In the Night Garden...
In the Night Garden... is a British live-action preschool children's television series, aimed at children aged from one to six years old. It is produced by Ragdoll Productions. Andrew Davenport created, wrote, and composed the title theme and incidental music for all 100 episodes. It was produced by Davenport and Anne Wood, the team that also co-created Teletubbies. The programme is narrated by Derek Jacobi. It is filmed mostly in live action, and features a mix of actors in costume, puppetry and computer animation. The characters include Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka, the Tombliboos, the Pontipines / the Wottingers, the Haa hoos, the Ninky Nonk and the Pinky Ponk.
The series was announced in, and the first episode was first broadcast on. Two series were made, with 100 episodes in all. The BBC confirmed in 2010 that it would not be commissioning another series. The show's budget was £14.5 million.
The programme's creators have said that it is designed to relax and entertain its intended audience of one- to six-year-olds.
Overview
The programme features a large cast of colourful characters with unusual names who live in a magical forest scattered with large daisies and brightly coloured flowers. The characters mostly speak short phrases, and each has their own special song and dance. The garden is a sunny, colourful environment and the music is jaunty and music box-like. Producer Anne Wood said:Each episode starts with a different child in bed, while the narrator introduces the episode. The scene cuts to Igglepiggle, in his boat, travelling to the Night Garden. Then the camera pans up to the sky and zooms in, followed by flowers. After the title appears under a hedge, either the Ninky Nonk or the Pinky Ponk appears. The episodes end with one character receiving a bedtime story, which is generated by the magical gazebo that sits at the centre of the Night Garden. This story is a summary of the plot of the episode. Sometimes the characters all dance together under the Gazebo.
Igglepiggle does not go to sleep, and his goodbye sequence rounds off the programme. The Night Garden turns into the night sky and Igglepiggle is seen asleep on his boat as the end credits roll.
In the Night Garden. is intended to help children relax and achieve calming relationships with parents. Wood states: "We became very aware of the anxiety surrounding the care of young children which manifested itself in all kind of directions; but the one big subject that came up again and again was bedtime. It's the classic time for tension between children who want to stay up and parents who want them to go to bed. so this is a programme about calming things down whereas most children's TV is about getting everything up."
In 2007 and 2008, the show won the Children's BAFTA for "Pre-school live action," as well as being nominated in 2009.
Episodes
Cast
- Derek Jacobi as Narrator
- Nick Kellington as Igglepiggle
- Rebecca Hyland as Upsy Daisy
- Justyn Towler as Makka Pakka
- Andy Wareham as Tombliboo Unn
- Isaac Blake /Holly Denoon as Tombliboo Ooo
- Elisa Laghi as Tombliboo Eee
Places
The Daisy Patch is where Upsy Daisy lives. It is a field full of daisies. Upsy Daisy is usually the only character that can be seen in the patch. It was first featured in the episode "The Pontipines in Upsy Daisy's Bed".
Makka Pakka's Cave is where Makka Pakka lives. His three-wheeled cart, knows as his Og-Pog, is kept outside behind a boulder. The cave was first featured in the episode "Makka Pakka Washes Faces".
The Tombliboo Bush is where the Tombliboos live. It is the largest house in the garden with a variety of activities to do. These activities include playing music, playing with blocks and brushing teeth. Like the Pinky Ponk and the Ninky Nonk it is bigger on the inside. It was first featured on the outside in "Makka Pakka Washes Faces" and on the inside in the episode "Too Loud Tombliboos!! Nice and Quiet!!"
The Pontipines/Wottingers' House is a small house at the foot of a tree where the Pontipines and Wottingers live. It, along with the Stepping Stone Path and Makka Pakka's Cave was first featured in the episode "Makka Pakka Washes Faces".
The Tune Bridge is a musical bridge near Makka Pakka's cave. Whenever someone walks on the bridge, it plays a musical tune. It, and the Stepping Stone Path, Makka Pakka's Cave and the Pontipines/Wottingers' House, were first featured in the episode "Makka Pakka Washes Faces".
However, Makka Pakka and the Tombliboos, for unknown reasons, do not walk on the bridge.
