A survey has revealed the top 10 most beloved British children's TV characters – with Sooty and Sweep, Basil Brush, and Morph topping the list.
Winnie The Pooh and Paddington Bear rounded out the top five characters, while Bagpuss, Wallace and Gromit, and Thomas the Tank Engine also made the top 10.
Despite all of characters on the list dating back more than 30 years, a poll of 2,000 adults found that almost half (48%) feel their favourite characters are “timeless”, while 46% called them “iconic”.
And of the respondents who have children, 57% have shared their favourite nostalgic episodes with their youngsters – and 54% said their kids enjoyed them.
So adults and children alike were delighted this morning when giant statues of some of the top characters popped up around London.
A three-metre-high statue of Morph, the 1970s stop-motion character by Aardman, loomed over commuters passing by Tower Bridge, with his trademark folded arms and wide smile.
And along London's Southbank, an illuminated sculpture of cartoon rabbit Miffy lit up the riverside as the sun rose.
Meanwhile in Shoreditch, passers-by were left scratching their head’s trying to crack the world’s largest Where’s Wally puzzle, which was created in the dead of night.
The three installations were commissioned by Sky Kids, along with the survey, to celebrate the launch of its 24-hour channel for youngsters under seven.
The study found that more than half (55%) said they fell in love with these characters as they made them laugh, and 46% felt they were always there to boost their mood – with 45% admitting they will still stick an episode or two on when they are in need of a dose of nostalgia.
And these characters also helped form friendships for 44% – while many owned t-shirts (39%), action figures (38%), and lunchboxes (37%) based on them as kids.
Half of those polled also claimed the shows they enjoyed as a child could even teach the current crop of youngsters’ important lessons.
But two-thirds of the parents polled (68%) admitted they also like the shows their kids watch today.
A spokesman from Sky Kids, ahead of the launch, said: “What better way to mark the occasion than by bringing some of the most iconic characters to life.
“We know when you fall in love with a show when you’re little, it quickly becomes part of everyday family life.
“We’re excited to have shows that span important themes, including emotional resilience, positive well-being, saving the planet, and so much more.
“It will provide children and families alike with content that both inspires and entertains at all times of the day – as well as introducing new faces that will soon be loved just as much.”
TOP 10 BRITISH CHILDHOOD CHARACTERS:
- Sooty and Sweep
- Basil Brush
- Morph
- Winnie The Pooh
- Paddington Bear
- The Wombles
- Bagpuss
- Wallace and Gromit
- The Clangers
- Thomas the Tank Engine
