Storytime (TV programme) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Storytime |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Educational children's programme |
| Starring |
List
Jaye Griffiths
David Brierly Pik-Sen Lim Vicky Ireland Barbara McNamara Iain Lauchlan Beulah Candappa Tina Gray Dona Croll Juliet Alderdice Lenny Alsop Harry Towb Diane Kenwood Errol Lloyd Val Lorraine Annabel Rowe Trilby Fox Stuart Fox Aidan Cook Seeta Indrani Johnny Morris John Ringham (Mr. Banglebede, Series 7–9) Sian Reeves (Jess, Series 7–9) Matthew Kelly Christopher Timothy Hannah Gordon Felix Cobbson Gary Wilmot Su Pollard Cathy Tyson Marti Caine Kristian Schmid Brian Conley Beverly Hills |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 13 |
| No. of episodes | 122 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Moyra Gambleton Pat Farrington Diane Morgan Sue Peto Elizabeth Bennett Sheila Fraser |
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Production company(s) | BBC Bristol (Series 1–4, 7–9) Ragdoll Productions for BBC Bristol (Series 5–6) SFTV for BBC (Series 10–13) |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 23 September 1987 – 1 December 1997 |
Storytime was a cool TV show made for primary schools in the United Kingdom. It helped kids learn to read and love stories! The show was on BBC Two from September 23, 1987, to December 1, 1997.
For its first nine series, different hosts introduced the stories. The show was made by BBC Bristol. For series 5 and 6, Ragdoll Productions (the company behind shows like Teletubbies) also helped out.
Later, from series 10 to 13, the show had one main host, Beverly Hills. Some episodes even showed clips of older hosts. These later series were produced by SFTV for the BBC. In total, 122 episodes of Storytime were made.
Contents
Exploring the Series: A Look at Storytime's Episodes
Storytime had many different series, each bringing new and exciting stories to young viewers. The show aimed to make reading fun and easy to understand for children.
Early Broadcasts: Series 1-3 (1987-1988)
The first three series of Storytime were shown on Wednesdays at 2:00 PM as part of a block called Daytime on Two. They were also repeated on Fridays at 11:00 AM. Sometimes, popular episodes like "Stone Soup" and "Patrick" were repeated again for schools that were on holiday.
- Series 1 (1987): This series started with "The King, the Mice and the Cheese" and included 10 episodes.
- Series 2 (Spring 1988): This series also had 10 episodes, starting with "Footprints".
- Series 3 (Summer 1988): This series featured 8 episodes, including "The Magic Birthday Cake" and "Dogger".
More Stories: Series 4-6 (1989-1990)
The next three series continued to be shown on Wednesdays at 2:00 PM. The Friday repeats moved a bit earlier to 10:45 AM. Just like before, some episodes were repeated for schools on holiday.
- Series 4 (1989): This series had 10 episodes, starting with "Hot Hippo".
- Series 5 (Spring 1990): This series included 10 episodes, such as "Mrs. Mopple's Washing Line" and "Brush and Chase".
- Series 6 (Summer 1990): This series featured 8 episodes, including "Noah's Ark" and "Two Can Toucan".
New Times, New Tales: Series 7-9 (1992-1993)
These series changed their broadcast times. They were shown on Mondays at 9:45 AM and repeated at 2:00 PM on the same day. Some episodes were still repeated for schools on holiday. The episode "Big Al" was delayed because of a public holiday. The episode "Tell Us a Story" was unique because it aired on a Friday morning. These were the last series made before SFTV took over production.
- Series 7 (1992): This series had 10 episodes, starting with "I Don't Want To!".
- Series 8 (Spring 1993): This series included 10 episodes, such as "The King with Dirty Feet" and "The Happy Hedgehog Band".
- Series 9 (Summer 1993): This series featured 8 episodes, including "Beaky" and "The Rainbow Balloon".
The Final Chapters: Series 10-13 (1995-1997)
The last few series of Storytime aired on Mondays at 1:45 PM and were repeated on Thursdays at 10:25 AM. Some of these episodes had titles that were the same as earlier ones because they used old footage. In 1996, a VHS tape called "Storytime Pairs" was released for schools, featuring ten stories from these series. The very last series was broadcast as part of "Schools Programmes" after BBC changed its corporate look in October 1997.
- Series 10 (1995): This series had 10 episodes, including "Jasper's Beanstalk" and "Handa's Surprise".
- Series 11 (Spring 1996): This series featured 10 episodes, such as "Jenny's Bear" and "Naughty Daisy".
- Series 12 (Summer 1996): This series included 8 episodes, like "Lullabyhullabaloo!" and "Mr. Gumpy's Outing".
- Series 13 (1997): The final series had 10 episodes, starting with "Contrary Mary" and ending with "Don't Put Your Finger in the Jelly, Nelly!".
