The best places to find children’s TV shows

As recently as 1982, there were only three television stations in the UK, while concepts like on-demand viewing were the preserve of exotic video cassette recorders.

By the start of this century, the UK had five terrestrial television channels and hundreds of satellite stations.

Today, you can’t turn on your TV without an array of streaming apps and on-demand services cluttering the menu bars.

This proliferation of choice has also extended to conventional broadcasters, yet this fragmentation of content isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Parents who don’t want their children developing an American twang may wish to steer them towards British programming, while streaming algorithms can easily recommend unsuitable content.

YouTube in particular can lead children in unexpected directions depending on the videos automatically cued up to play after the current clip finishes.

However, one advantage of having so much entertainment is that almost everything you can imagine is available, including specific children’s TV shows or content.

Here are some of the best places to look, starting with the nation’s public service broadcaster…

Television

The BBC has two dedicated channels broadcasting children’s TV shows for at least twelve hours a day – Cbeebies for children aged six or under and CBBC for pre-teens.

These channels tend to feature modern programmes, though some classics like Postman Pat and Dangermouse are still broadcast.

Sky hosts another 11 channels, many offering a choice of standard or high definition and time-shifted +1 services. These are all on 24 hours a day, unlike the BBC stations.

Content is mostly American, though some European content (including the Minions-esque Grizzy and the Lemmings) recurs everywhere from Nickelodeon to Tiny Pop.

Sky Kids has a greater focus on domestic content, such as the surreal In The Night Garden, plus international imports like Australian pre-school staple The Wiggles.

Streaming platforms

Compared to the plethora of choice on a typical Virgin Media or Sky EPG, streaming platforms may seem limited by comparison.

A Disney+ subscription unlocks the Pixar and Disney content troves, but this is almost exclusively American and focused on cartoons and movies.

Of the other streamers, Netflix has the best kids selections, with the likes of Mr Bean, Sam & Cat and Octonauts. Content is grouped by character, with large numbers of films and TV series.

Amazon Prime’s roster of content isn’t particularly strong for young audiences, and neither are the likes of Apple TV+ or Discovery Plus.

If you’re not watching Channel 5’s Milkshake! Programme live, its on-demand service hosts proprietary shows as well as the likes of Ben & Holly, PAW Patrol and Peppa Pig.

The wider internet

If you’ve ever noticed a child goggling at YouTube on an iPad in a restaurant, you’ll know how heavily resourced the world’s second largest search engine is in terms of children’s TV shows.

YouTube has three categories of children’s content, aimed at preschoolers, 5-8-year-olds and 9-12s. Not all videos are manually reviewed, but parents can turn search functionality off.

An extensive roster of content ranges from Sesame Street and restored Thomas the Tank Engine episodes through to Bluey and Horrid Henry.

There are also YouTube-rivalling video repositories like Kidoodle and Happykids, where films and TV shows are curated and assessed for young audiences.

Bear in mind that platforms like Plex will be dominated by American programming, which isn’t always culturally aligned with young British viewers.