The Story Of Tracy Beaker

Saying I was a Tracy Beaker fan doesn't even cut it. I had all the merchandise, subscirbed to the maghazine, collected all of the DVDs, I even went to see a stage production of it and am convinced I have watched each episode a good 100 times, so when they announced 'Tracy Beaker Returns' I was utterly beside myself. Keeping up with the antics of The Dumping Ground kids was something I spent my entire childhood doing and, usually I would become annoyed if TV shows changed the characters when a new series started, but not with Tracy Beaker as I just grew to love them all so much. I remember always being told I was like Tracy Beaker whenever I spoke back to my Mum when I was little haha! I still watch this show now and will always be a TB devotee at heart.

The Basil Brush Show

"HAHA BOOM BOOM!" I know you've just read that in his voice! Basil always made me laugh, especially when he attempted to wind up Mr. Stephen, and I loved seeing what wheeling and dealing antics Dave would get up to whilst Molly was tried to tame the boys from doing stupid things! Madison was also one of my favourites and I always loved how she pronounced 'Basil' as 'Bayzull!' Basil Brush was a children's TV icon, one which many grew up with.

The Queen's Nose

Oh how I wish I had a magic coin which I could rub and be granted wishes like the characters in this TV show did! I can't remember much about the individual episodes of this show, other than the fact that a character used it to wish for a pet they weren't allowed. but I do remember being absolutely obsessed with it and often rubbing the nose on any 50 pence pieces I had, just in case they turned out to be magical. Sadly, none of them were.

The Mysti Show

I remember seeing Mysti (played by Laura Aikman) as actual goals in this show, she was, and still is, far too pretty! These shows were a mixture of drama and entertainment and included a gameshow element. It was a random concept and the plot of the show is unclear now, but was great to watch. Also, who wouldn't want the life of Mysti? I mean, she was half human, half fairy with magical powers, she won at life. Special guests such as McFly and Jamelia also made appearances in certain episodes.

SMart

I was a sucker for a good art programme, but SMart was always my favourite! Although, I did spent most of my childhood feeling jealous of the fact that I wasn't able to draw as well as the presenters could! I loved seeing what creations they could come up with, even though I knew I wouldn't be able to make anything half as good at home, and also loved seeing my favourite celebrities feature in special episodes. Plus, the presenters were friendly and made me laugh.
Rest in peace, Mark Speight. <3

Big Kids

Do you have children's TV shows which you think were highly underrated? This was one of them for me! I recently watched every episode in one night because it popped into my mind and I just had to watch it. For a bit of background, the parents of the show attended a hypnotists' show in the first episode (who was called Ming) and, after that, every time someone used a word including the sound 'ming,' such as 'swimming,' then the parents would turn into children and would snap out of their trance with no recollection of what happened, therefore, the show was all about the family trying to work out why their parents randomly transformed into toddlers and how they could then release the curse. It was absolutely hilarious and one which I feel like everyone should have watched! 

Raven

If you didn't want to take part in this show then I am wondering why on Earth not!? Raven was a classic, although I am pretty sure that if I ever took part as a warrior, I would be eliminated first. I did always want to meet Raven though, he was such a cool dude. I was absolutely obsessed with this show, and the spin offs. and would feel so disconnected from the world if I ever missed an episode! I did, however, always feel scared of the Demons and Nevar, Raven's arch enemy whose name is 'Raven' backwards! Did you know that winners of the show actually won a holiday, in real life? Not bad, eh!?

Get Your Own Back 

This was another show I feel like everyone dreamed of appearing on! The show featured children and either a parent or an adult in their life who they thought had committed some form of trivial crime (EG: asking the child to tidy their bedroom too often) and featured games that aimed to make things difficult for the adults, as well as embarassing them. It was always satisfying to see the presenters and audience be biased towards the oppressed and see someone get dunked at the end!

Mona The Vampire

This was the programme that got me through the school day, as I knew it would be on as soon as I got home! I loved how the show focused solely on the imaginations of children, as we saw Mona and her friends battle against supernatural villains or solving some sort of supernatural mystery but then saw it was all just a rational explanation for something they had seen. This show took me into another world!

Stupid!

Okay, be honest, you remember every boy chasing you around the playground pointing and shouting "DEVIL FINGER!" don't you? It was always funny watching King Stupid control humans in any way possible to make them do stupid things, although, I did feel very sympathetic towards Goober, his gremlin butler, the relationship between the two did add a sitcom element to the show though. The sketches were just the best!

