Boost to Children's output on the BBC


The BBC is to launch three new series on their young children’s channel, CBeebies.

The first of the new shows is Get Well Soon which has been commissioned for 30 14 minute programmes. It aims to enlighten CBeebies’ young audience about health and medical issues in an exciting and informative way. Presented by Dr Ranjit Singh, the series will help children to understand their bodies and to see the medical world as an environment in which they feel safe. Being ill can often be unpleasant but visiting the doctor can be a positive experience, understanding your symptoms is the first step to getting better. The series tackles this through music, laughter, games and five childlike puppet characters.

In each episode Dr Ranj will open up his surgery to a different child puppet, each displaying different symptoms. As an experienced paediatrician, Dr Ranj is well-equipped to reassure his young patients and ensure that a visit to the doctor is seen as an interesting, non-threatening experience. The series will explore and explain 30 of the most common childhood illnesses, injuries and general ailments from asthma to chickenpox; food allergies to hiccups. As well as visiting the Doctor’s surgery, Get Well Soon also travels around the country where groups of pre-school children help real-life nurse Morag Calder answer the puppets’ questions and explain how our bodies work.

Get Well Soon is in production for transmission on CBeebies later this year. The series will be recorded in studio and also on location at a number of nurseries and schools.

The next commission is for 20 episodes of Mr Bloom’s Nursery: Get Set, Grow! The 22-mintue long show sees Mr Bloom pack up his Compo Car and head out across the country to set up a travelling village fete for thousands of Tiddlers. Mr Bloom is, of course, joined by his loveable team of Veggies who are thrilled to discover about life outside the Nursery from an amazing maize maze to meeting enormous vegetables; from scarecrow competitions to rooftop gardens.

In conjunction with the new series, BBC Learning are staging a series of family events throughout the country this summer*. Hosted by Mr Bloom (aka Ben Faulks), the events will show the audience how to have fun in the garden and of course there will be the usual mix of humour, music and lots of audience interaction!

The series will broadcast in early 2013. There will also be two 24-minute specials later.

Katy Ashworth enjoys cooking up some scrumptious snacks in I Can Cook – On The Go in the 15 minute long series which focuses on creating healthy sweet and savoury recipes and looks at why nutritious food gives us energy to perform well in our lives. Katy travels around the country in Horace, her kitchen campervan, helping children create and prepare healthy food. Katy then joins the children as they take part in fun activities together including going to the skate park, surfing and treasure hunts. When it’s time for a break, the snacks they prepared earlier are the perfect energy source to enable them to play more.
With songs to sing, actions to join in with and mouth-watering recipes to try at home I Can Cook – On the Go will make healthy eating, and outdoor activities, fun and accessible for families to enjoy together,
I Can Cook – On The Go’s 24 episodes are currently in production for transmission on CBeebies in Autumn 2012.

Controller Kay Benbow says: “These three new commissions are typical of the range and depth of programming on CBeebies at the moment. Get Well Soon is an exciting new commission which I think will make the medical world more open and accessible to our young audience. I think we have discovered a real talent in Dr Ranjit Singh who is not only an experienced paediatrician but an exciting new face that I am delighted to bring to CBeebies. I am also thrilled to welcome back returning favourites Mr Bloom and I Can Cook in new formats as they both hit the road to meet audiences around the country.”

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