FAQs
Celebrating the World of Teletubbies
- What do you think of modern technology? Is it harmful or neutral?
- What has influenced the making of Teletubbies? Was it 'The Clangers'?
- How do you test the programmes and what are your plans for the future?
- Which other children's programmes do you enjoy and why?
- Do you watch children watching your programme?
- How did you think of the idea for the Teletubbies?
- Do you think the Teletubbies help young children? Is it educational? Why?
- Why are the Teletubbies purple, green, yellow and red?
- Why are the Teletubbies so appealing to people of all ages from 18 months to about 60 years?
- How do you select the children who are featured in the programmes?
- Why do you teach little kids 'Eh-oh!' instead of proper English like 'Hello'?
- What did you like doing when you were young? Did you watch TV?
- How old are the Teletubbies? Will they ever age?
- Why haven't the Teletubbies got a dog?
- I am interested in working in television production and would like some advice.
- Why have the Teletubbies got such strange names?
- On what basis did you compile your list of phrases commonly said by children?
Answer
Andrew Davenport: I am also a graduate of speech and language pathology, which I found invaluable when 'designing' the language of the Teletubbies based on features of the emerging speech of a young child. Teletubbies is aimed for children at critical stages of language development, so the programme concentrates on music, rhythms, temporal and spatial relations, as well as real children talking in their own words about their own experiences. This is what we found children enjoyed watching. We did not consult any language specialists, but have met many since the programme aired. I am not aware of any objective studies of the benefits of the programme with regard to speech and language development, though we do hear very positive anecdotal reports from parents and carers, notably of children affected by autism. Sheffield Hallam University conducted a study based on use of the Teletubbies in a classroom situation. The findings were published in 1999.