From "Hi-Hi" to Bye-Bye

The regular CBeebies seasonal re-scheduling is upon us again, and – as happened last year – Waybuloo is being dropped from the Bedtime Hour.

I wonder whether this change will cause a similar outcry to the one that flared up last time this was done, ten months ago...

The programme will still be on at other times, though one will need to be up early to catch the 6.25 am daily showings. There will be another outing for the Piplings at 11.35 am, but only on weekdays, while the current practice of a 1 pm showing at weekends will continue.

Okay, so two out of (at present) three a day really isn't bad; but the choosing of time-slot is crucial and the omission from the Bedtime Hour is bound to cause at least some consternation.

Driver Dan's Story Train comes into that hour instead – something that appears to be an obsession at the BBC, as they tried it before in the ten minutes freed up by the experimental cut-down narrated Waybuloo. When that failed, it was instead butted up against Bedtime Hour in its current slot just beforehand.

Someone seems to have been very determined to get it into this important hour, and has now succeeded – even though it will now mean two story-tellings within those sixty minutes, which seems a bit daft. The remaining ten minutes released by the change will return to Charlie and Lola, who have been there before.

Finally to report on this business, In The Night Garden is (thankfully!) to stay at its present 6.20 pm slot: isn't that a pip!