Channel 4 kid’s shows are some of the best kid’s television in history. These shows have even lasted almost decades and are still running, this is a true tale of how good the shows are.
We have curated a list of some of the best Channel 4 Kids shows. So let us dive in and find out some of the best Channel 4 Kids shows.
The Simpsons (1989-)
Director: Mike B. Anderson, Jim Reardon, Mark Kirkland, Steven Dean Moore, and others
Writer: James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Sam Simon, John Swartzwelder, and others
Run time: 22 minutes
Cast: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Julie Kavner, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.7 out of 10
The Simpsons is an animated series based on an erratic family of 5 family members with their four-legged friends. The main character Homer Simpson is the oddball in the whole family and keeps running from one situation to another.
Along with that the rest of the family is not that placated either, they all have their own issues and behaviors that keep the show entertaining.
The Muppet Show (1976-1981)
Director: Peter Harris, and Philip Casson
Writer: Jim Henson, Jerry Juhl, Don Hinkley, Chris Langham, and others
Run time: 30 minutes
Cast: Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.4 out of 10
Kermit the Frog is in a difficult situation as the manager of the theater house that is cabaret-style.
What happens on the stage is half of what goes on behind the scenes and how Kermit the Frog has to deal with his exasperating staff to the staggeringly charming advances from Miss Peggy. Along with managing all this every week, the show hosts a celebrity guests and it’s Kermit’s job to ensure they feel welcomed.
Danger Mouse (1981-1992)
Director: Brian Cosgrove, Keith Scoble, and Chris Randall
Writer: Brian Cosgrave, Mark Hall, Brian Trueman, Keith Scoble, Angus Allan, and others
Run time: 25 minutes
Cast: David Jason, Terry Scott, Edward Kelsey, Victor Knight, Brian Trueman, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.4 out of 10
Danger Mouse is a world-class detective who works with his sidekick Penfold to help save the world from all kinds of menaces.
Every episode the duo embarks on a journey of comical and crazy adventures, all the while following the orders of Colonel K. They face all these monsters and crazy fiends, including their arch-nemesis Stiletto and Baron Silas.
Bagpuss (1974)
Director: Peter Firmin, and Oliver Postgate
Writer: Oliver Postgate, and Peter Firmin
Run time: 15 minutes
Cast: Oliver Postgate, Sandra Kerr, John Faulkner, and Emily Firmin
IMDB Rating: 7.7 out of 10
Bagpuss is the story of toys that are placed in the ‘found shop’, these shops hold all kinds of toys. They have formed friendships among themselves and love to hang out and have fun.
However, when a kid named Emily brings another new object to the ‘found shop’, they all become curious as to what it is. Now they are trying to work out what the new object that Emily brought.
Grange Hill (1978-2008)
Director: Albert Barber, john Smith, Richard Kelly, Colin Cant, David Bell, and others
Writer: Phil Redmond, Sarah Daniels, Claire Palmier, Margaret Simpson, and others
Run time: 30 minutes
Cast: Stuart Organ, Gwyneth Powell, Lee Cornes, Sally Geoghegan, Sammy O’Grady, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.1 out of 10
Grange Hill is a masterful series on the Grange Hill Comprehensive School. Depicting the lives of the children studying there and the teachers who teach there. From friendships to school life and educational aspects of a schooling system are covered in this series and for children, it is a must-watch.
Mr. Benn (1971-2005)
Director: Pat Kirby, Leo Nielsen, and David McKee
Writer: David McKee
Run time: 15 minutes
Cast: Ray Brooks
IMDB rating: 7.5 out of 10
Mr. Benn is an ordinary guy who lives in the ordinary suburban street of Festive Road. Wearing a bowler hat, he is an office worker, who is living a very ordinary life.
However, one day he goes into a mysterious costume shop and tries on a costume, when he steps out of the dressing room, he finds himself in another era, corresponding to his costume. He goes on the adventures of being an astronaut, pirate, and native American.
