BBC
For the Children began as a ten-minute television programme targetted at children, first broadcast by the BBC on 24 April 1937. The 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, each episode expanded to twenty minutes.[1]
The first episode of the new format was broadcast on 9 June 1946, presented by A. Miller Jones, featuring The Hogarth Puppet Circus and the conjuror Eric Cardi. The second, a month later, featured stamp collecting and Commander A. B. Campbell displaying the contents of his sea chest.[2] Many of the early episodes were broadcast on Sunday afternoons, which caused some anxiety among those worried that children might be lured away from Sunday School.[1]
During the early years of the programme the content and duration, as well as the time slots, varied.[1] Later episodes featured Annette Mills accompanied by “the first major children’s television star”, the puppet Muffin the Mule,[2] devised and operated by Ann Hogarth.[3] Each fifteen-minute episode opened with Annette seated at the piano, singing the theme song – “Here comes Muffin, Muffin the Mule” – while Muffin clattered about on top of the piano.[1]
For the Children was replaced by Watch With Mother, which debuted on 11 July 1950.[1]