Blue Peter

Who didn't grow up with Blue Peter? Did you know it is the longest running children's TV show in the world? I am still miffed about the fact that I don't own a Blue Peter badge, though. I feel like the presenters established a really solid relationship with the audience, so much so that I was heartbroken when Konnie Huq left! We also felt a connection with the Blue Peter pets and knew our way around the studio better than we did around our own house, ohh the Blue Peter garden! I always got excited about finding out which celebrity guests would be featuring on the show and what arts and crafts they had up their sleeves!

Arthur

I just know you are singing the theme song to this right now! "Every day when you're walking down the street..." what a tune! This show was not only entertaining, but also dealt with issues such as Dyslexia, Asthma and Cancer, plus, it encouraged relationships with family and friends. Although I have only just realised what sort of animal Arthur actually was, I always loved him and he brightened up my afternoons! Who didn't want a friendship like Arthur and Buster's?

Best Of Friends

This game show was always one I wanted to appear on with my friends, even if it was just for the amazing treats! I don't envy the contestants for some of the tasks they had to do though, but those sweets that turned your tongue blue looked fab haha! Abs was my favourite presenter because he was just so funny! This show was a classic and I feel like there need to be more of them today! 

50/50

Yet another show I think pretty much every school child wanted to feature on! I wish my school applied for us to be on it! The games that the contestants took part in always looked fun and I can imagine they were seen as heroes when the winners returned to school with the trophy! I also loved Angellica Bell, who presented it, so basically just wanted to meet her haha! To any child who appeared on this show, you are life goals.

Chucklevision

"To me" "to you" "to me" "to you." AH the Chuckle brothers, Barry and Paul, it was impossible not to love them and their stupidity! These guys never failed to make me laugh and I wish they could be a part of everyone's childhood! Every episode was hilarious, no matter what type off trouble they were getting themselves into.

Beat The Boss

This business game show, hosted by Saira Khan, was one I always had dreams about being! The Bright Sparks (a team of kids) went head to head with The Big Shots (a team of adults) to produce a product appropriate for the children's market and a panel would vote for which one they preferred, leaving the winners to travel home in style in a limousine and the losers to take the bus. It always looked like such fun, designing and creating your own product!

Clutter Nutters

I was always extremely jealous of the children who took part on this show! The process involved the two contestants clearing out all of the junk from their bedrooms throughout many rounds and them aiming to be the one who clears the most amount of clutter. The winner was then awarded a prize and both kids' bedrooms recieved a surpise makeover, which always resulted in their bedrooms looking amazing and way better than mine!

Hider In The House

Who didn't want to hide a celebrity in their house away from their parents for a a period of time, at the same time as taking part in fun games and fooling your parents? I would have loved to have been on this show and always imagined what it would be like if it happened in my house! Although, I would definitely get caught on the first day! Can they please make a modern version of this? Like, I would not object to Harry Styles coming to live with me for a week.

M.I. High

If only my school life was exciting as that of the children in M.I. High! Who wouldn't want to fight off villians from a secret spy lair underground, working with the caretaker to keep everything a secret from your clueless teachers? I did prefer the original cast of this show, Daisy being my favourite, despite the fact that I was definitely more like Rose.

 Trapped!

Was anyone else convinced that the children who lost the games in this show were legitimately trapped in the tower forever, or was that just me? I did always want to take part in this show though, even if I would be a rubbish sabateur who would end up feeling guilty and helping my friends win the game rather than lose it! 

Horrible Histories

Probably the most educational children's TV show, don't you agree? I learnt so much from this, none of which actually came up in my History GCSE but all of which was useful and fun information to learn! From the Gorgeous Georgians to the Terrible Tudors, I was totally clued up on everything historical and reckon people don't realise how informative the show was! The comical sketches were the best!

The Sarah Jane Adventures

And last but not least, we have Sarah Jane and her crew! This was, by far, one of my favourite CBBC shows and every week I would look forward to seeing what aliens the SJ gang would be fighting from their attic in Bannerman Road. I'll admit, I did find some creatures rather terrifying, especially 'The Trickster' but I still refused to miss an episode! I became so invested in the characters and wondered when the writers would run out of ideas, but they never did! WOW this was an epic show. My parents loved it too!
Rest in peace, Elizabeth Sladen. <3

I hope you have enjoyed these nostalgic blog posts! I had so much fun putting them together and am now off to watch my childhood shows for hours on end!

Let me know what TV shows you loved as a kid! <3

Love, Emily :) xx