Rainbow (1972-1992)
Director: Daphne Shadwell, Neil Stinchcombe, Andrew Thomas, Ingrid Duffell, and others
Writer: Pamela Lonsdale, Stanely Bates, John Kershaw, Roy Skelton, and others
Run time: 22 minutes
Cast: Geoffrey Hayes, Roy Skelton, Stanley Bates, Rod Burton, Jane Tucker, and others
IMDB Rating: 6.9 out of 10
A kids puppet show that invites children from around the world to learn about different things. The role of the puppets is to ask questions and play an inquisitive role, while the host of the show answers the questions with pictures from real life and sometimes even a song or two.
The premise of the show is to educate children on various topics of life and life experiences.
Scooby-Doo, where are you! (1969-1970)
Director: Joseph Barbera, and William Hanna
Writer: Bill Lutz, Joe Ruby, Ken Spears, Larz Bourne, Tom Dagenais, and others
Run time: 22 minutes
Cast: Nicole Jaffe, Casey Kasem, Don Messick, Vic Perrin, Hal Smith, John Stephenson, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.9 out of 10
Four high school students from California travel to mysterious places to solve the various mysteries. The four students and their Great Dane, Scooby-Doo travel around to uncover the people hiding behind masks to wreak havoc.
This show also debunks the myths of ghosts and evil paranormal stories as it turns out all the people hiding behind the masks are just people trying to get away with something.
Doctor Who (1963-1989)
Director: Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, and others
Writer: Donald B. Wilson, Robert Holmes, Terry Nation, Malcolm Hulke, and others
Run time: 45 minutes
Cast: Tom Baker, William Hartnell, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.4 out of 10
The story revolves around a time traveler who is joined by his many loyal companions and a spaceship known as the Tardis. He goes through time to protect the world against the evils of the Cybermen, Daleks, and the master of all Davros. With the ship and the companions, he is able to travel to various locations and find the evil entities that threaten world peace.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-1985)
Director: Gwen Wetzler, Lou Kackivas, Marsh Lamore, Steve Clark, Ed Friedman, and others
Writer: Jina Bacarr, John Berwick, Douglas Booth, Beth Bornstein, Joseph Botsford, and others
Run time: 30 minutes
Cast: John Erwin, Alan Oppenheimer, Linda Gary, Lou Scheimer, Erika Scheimer, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Leading a dual life He-Man or Prince Adam is one of the most powerful beings in a mystical land. He fights evil beings with his companions and very few people know the secret of his powers.
His main rival is the Skeletor who has an army of minions and wants to control the world and more importantly the Greyskull Castle. He-Man, however, must not let him gain control of the world or the Greyskull Castle as that is where he derives his powers.
The Magic Roundabout (1964-1995)
Director: NA
Writer: Serge Danot, and Eric Thompson
Run time: 5 minutes
Cast: Eric Thompson, Patricia Danot, Jacques Bodoin, Serge Danot, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.1 out of 10
A series originally made in French was later dubbed into English and many other languages. The theme of the series is that every day children and animals gather around a carousel and enjoy themselves in the park. The animals and the children talk to each other in a casual way and have fun and share funny stories every day. The 5-minute show has a lot to offer to its viewers.
Rentaghost (1976-1984)
Director: David Crichton, Jeremy Swan, Renny Rye, Paul Ciani, and Charles Crichton
Writer: Bob Block
Run time: 25 minutes
Cast: Michael Staniforth, Edward Brayshaw, Ann Emery, William Perrie, and others
IMDB Rating: 6.9 out of 10
Rent a Ghost is a story of Harold and Ethel Meaker, who have found a new and distinctive way of making money, that is renting out ghosts.
Originally the business was run by Fred Mumford, who died and became a ghost, he couldn’t continue to run the business after a while and decided to hand it over to Ethel and Harold Meaker. However, the neighbors of the two think that they need psychiatric help.
The Clangers (1969-1974)
Director: Peter Firmin, and Oliver Postgate
Writer: Oliver Postgate
Run time: 10 minutes
Cast: Oliver Postgate
IMDB Rating: 7.4 out of 10
The series is based on a knitted, fluttery-voiced-sounding family of aliens living on a knobbly planet far out in space.
