Words and Pictures (TV programme) facts for kids

Words and Pictures was a British television show for children. It helped kids learn to read and write. The show was part of BBC Schools and first aired in 1970.

Learning to Read and Write

The Early Years: 1970s

The show started in 1970. It was a spin-off from another BBC schools show called Look and Read, which helped older children with reading.

The very first series of Words and Pictures had Gabriel Woolf as the presenter. He was in an attic filled with toys. These toys had adventures that taught about phonics, which is how sounds and letters work together. Two episodes were shown each week. This allowed teachers to do follow-up activities in class. There were 16 episodes in total.

In 1972, the show changed its format. Tony Robinson became the new presenter. He played a young man named Sam Samson. Sam would daydream about an island where "Boffs" lived. This series had 20 episodes and was later repeated as Sam on Boffs' Island.

In 1975, Henry Woolf took over as presenter. The show was set in a bookshop. Henry had a puppet friend named Charlie and a "magic pencil." The magic pencil would show how to write letters using a special rhyme for each one. Every episode also included a story, songs, and rhymes.

The 1980s Era

A new series began in 1982. This time, Vicky Ireland was the presenter. The show's setting changed to a library, but the way it taught remained similar. Vicky Ireland presented the show for a long time, until 1989. She was the presenter for 84 episodes, making her the longest-serving presenter of the series.

The 1990s and Beyond

In 1990, Stuart Bradley presented the show. He was joined by a cat puppet named Nutmeg. Nutmeg could even use a word processor! This series also showed clips from the outside world.

In 1992, Sophie Aldred became the presenter. She continued to host the show from a studio. The BBC also released two VHS tapes. One was called Time For A Story, which featured stories from the 1992/93 series. The other was Alphabet Fun Time, which had phonic animations created by Alan Rogers and Peter Lang with the Magic Pencil.

For the next series in 1993, Michael Hobbs presented the show. It was still set in a studio. For the first time, the Magic Pencil wrote letters in different colors, not just white. Sophie Aldred returned for the following series because she was very popular. She continued to present the show until it finished its main run in 2001. Sophie also hosted two special episodes: Phonics Special in 1999 and Phonics Year 2 in 2001. The last series was set in a lighthouse. Sophie was visited by characters like Sid the Seagull, Salty Sam the Sailor, and Colin the Clam. Actors would also come to read story books.

A spin-off show for younger children, called Words and Pictures Plus, started in 1999. Paul Ewing presented this series. These episodes went at a slower pace, focusing on one sound (phonic) per episode. You could also get these shows on VHS and DVD from the BBC Schools website. In 2001, a new collection of four Magic Pencil shows aired. These were edited from the Alphabet Fun Time VHS tape and were also presented by Sophie Aldred.

In 2006, a new version of Words and Pictures was launched on CBeebies. It was called "Fun with Phonics". These were short episodes, about four minutes long, each focusing on a single letter sound. There were two presenters: Pui Fan Lee and William Vanderpuye. Each presented 22 of the 44 episodes. You can also buy re-edited versions of these episodes on DVD. These DVD versions combine two episodes for school use.

Presenters Over the Years

• Gabriel Woolf (16 episodes, 1970)
• Tony Robinson (20 episodes, 1972–73)
• Henry Woolf (56 episodes, 1975–78)
• Vicky Ireland (84 episodes, 1982–89)
• Stuart Bradley (28 episodes, 1990)
• Sophie Aldred (80 episodes, 1992–1993; 1996–2001)
• Michael Hobbs (28 episodes, 1993–94)
• Paul Ewing (28 episodes, 1999–2001)
• Pui Fan Lee (22 episodes, 2006–07)
• William Vanderpuye (22 episodes, 2006–07)