Wide Eyes News from the Tube is written by a leading industry expert and is focused on providing a quick snapshot of the best opportunities in the television & animation market.
- The pre-school TV show Play School has been broadcasting continuously on ABC TV since July 1966 and continues to be one of Australia’s most popular shows for pre-schoolers. Books, recorded music, videos and soft toys associated with the Play School TV show have been selling in Australia for over 50 years.
- The first Sesame Street TV episode was broadcast in Australia on ABC Channel 2 in January 1971. However, it wasn’t until 1977 that the first Sesame Street toys were launched in Australia which began the on-going relationship between pre-school shows broadcast on ABC TV and associated pre-school merchandise being sold through Australian retail outlets.
- Every decade has seen the rise and rise of new pre-school shows broadcast on ABC TV becoming massive hits with the under five year olds in Australia – Sesame Street and Play School ruled the 70s and early 80s, and then in 1987 along came the Thomas the Tank Engine TV series and Thomas became a massive merchandising sensation.
- In July 1992, ABC TV produced and broadcast the first episode of Bananas in Pyjamas which was inspired by the Carey Blyton nursery rhyme often sung in Play School and went on to be a big hit in many countries around the world.
- In the same year ABC Music signed a new pre-school music band called The Wiggles who would go on to become the most successful pre-school music band of all time and are still going strong on ABC TV to this day.
- In February 1998 the Teletubbies arrived in Australia and Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po became the must have toys for Christmas and for many years following.
- In February 1998 the Teletubbies arrived in Australia and Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po became the must have toys for Christmas and for many years following.
- In the 2000s the pre-school hits on ABC TV continued to roll out with Octonauts, Yo Gabba Gabba, Giggle & Hoot and Peppa Pig all selling truckloads of merchandise in Australia.
- And now we have Bluey, an Australian animated television series for preschool children that premiered on ABC Kids on 1 October 2018.
- The series is set in tropical Queensland and follows a humanised family of Blue Heeler dogs including Bluey, who is characterised by her abundance of energy, imagination and curiosity at the world, her father, Bandit; mother, Chilli; and younger sister, Bingo, who regularly joins Bluey on adventures as the pair embark on imaginative play together.
- The Bluey TV series is the most watched children’s TV show on ABC Kids and has the honour of being the most streamed program on ABC’s iView with an extraordinary 23 million streams and counting.
- The Bluey TV series is the most watched children’s TV show on ABC Kids and has the honour of being the most streamed program on ABC’s iView with an extraordinary 23 million streams and counting.
- The Bluey TV series is the most watched children’s TV show on ABC Kids and has the honour of being the most streamed program on ABC’s iView with an extraordinary 23 million streams and counting.
