1. Bagpuss
In 1999, Bagpuss topped the poll of a survey of people's favourite ever children's programme. Made by children's TV legend Oliver Postgate, Bagpuss was made in 1974 - 13 episodes were all that was made. The series was so popular, it was continually repeated through out the 1970s and 1980s, so I am guessing that there is a large bunch of people out there with fond memories of the show. When Emily leaves the room, the sepia colour turns to stop motion and Bagpuss wakes up. His friends are there - Gabriel the Toad, Madeline the rag doll, Professor Yaffle the wooden bird. There is also a colony of mice in the mice organ, Generally a new object would appear each episode and Madeline would tell a story about it. Gabriel - with his banjo - and the mice sang a song about it. The mice also usually fixed the object so it could sit in the window for its owner to claim it. Bagpuss is tired after all this drama and he goes back to sleep. The sepia tones of the film return for the credits. Bagpuss is actually quite melancholy for a kid's programme, but it worked because it didn't patronise children. It used big words and the characters were very likeable - I love Gabriel the toad with his funky banjo. The stop frame animation is marvellous as well as the quirky music. A classic from the BBC which will surely be shown to a younger generation of kids by their parents - who grew up with the show.