Their lives are melancholically funny and their voices make quite the impact. However, through some misfortune, they come across the unlikely creatures that are the Soup Dragons, the Iron Chicken, the Froglets, and the Glow Buzzers. How they deal with them is yet to be seen.
Puss Gets the Boot (1940)
Director: Joseph Barbera, and William Hanna
Writer: Gus Arriola, and Joseph Barbera
Run time: 9 minutes
Cast: William Hana, Harry Lang, and Lillian Randolph
IMDB rating: 7.7 out of 10
Tom, the cat is known for creating a mess and he is told once and for all, that if he creates any more mess he will be thrown out. That scares him and he tries to be on his best behavior. However, Jerry is in no mood to let the cat stay so he tries to make situations and problems for the cat, where Tom can be found guilty and can finally “get the boot”.
A Grand Day Out (1989)
Director: Nick Park
Writer: Nick Park
Run time: 24 minutes
Cast: Peter Sallis, and Peter Hawkins
IMDB Rating: 7.7 out of 10
A hilarious series where Wallace is deciding to take a holiday trip and choosing the most appropriate location for it. However, while planning for this amazing holiday trip he realizes a major problem. The problem is that he has no cheese to go with the crackers.
Now Wallace and his dog, Gromit must travel to the moon, to get some cheese. Since everyone knows that the moon is made of cheese.
Knightmare (1987-1994)
Director: Jimmy Mckinney, Sally Freeman, and Martin Cairns
Writer: Tim Child, and Tim Hunt
Run time: 25 minutes
Cast: Hugo Myatt, Paul Valentine, Clifford Norgate, Mark Knight, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.2 out of 10
Various contestants are invited to the show to participate in a dungeons and dragons reality TV show. With the help of wicked special effects and puzzles that are simplistically difficult, each contestant must explore the computer-generated world of Knightmares.
Hong Kong Phooey (1974-1975)
Director: Charles A. Nichols
Writer: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Jack Mendelsohn, and others
Run time: 22 minutes
Cast: Scatman Crothers, Joe E. Ross, Kathy Gavi, Don Messick, Jean Vander
IMDB Rating: 6.9 out of 10
Kung-fu fighting dog and his sidekick cat take on the world and fight thieves. More than that they help the people in need and make a hilarious show of it. The series is fun and exciting and teaches children to take care of the people who cannot take care of themselves.
The Wombles (1973-1975)
Director: Ivor Wood
Writer: Elisabeth Beresford
Run time: 5 minutes
Cast: Bernard Cribbins, and Dieter Hallervorden
IMDB Rating: 6.9 out of 10
The masterful fantasy folk community characters are dedicated to reusing and recycling the litter left behind by people.
This series is very educational for the children as it teaches them first of all not to litter, secondly, to reuse and recycle the litter and find new and better uses for the material. Not only that, they also end up making it usable for themselves.
The Flintstones (1960-1966)
Director: Joseph Barbera, and William Hanna
Writer: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Warren Foster, Michael Maltese, and others
Run time: 26 minutes
Cast: Jean Vander Pyl, Alan Read, Mel Blanc, Bea Benaderet, Don Messick, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.5 out of 10
The Flintstones is the story of two families living in the stone age. Their daily life struggles and their life in that era are depicted wonderfully. As the characters keep getting involved in misadventures every episode and try to resolve the problems quickly and in quirky ways.
Worzel Gummidge (1979-1981)
Director: James Hill, and David Pick
Writer: Keith Waterhouse, Willis Hall, and Barbara Euphan Todd
Run time: 1 hour
Cast: Jon Pertwee, Jeremy Austin, Charlotte Coleman, Mike Berry, Norman Bird, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.2 out of 10
This series is an adventurous and fantastical series where a scarecrow comes to life. Worzel Gummidge is the name of the scarecrow and he keeps the children entertained and they all get to do some mischievous acts to have some fun.
Conclusion:
Enlisted are some of the best Channel 4 Kids shows to watch with children. Some of them are classics and we have all seen them on Cartoon Network, once one of the biggest networks for kid’s shows. Now all these shows are available to be watched on various networks.