The Gazebo is where the characters meet to dance at the end of some episodes. It has a picture of all the characters including the Ball, Upsy Daisy, The Pontipines and Wottingers, The Pinky Ponk, The Haahoos, Upsy Daisy's Megaphone, the Tittifers' Tree, a Daisy, the Bridge, the Tombliboo Bush, the Tombliboo Instruments, Igglepiggle's Blanket, the Tombliboo Bricks and, of course, the Gazebo, itself. It has three pictures of Makka Pakka, one with his Og-Pog, one with him blowing his trumpet, and one with him holding his uff uff, it has two pictures of tombliboo Eee, one with her and the other Tombliboos, the other of her alone, it has two pictures of the Ninky Nonk, one with its doors shut, the other with its doors open, and it has two pictures of Igglepiggle, one of him skipping, the other of him waving,the gazebo has an alternate version of itself. The first dance was featured in the episode "The Tombliboos' Waving Game" and it first gave a clue in "Igglepiggle's Blanket in Makka Pakka's Ditch". In episodes 60, 87, and 99. The alternative dance plays after upsy daisy does her little dance., it, along with the tombliboos Bush, the stepping stone path, the bridge and the cave, was first featured in the episode "Makka Pakka Washes Faces"
The Tittifers' Tree is where the Tittifers sing in a certain section and together and at the end, it was first featured in the episode "Igglepiggle's Blanket in Makka Pakka's Ditch".
The Little Round Bush is a miniature version of the Tombliboos Bush, it has no windows or doors, the tombliboos like chasing each other around it, it is the tombliboos favourite place, it was first featured in the episode "Makka Pakka's Trumpet makes a funny noise"
Broadcast
Until 29th March 2008, the show aired on the CBeebies channel every day, including weekends, at 6:25 PM in the "Bedtime Hour" slot, in addition to earlier daytime showings on weekdays. From 29th March until 29th August 2008, In The Night Garden... was removed from its 6:25 PM "Bedtime Hour" slot, which resulted in a petition asking for the programme to be re-instated to its normal slot. One parent petitioner was quoted by The Daily Telegraph commenting that "My four-year-old refused to believe it was bedtime because ITNG hadn't been on and it was daylight outside."The show returned to the daily "Bedtime Hour" slot at 6:20 pm as of 30th August 2008, and began showing the second series on 1st September 2008. From January 2009, the show was moved again, this time to 6:00 pm, on the 9th February 2009 they began broadcasting twenty new episodes on CBeebies and BBC HD. From September 2009 the show was moved back to 6:20 pm. Later in January 2010, on weekends the programme was shown at 1.20 PM and on weekdays it was removed from its weekday 2:30pm afternoon slot. In September 2010 it was removed from its 1:20 pm weekend slot, the Bedtime Hour 6.20 pm showing on CBeebies and weekday 10:40 am airing on BBC Two remained though Later in January 2013 the weekday 10:40am morning slot was removed on BBC Two, leaving it with the 6:20pm Bedtime Hour slot.
As of February 2008, in Canada, the show airs daily at 5:30 AM on Treehouse TV, Mondays to Fridays at 7:30 PM, and Saturdays at 10:30 AM. And as of April 11, 2016 in Canada, as well the show airs daily at 2:00 pm on family jr during the Monday funday block of programming.
As of March 2016, in Australia, the show airs during the ABC 4 Kids block of programming on ABC2 every weekends at 11:30 AM. As of October 2008, in India, the show airs every day on the CBeebies channel, including weekends, at 9 AM, 12 PM and 3 PM.
As of 2008, in Norway, the show airs every weekday on the NRK Super channel, at 5:30 PM. As of 2009, the show airs on TV2 in Malaysia on weekday mornings at 8:30 AM. As of 2009, the show airs on Luli and Hop! in Israel. As of 2010, Series 1 of the show airs daily on Baraem on Nilesat and Arabsat covering the Middle East in Arabic at 7:30 PM. As of 2010, the show airs on Clan in Spain sometime around 8:30 AM on weekdays and around 7:50 AM on weekends. In The Netherlands, it airs on Disney Junior. And In Poland, it airs on CBeebies.
As of October 11th 2010, the series was added on The Hub in the U.S. as part of the "HubBub" programming block. On June 24th 2012, it was removed on The Hub along with The Future Is Wild and Wilbur. However, the series returned on the Hub Network on June 2nd 2013 and was removed again on October 13th 2013.
Awards and nominations
- BAFTA Children's Awards 2007
- BAFTA Children's Awards 2008
- BAFTA Children's Awards 2009
Merchandising
Books
In 2007, Ladybird Books published a full In the Night Garden range of books, some had lift the flap features and some had sounds from the programme, these usually retailed for £8.99 when they were released from BBC Books/Ragdoll Productions.In 2014, Penwizard introduced a line of personalised books where customers can customise the story to include their child's name and likeness in the story alongside Igglepiggle and friends.
