's Blanket and Makka Pakka Blowing His Trumpet.
• "Episode 9: The Ninky Nonk Wants A Kiss" - The gazebo shows all six things related to the problem.
• "Episode 16: Igglepiggle's Mucky Patch" - The gazebo shows Makka Pakka.
• "Episode 35: The Pontipines Find Igglepiggle's Blanket" - The gazebo shows The Pontipines.
• "Episode 36: Igglepiggle's Accident" - The gazebo shows Makka Pakka.
• "Episode 51: Where's Your Uff-Uff Makka Pakka?" - The gazebo shows Makka Pakka with his Uff-Uff.
• "Episode 54: Tombliboo Eee Gets Lost" - The gazebo shows Tombliboo Eee and Upsy Daisy's megaphone.
• "Episode 67: Makka Pakka's Piles of Three" - The gazebo shows Makka Pakka.
• "Episode 75: Make Up Your Mind Upsy Daisy" - The gazebo shows Igglepiggle.
• "Episode 78: What Loud Music, Tombliboos!" - The gazebo shows Upsy Daisy's megaphone and Makka Pakka's trumpet together.
• "Episode 81: Where Did Makka Pakka's Sponge Go?" - The gazebo shows Makka Pakka with his Sponge.
• "Episode 86: Sad and Happy Tombliboos" - The gazebo shows The Tombliboos’ drums.

Meet the Cast

Here are the main actors who bring the characters to life:

• Derek Jacobi as the Narrator
• Nick Kellington as Igglepiggle
• Rebecca Hyland as Upsy Daisy
• Justyn Towler as Makka Pakka
• Andy Wareham as Tombliboo Unn
• Isaac Blake (Series 1) and Holly Denoon (Series 2) as Tombliboo Ooo
• Elisa Laghi as Tombliboo Eee

Showings and Home Videos

When the Show Aired

In the Night Garden... first aired in the United Kingdom on March 19, 2007. The final episode was shown on March 6, 2009. The show was often part of the "Bedtime Hour" slot on CBeebies, which helped children get ready for sleep.

Sometimes, the show's airing time changed. This led to some parents asking for it to be put back in its usual slot. The show eventually returned to its regular time and continues to be shown today as the last full program before the bedtime story.

DVD Releases

Many DVDs of In the Night Garden... have been released in the United Kingdom. These DVDs allow children to watch their favorite episodes at home.

A special boxset called "Hello Everybody!" was released on November 24, 2008. It included four DVDs: "Hello Igglepiggle," "Hello Upsy Daisy," "Hello Makka Pakka," and "Hello Tombliboos."

Awards and Products

Recognized for Excellence

In the Night Garden... has received several awards:

• BAFTA Children's Awards 2007
  • It won the award for Best Children's Live-Action Series.
  • The show's website was also nominated for Best Interactive Site.
• BAFTA Children's Awards 2008
  • It won the award for Best Pre-School Live Action Series.
• BAFTA Children's Awards 2009
  • It was nominated again for Best Pre-School Live Action.

Merchandise for Fans

Since 2007, many products related to In the Night Garden... have been sold. These include books, DVDs, toys, and magazines.

Books

Ladybird Books published a variety of In the Night Garden... books starting in 2007. Some books had fun features like lift-the-flaps, while others included sounds from the show.

Toys

Ragdoll Productions, the show's producers, partnered with the toy company Hasbro to create toys. The first toys were available in July 2007. These included soft stuffed toys of Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, and Makka Pakka. There was also a small Ninky Nonk train with parts that could be taken apart.

Other companies also made toys. Play-Doh released dough sets with an Igglepiggle-shaped cutter. Hasbro won an award in 2008 for their In The Night Garden... toy range. Later, a different company called Golden Bear Toys also made toys, such as the "Musical Ninky Nonk Bubble Train."

In 2019, a specific toy, the "In the Night Garden Igglepiggle Peek-a-boo Clip-on Toy," was recalled due to a possible choking hazard for young children.

Live Show Experience

In the Night Garden...Live! was a live stage show that started touring the UK in July 2010. The show took place inside a special inflatable dome. It debuted in Liverpool and then traveled to cities like London, Glasgow, and Birmingham. The live show toured the United Kingdom every summer.

The live shows ended in 2018. This might have been because fewer tickets were being sold.

New Adventures: ZinkyZonk Specials

A new series called In the Night Garden... ZinkyZonk Specials was announced in September 2022. These are six 15-minute specials that use full 3D CGI animation. This is different from the original show, which used a mix of CGI, 2D animation, and live-action.

The new specials introduce a character called the Zonk. The Zonk sends the characters to a magical place called the ZonkeyZoney, where they can relax peacefully. The series first premiered in Australia on ABC Kids in September 2022.

See also

In Spanish: El Jardín de los Sueños para niños