Wikimedia Commons
Watch with Mother was a cycle of children’s television programmes created by Freda Lingstrom with Maria Bird, broadcast by the BBC from 1953 until 1973. The BBC had begun broadcasting television targetted specifically at children in 1937, with an occasional series called For the Children
Children's television programme broadcast on the BBC from 1937 until 1950.. That series continued until 1940, when all television broadcasting closed for the duration of the Second World War. When broadcasting resumed in 1946, the BBC decided to revive For the Children.[1][2]
In 1950 the BBC began to experiment with programmes aimed at the pre-school audience at home with their mothers, initially broadcast between 4:00 pm and 4:15 pm, at the tail end of entertainment targetted at housewives. The first featured Andy Pandy, a puppet toddler who encouraged the real toddlers watching to join in his songs and dancing. Four trial films were made, and proved so popular that they were repeated on successive Tuesday afternoons under the banner of For The Very Young.[3]
Recognising the need for more series for toddlers, the BBC’s Head of Children’s Programmes, Freda Lingstrom, commissioned the Flower Pot Men in 1952. A year later, with the addition of Rag, Tag and Bobtail
BBC children’s television programme that ran from 1953 until 1965 as the Thursday programme in the weekly cycle of Watch With Mother., the programmes were broadcast three times a week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the Watch With Mother title was adopted. The “classic” cycle of shows was in place by September 1955, with the first showing of The Woodentops
BBC children’s television programme that ran from 1955 until 1957 as the Friday programme in the weekly cycle of Watch With Mother..[3]
Broadcast at 1:30 pm each weekday, the cycle consisted of:[3]
- Picture Book
Children's TV series broadcast by the BBC from 1955 to 1963, the Monday programme in the Watch with Mother cycle., Monday - Andy Pandy, Tuesday
- Flower Pot Men, Wednesday
- Rag, Tag and BobtailBBC children’s television programme that ran from 1953 until 1965 as the Thursday programme in the weekly cycle of Watch With Mother., Thursday
- The WoodentopsBBC children’s television programme that ran from 1955 until 1957 as the Friday programme in the weekly cycle of Watch With Mother., Friday
A new generation of series was introduced in the 1960s, including Tales of the Riverbank, and Camberwick Green. But by 1973 the title of Watch With Mother had been dropped, in recognition that many children were watching at playgroups or with child-minders, while their mothers were at work.[3]
