It’s not good when you look at the time and realise your kids have been binge-watching Vampirina for two solid hours. They look frazzled – almost half-dead – and you feel like the worst parent in the world. They may even develop an American accent, like my three-year-old Liberty did after too much Kiki Panda.
Children can slip into a hypnotic state within seconds of switching on the TV and have epic meltdowns when it’s turned off. But in bitesize chunks, it’s a godsend. For knackered parents, like me, who need to disengage from offspring for our own sanity, TV is a lifesaver.
It has to be the right TV show, though, or kids get bored and start demanding your attention: wanting a rice cake with butter, or far worse – glitter and scissors. But what TV shows will transfix a child? It turns out that my kids could watch The Clangers all day. This 1970s-era stop-motion animation series, featuring woollen-knitted pink creatures from outer space who speak in a whistled language, is a surprise hit.
As much as I wish my children could get hooked on Apple TV’s nature docuseries Tiny World or Netflix’s Alphablocks, which teaches phonics, I’ve learnt that in an emergency – or during an important phone call – sticking on educational shows doesn’t always guarantee the same results. But I’ve learnt what TV shows to switch on.
Here are 15 TV shows that will transfix kids.
Under 6s
Bluey
“Yes! Yes! Put on Bluey!” It never fails. Whenever I switch on this Australian animated series about modern family life, I hear belly laughs in the next room. It’s got that laid-back Australian vibe to it, which helps kids realise family life doesn’t have to be so fraught and fast-paced. The show, now on its third season, was an instant hit when it came out in 2018. Bluey, a cheeky Australian blue heeler puppy, and her sister Bingo, try to call the shots with their parents – dad Bandit, who juggles childcare with working from home, and mum Chilli, who has gone back to work. (Disney +)
Clangers
A blast from the past – but one that your kids will get lost in for hours. This British stop-motion TV series about a family in space entertained millions of children on the BBC show in the 1970s. It was revived for a new generation in 2015, narrated by Monty Python’s Michael Palin. It features pink, woollen-knitted mouse-like creatures who communicate in strange swanee-whistle voices from a small moon-like planet entered into through holes under metal dustbin lids. Naturally, they only eat green soup and blue string pudding. Each episode is 11 minutes long, so about five episodes in a row does the trick. (BBC iPlayer)
Zig and Sharko
If you suddenly have an important work call and need total silence and not to be disturbed by your kids, try putting on Zig & Sharko with the volume turned right down. It comes with a Netflix warning of “rude humour, violence, threat”, but a bit like Tom and Jerry, it doesn’t need to be heard to enjoy the slapstick comedy, although the sound effects are epic. The hyena, Zig, lives alone on a desert island and schemes to eat Marina, a mermaid, who is protected by a shark pal. (Netflix)
Octonauts
No TV list for kids is complete without a mention of Octonauts, which has the added bonus of educating children about underwater life. The musical special, Octonauts & the Great Barrier Reef (2020), will give any parent 47 minutes to indulge themselves in activities most people take for granted – like sitting down for five minutes and switching off. From the Octopad HQ, a team of undersea explorers led by Captain Barnacles the bear rescue sea creatures and protect the ocean. (Netflix)
Sofia the First
Sofia, voiced by Ariel Winter, becomes a princess overnight when her mother, Miranda, marries King Roland II of Enchancia. Sofia gets sent to a new royal school and given an amulet that gives her powers. Despite her new royal status, Sofia stays true to herself and always cares about others. If you run out of episodes, give the spin-off, Elena of Avalor, a go. (Disney +)
PJ Masks
PJ Masks introduces pre-schoolers to the superhero genre before they move on to the Marvel and DC Comics Universes. PJ Masks are a team of three 6-year-olds: Conor (aka Catboy), Amaya (aka Owlette) and Greg (aka Gekko). They are normal kids by day, superheroes fighting crime by night. The series, which is based on the Les Pyjamasques book series by Romuald Racioppo, has been renewed for a sixth season. (Netflix)
Peppa Pig
