Play School (New Zealand TV series) facts for kids

Play School was a super popular New Zealand TV show made just for children. It was all about learning and fun! This show was inspired by the famous Play School program from the UK.

About the Show

Play School first aired in New Zealand on Tuesday, March 22, 1972. The first two series were shown twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, around 4:30 PM.

Filming Locations

The show was first filmed in Auckland at the AKTV2's Shortland Street studios. Later on, it moved to TVNZ's Dunedin Studio. In Dunedin, it was shown twice a day, around 10 AM and 2:30 PM. The very last series of Play School was shown on TV in 1990.

How the Show Was Made

The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) provided the show in a "kitset" form. This meant they sent scripts and short video clips. These clips were often shown "through the windows" during the program.

The Famous Toys

The show had five special toy characters. These toys are very well-known to New Zealanders who grew up watching the show. They are:

• Big Ted: A classic golden teddy bear.
• Little Ted: Just like Big Ted, but much smaller.
• Manu: A doll with Māori features, like dark skin and hair.
• Jemima: A rag doll with bright orange woollen hair.
• Humpty: A round, green fabric toy that looks like Humpty Dumpty.

Where Are the Toys Now?

Today, Big Ted, Manu, Jemima, and Humpty are kept at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. The museum also has many clothes and props from the show. Sadly, Little Ted's head was damaged by the film crew after the last series. You can see it at the Otago Settlers Museum in Dunedin. The original clock from the show was found in a library in Invercargill in August 2009.

Play School Today

In 2005, TV2 started showing the Australian version of Play School. This version features New Zealand presenter Jay Laga'aia, who has been on the show since 2000. The Australian show is quite different from the New Zealand version. The New Zealand show was very similar to the British Play School from the 1970s and 1980s.

Presenters and Musicians

Many talented people helped make Play School special.

Presenters

The first presenters were Waric Slyfield and Janet Milne. They hosted most of the shows in 1972. Ken Rea and Val Lamond also presented some episodes. In 1973, Jan Johnston, Ray Woolf, and Elizabeth Rogers joined them.

Other presenters included:

• Timothy Bartlett
• Gabriel Alston
• Ian Kingsford-Smith
• Jeremy Brownbrook
• Barry Dorking
• Kristen Gillespie
• Theresa Healey
• Jacqui Dean
• John Mann
• Jayashree Panjabi
• Kathryn Rawlings
• Ian Taylor
• Pauline Nitis
• Rawiri Paratene
• Mike Rehu
• Tania Robin
• Laughan Stockham
• Russell Smith
• Marcus Turner
• Eilish Moran

Pianists and Musicians

The show also featured talented pianists and musicians who played music for the children.

• Ossie Cheesman
• Jonathan Cohen
• Russell Sheppard
• Ian (Eli) Gray-Smith
• Neville Copeland
• Graeme Perkins
• Murray Wood