Rugrats

Time for some babies eye perspective on life with Tommy, Chucky and the rest of the Rugrats!

The series focuses on the experiences of a courageous, adventurous one-year-old baby named Tommy Pickles and his group of playmates – several other infants and toddlers, some of whom debuted later in the series. Chuckie, Tommy's bespectacled, redheaded, insecure cowardly best friend; the twins Phil and Lil, noted for their revolting eccentricities and love of digging for and eating insects and earthworms; Tommy's baby brother Dil (who was born in The Rugrats Movie); Angelica, Tommy and Dil's outrageously spoiled, selfish older cousin and the main antagonist of the program; Kimi, Chuckie's adventurous, playful stepsister (introduced in Rugrats in Paris); and Susie, Angelica's schoolmate and kindhearted, understanding rival who is better liked by the infants and far more reliable than Angelica.
Rugrats visualizes ordinary, everyday activities through the eyes of a group of toddlers. Using their imaginations, the babies transform routine tasks into surprising adventures. The show plays with baby talk, having the group constantly mispronounce words and use improper grammar. Challenges often emerge because the babies misinterpret the adults, usually caused by Angelica's deceptive translations. The grown-ups of Rugrats are simultaneously quirky, over-cautious, and oblivious. The series portrays adults as mysterious eccentrics. Episodes usually center on a moral lesson that the babies learn during their imaginative explorations. Angelica serves as a negative influence on the show but her attempts to mislead the babies are always foiled.

Ludwig

Today's next show is a real oddity. I never quite understood this one as a kid, maybe you can figure it out? It's Ludwig!

Ludwig was a surreal British-made children's cartoon animation about a magical egg-shaped gemstone who lived in a forest.
The character's name came from Ludwig van Beethoven, whose music he played in the background of each episode. The series consisted of 25 five-minute episodes, in each of which something would happen to the animals of the forest and Ludwig would come to the rescue.
His "body" facets would open up and out would pop arms, legs, gadgets or even a helicopter rotor blade when he needed to get somewhere fast. He was constantly watched by a human birdwatcher (voiced by Jon Glover) who had a deerstalker and large binoculars. This character was both the viewer's point-of-view and narrator, as no other character talked. At the end of every episode Ludwig played the final movement of Beethoven's first symphony through the credits.

Your Mother Wouldn't Like It

As the title suggests, my mother really didn't like this sketch show in the slightest. I, however...

The first two series of Your Mother Wouldn't Like It were mainly based on the conceit of a few of the children - Loaf, Lonnie, Cans, Mary Rose and Pam - running and writing the show itself, interspersed with sketches. The third series did away with most of this narrative, but retained Loaf as an essential linking device. Loaf was a dogsbody character, with Cans as the main boss to everyone. A puppet worm - Tapeworm - would interrupt proceedings now and then with a sneery comment. On the last episode, it was revealed to the audience that Loaf was the puppeteer and voice behind Tapeworm, although the puppet's voice really belonged to performer Karl Collins throughout the show's life. The final series also featured Richard Allenson playing the part of Mr. Briefcase, the sneering man from the ministry of wholesome television who repeatedly tried to close down the show and invariably ended up failing. Richard Allenson went on to create the character Professor McGinty, a time-travelling detective who tours the country with his mobile museum. Familiar concepts from anarchic children's programmes were present, such as slapstick humour featuring custard pies and gunge as visual punchlines, and a healthy disrespect towards authority.

Doctor Snuggles

Grab your pogo stick, it's time to go and see what Doctor Snuggles is inventing today!
 

The show followed the adventures of Doctor Snuggles, a kind old gentleman who lives in a comfortable home with his elderly housekeeper, Miss Nettles. Doctor Snuggles spends most of his time inventing, and throughout the series creates a housekeeping robot (Matilda), a wormmobile, a machine to restore the colours of the rainbow, a gadget to fight depression, a fire-proof lotion and a time machine, amongst other inventions. He travels by means of a talking pogo-stick/umbrella and a spacecraft made of wood called the Dreamy Boom Boom. Doctor Snuggles also has to deal with the malevolent powers of the crazy magician - Professor Emerald, who is his arch enemy.

Puddle Lane

Let's head to the Magician's house and visit Toby the Spell Dragon in the house at the end of Puddle Lane!

The main characters were the Magician (played by Neil Innes, who also composed music for the programme), and a Spell Dragon named Toby; the Magician told Toby stories by moving his finger around in a puddle, or a cauldron, or the water barrel outside (both the cauldron and the water barrel could talk) and producing images. The stories he told were presented as animations, narrated by Kate Lee (who also played a minor character, Aunt Flo). The Magician lived in a large house at the end of Puddle Lane, hence the name of the programme.