It’s an obvious choice – but the truth is, nothing is bigger than Peppa Pig. It first aired in May 2004 and there have now been seven seasons. Peppa is a pig who loves to jump in muddy puddles, and lives with her little brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. I had to take my daughter to the GP thinking something was wrong with her breathing, but it turned out she was copying Peppa’s loud snorts of laughter. (Amazon Prime and Netflix)
Ages 6-plus
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
For Star Wars fans and newcomer kids to the franchise, this animated series, which premiered last year, is a must watch. It’s a spin-off from the long-running animation Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which ran for seven seasons from 2008 until 2020, with more than 100 episodes. This new 2021 Disney Plus series is packed with fight scenes and set in the period between the films Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Dee Bradley Baker stars as the Bad Batch, a squad of elite clone troopers with genetic mutations. (Disney +)
Malory Towers
I read the Enid Blyton books about the all-girls boarding school avidly. Now it’s possible to binge-watch it on TV. It first aired on CBBC in 2020; now there are two series with a total of 28 episodes for kids to get their teeth into – and a third series on its way. It follows the hot-tempered Darrell Rivers as she progresses through the various school years against a backdrop of lacrosse, midnight feasts, and enduring friendships. (BBC iPlayer)
We Bare Bears
This animated sitcom from Cartoon Network follows three bear brothers, Grizzly (aka Grizz), Panda (Pan-Pan) and Ice Bear, as they try to fit into the human world. The show premiered in 2015 and ended in 2019 after a whopping 140 episodes. A new spin-off series, We Baby Bears, premiered its first 10 episodes in a marathon on New Year’s Day 2020 in the US. It follows the three bears as cubs searching for a new home in a magical teleporting box. A UK release date is yet to be announced. (BBC iPlayer)
Boss Baby: Back in Business
This Netflix original TV series is based on the 2017 hit film about a fast-talking, briefcase-carrying newborn baby/executive who works for Baby Corps, but who acts like a normal baby when adults are around. TV’s Boss Baby is voiced by JP Karliak, replacing Alec Baldwin in the two films. In season four, which premiered in 2020, Boss Baby is rehired and promoted to CEO. He plans to get 100 per cent of the world’s love, but first, he must overcome a few enemies. (Netflix)
My Mum Tracy Beaker
Dani Harmer reprises her role as Tracy Beaker, the former tearaway teen with a heart of gold who grew up in a children’s home and shouted “bog off” at anyone who annoyed her. But now, she’s a single mum living on a rundown London council estate with her 10-year-old daughter. Based on Jaqueline Wilson’s best-selling book series, the new series sees Tracy whisked off her feet by a millionaire footballer. It follows on from two hit CBBC series: The Story of Tracy Beaker, which began in 2002, and The Return of Tracy Beaker, 2010. (BBC iPlayer)
Anne with an “E”
This stylish Netflix adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, by Breaking Bad writer Moira Walley-Beckett, stars Amybeth McNulty as the 11-year-old Anne. The plucky orphan is sent by mistake to live with brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert – they had asked for a boy – on a farm in the fictional town of Avonlea in Prince Edward Island, Canada. It’s as good as the 1985 TV drama and faithful to the 1908 book. With three seasons, it’s highly binge-worthy. (Netflix)
Wolfboy and the Everything Factory
Apple TV’s brand new bright and colourful kids’ fantasy adventure show might be wacky, but it has a great message: embrace your weirdness. The creative young boy William Wolf searches for those who will accept his differences. When he discovers the magical Spryte realm of The Everything Factory and is renamed Wolfboy, he learns that his mind and creativity have the power to change the world. (Apple TV+)
The Worst Witch
Based on Jill Murphy’s books, The Worst Witch sees Mildred Hubble gets accepted into Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches – a boarding school where student witches learn about their powers and navigate the complexities of pre-teen life. Mildred is considered the worst student in the whole school due to a lot of mishaps with magic. With four seasons containing 13 episodes each, it’s a certain winner. (BBC iPlayer)
