Kids TV

Michael Rosen looks at the effects that children's television has on language development. Michael's own cv in the genre includes having directed 'Playschool'. He meets the writers of Rastamouse, Michael de Souza and Genevieve Webster to talk about the power of rhyme. They also discuss the criticism the show attracted over the dialects the characters speak in. And Michael talks to Daniel Postgate, son of the original narrator Oliver Postgate, as The Clangers prepare to make a return to the small screen. It's been over forty years since their first appearance and Michael is keen to know if those weird and wonderful Clanger sounds that were originally created on a swannee whistle will be tampered with in the new version. He asks Daniel what qualities and influences made his late father such a memorable narrator, and we also hear about a prime example of BBC censorship. Michael talks to Joe Godwin, the head of BBC Children's about the challenges facing children's programme makers in a saturated market, and we also hear expert testimony from some little people.

Producers: Milly Chowles and Sarah Langan.