DVDs
Several Region 2 DVDs have been released in the UK by the BBC since October 2007:| DVD Title | Episodes |
| Who's Here? | Makka Pakka Washes Faces Tombliboos Waving Game Makka Pakka's Trumpet Makes a Funny Noise Everybody all aboard the Ninky Nonk The Prettiest Flower |
| Hello Igglepiggle! | Igglepiggle's Blanket in Makka Pakka's Ditch Jumping for Everybody Igglepiggle's Mucky Patch The Pinky Ponk Adventure Igglepiggle's Blanket Walks About by Itself |
| Hello Upsy Daisy! | Quiet Please Tombliboos!! Upsy Daisy Wants to Sing!! Upsy Daisy Kisses Everything! Upsy Daisy's Big Loud Sing Song! Igglepiggle Looks for Upsy Daisy and Follows her Bed! The Ninky Nonk Wants a Kiss! |
| Hello Makka Pakka! | Makka Pakka's Stone Concert Runaway Og-Pog Makka Pakka's Present Makka Pakka Gets Lost Washing the Haahoos |
| Hello Tombliboos! | Too Loud Tombliboos!! Nice and Quiet!! The Tombliboos' Busy Day Tombliboo Trousers Tombliboo Ooo Drinks Everybody Else's Pinky Ponk Juice! Tombliboos Tower of Five |
| Isn't That a Pip? | The Pontipine Children on the Roof Looking for Each Other Slow Down Everybody! Igglepiggle Goes Visiting Where is the Pinky Ponk Going? |
| Look At That! | Igglepiggle's Tiddle Makka Pakka's Piles of Three Where Are the Wottingers? Mr Pontipine's Moustache Flies Away What loud Music, Tombliboos! |
| What Fun! | Sneezing Hide and Seek Mind the Haahoos The Pontipines Find Igglepiggle's Blanket Upsy Daisy Dances with the Pinky Ponk |
| All Together! | Waving from the Ninky Nonk Playing Hiding with Makka Pakka Wake Up Ball Over and Under Sad and Happy Tombliboos! |
| Best Friends! | Upsy Daisy's Tiring Walk Trubliphone Fun Shshsh! Upsy Daisy's Having a Rest! Who's Next on the Pinky Ponk? Makka Pakka's Circle of Friends |
| All Aboard | Ninky Nonk or Pinky Ponk Upsy Daisy's Special Stone Ninky Nonk Dinner Swap The Tombliboos Swap Trousers Igglepiggle's Accident. |
| Out For A Walk | Upsy Daisy's Funny Bed The Ball Wave to the Wottingers The Pontipines in Upsy Daisy's Bed Igglepiggle's Noisy Noises. |
| What Lovely Music | Tombliboo Eee Gets Lost Make Up Your Mind Upsy Daisy! Following Upsy Daisy Dances With The Haahoos Long Distance Ball Game |
| Wake Up Igglepiggle | Wake Up Igglepiggle Where Can Igglepiggle Have a Rest Oh Look It's the Wottingers Dinner in the Ninky Nonk Tombliboos Clean Their Teeth. |
Each DVD features five episodes.
A boxset, Hello Everybody!, has been released, containing "Hello Igglepiggle!", "Hello Upsy Daisy!", "Hello Makka Pakka!" and "Hello Tombliboos!" Each of these titles have episodes relating to the character on which the DVD is based.
Toys
The show's makers, Ragdoll Productions, signed a deal to make the toy producer Hasbro a global partner before the show was first broadcast, and merchandise was first made available in July 2007. The range includes small Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka stuffed toys and a small Ninky Nonk train with detachable carriages. Wheeled toy licensee MV Sports & Leisure Limited produced a range of scooters and trikes. Play-doh made some dough that came packaged with an Igglepiggle-shaped cut-out.In spring 2008, several new toys arrived, including roll-along characters, Talking Cuddly Makka Pakka, Ninky Nonk Pop-up tent and more. Hasbro won the 2008 "Best Licensed Toy or Game range" Licensing Award for their In The Night Garden... range.
In January 2009, a spokesman for the BBC confirmed that they had asked Hasbro to change the skin colour of the Upsy Daisy doll following "a handful of complaints". The doll was originally released with a noticeably lighter complexion than seen in the television series, as it was based on the animated version of Upsy Daisy.
In 2010, more New Toys were released like the Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy set that contained a copy of the Series 2 episode The Pontipines' Picnic on DVD as well as an electronic Ninky Nonk and a Playmat that had the Bridge, the Tombliboo Bush
The Gazebo and the Pinky Ponk