Teddybears (TV series) facts for kids

Teddybears was a fun children's TV show that aired on ITV from 1997 to 2000. It was based on popular books by Susanna Gretz. The show followed the adventures of five colorful teddy bears and their dog, Fred. It was filmed by a company called Meridian Broadcasting. Some people thought Teddybears was similar to another show, Teletubbies, which was also on TV around the same time. However, Teddybears was made for slightly older kids.

Teddybears vs. Teletubbies

The people who made Teddybears said their show wasn't directly competing with Teletubbies. But some newspapers, like the Daily Record and The Sun, saw them as rivals.

The Daily Record pointed out some interesting similarities between the two shows. For example, the Teddybears loved to eat yummy treats like hot cross buns, honey, pancakes, jelly, and ice cream. The Teletubbies, on the other hand, enjoyed "tubby toast" and "tubby custard." Both shows also had their own special songs. The Teddybears sang The Teddybear Song, while the Teletubbies sang Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!".

A big difference was who the shows were made for. Teddybears was aimed at older children, while Teletubbies was for younger kids. Because of these similarities, the media talked a lot about both shows. The teddy bears from the show even appeared on the TV program This Morning with Richard and Judy!

Meet the Characters

The show featured five main teddy bears: William, Sarah, Louise, Robert, and Charles. They wore bright, furry costumes and lived at No. 8 Green Street in a place called Bearbridge.

The actors inside the costumes were adults, but they played bears that looked like children. Everything on the set was made extra big to make the bears seem small. An actress named Louise Conran, who played Sarah, shared that she had to wear a special suit, padding, and then a thick costume. The bear masks were glued to their faces, so the actors had to keep them on all day, even during meal breaks! Because of this, the costumes were changed for the second series of the show.

Here are the main characters:

• Robert: He's the youngest of the bears and is yellow. He's often seen with his favorite toy, a frog named Phillip.
• Louise: She's green and known for being the cheekiest (most mischievous) bear.
• Charles: He's black and the oldest bear. He's wise but can be very stubborn.
• William: He's red and loves to cook delicious food.
• Sarah: She's orange and often acts like the mother figure of the group. Actress Louise Conran played Sarah.
• Fred: He's the bears' loyal dog, a Dalmatian.

Many talented puppeteers and actors helped bring the Teddybears to life, including Cheryl Blaize, Louise Conran, Tim Hulse, James O' Donnell, Carl Matthewman, John Tobias, Sarah Jane Honeywell, Rae Grant, Grant Mason, Simon Snellings, Kathy Ryan, Rebecca Clow, and Lee Crowley.

Home Video Releases

You could also watch Teddybears at home! The show was released on VHS tapes and later on DVDs. Here are some of the releases:

• Teddybears: Circus and other stories (VHS 1997, DVD 2003)
• Teddybears: And The Garden Party and other stories (VHS 1998, DVD 2004)
• Teddybears: And The Surprise Party and other stories (VHS 1999, DVD 2005)
• Teddybears: And The Giant Tomato and other stories (VHS 2000, DVD 2006)