Waybuloo Website Reinvigorated

That's the best word I can think of to describe the completely revamped Waybuloo website. It is actually very good now, and quite a contrast to the rather poor and somewhat unorganised site it had become in recent years.

Here's the press release from Zodiak Media, who have always handled these 'external' public aspects of the show (including merchandise licensing, for another aspect of that work).

I have (predictably!) spent a little time at the new site this morning, and have found some good activities, resources, information and facilities. While I am not sure about the two-clicks philosophy (one click to enlarge, another to go there) the overall impression is a good one.

In other, related news, ASDA has a new George range of Waybuloo-themed baby clothes coming out a week from today.

Back at the new site; there's even a new short dance video that I hadn't encountered before, that was quietly uploaded to YouTube nearly a month ago. Here it is, with its new mix music track based mainly on the Naracar tune...

Tweet of the Day – 24 October 2012

From one Darren Curtis...

"Working at a global design agency in London, just discovered they have printers on the network called Waybuloo, Upseydaisy and Igglepiggle."

This appears to be an updated variation on a theme started many years ago, when my younger brother was at University. There the (line) printers were named Tigger and Pooh....

LolliBop 2012

This year's Lollibop is on again at Regent's Park, though in a different part this time.

There will be Waybuloo (Yogo and story-telling), ZingZillas, Mister Maker and many others there, including the Gruffalo (which will please four-year-old Maxwell, whom I met recently), all compèred by CBeebies presenters – plus of course loads of youngsters and their parents or guardians.

I suspect it's going to be noisy and somewhat chaotic too!

There was a time when I'd have enjoyed going along myself, if I'd been in charge of one or more children so that there was a valid reason to be there (apart from my being just a 'big kid' at heart, which doesn't really quite make the grade), but this year I think I can safely claim to have turned the corner on all that. After all, I've seen a Pipling and Rosie up close, and there is no need to do anything more than that.

For the little ones, though, it will undoubtedly be great. It's the third such event, which in itself demonstrates how successful they are (it's not easy or cheap to put and run this sort of thing, especially over three days) and I wish it well!

Narrated Waybuloo Hits Australia

Oh dear! The narrated (by Dave Lamb) version of Waybuloo may well have been banished from these shores, but it is still alive and well elsewhere. It has now arrived in Australia, immediately prompting these two tweets, first from Stephen Hope of Sydney...

"@abcmarkscott The BBC have destroyed the temper of Waybuloo by adding a 'Funniest Home Videos' style VO over it. Can ABC air it without VO?"

"VO" stands for Voice-Over. A minute later, Mat Farrington of Canberra had this to say on the matter...

"@abc2 @ABC4Kids_Aus Cringeworthy narrated Waybuloo episodes need to go. Awful! Bring back original format."

I have no idea what might have possessed the antipodean broadcasters to make them think that they could fare any better with this travesty than the BBC itself did – they were compelled to revert to the original format after just one new-style episode was broadcast – but they will probably now get bombarded.with similar protests to those we had here all those months ago.

There is an old saying about there being two ways to learn a lesson: the easy way and the hard way. The easy way in this instance would have been to have learned from the BBC's experience (easily seen, as there has been no ten-minute Waybuloo slot in any of Auntie's schedules since that initial attempt) rather than having to go through it all themselves.

I have tweeted a response, indicating what worked here and suggesting that they might like to consider mounting a similar kind of campaign where they are. We shall see what transpires!

Drawing Piplings

I wish I'd had the knowledge imparted in this short (and silent) video when I was in hospital last year. Still, I made a reasonable job of it even so, as I have shown here previously. This, though, is how it should be done...

Tweet of the Day – 26 May 2012

It's Eurovision Song Contest evening, and as usual I have been ignoring most of it. This tweet from one MazyDavy, though, caused me to switch it on for a couple of minutes...

"romanian entry is techno waybuloo with comedy bagpipes"

Y'know, after listening carefully to the Romanian entry, I think he has a (good) point!

Kiddy Corner Update

I have added an item or two, and rounded up others already housed around the flat, and gathered them all together. This warranted a new photo, so here it is...

As you can see, I now have in the display based mostly on children's television programmes (clockwise from top left):

• Lau Lau from Waybuloo
• Will from W.I.T.C.H.
• Rosie and Raggles from Everything's Rosie, on the twooter
• a Chuggington face-cloth
• Barnacles and the octopus from Octonauts
• Pikachu from Pokémon

For good measure I have also included a model of one of the Western diesel-hydraulic locomotives of which a few have been preserved, as I have occasionally shown on this 'blog.

I still need a Makka Pakka with Og Pog, and "a bird or two" from 3rd and Bird, and possibly the Farmyard Bunch from Big Barn Farm to make this little greeting for visitors complete.

Tweet of the Day – 23 April 2012

From Nikkita, on Twitter as @PastTheSunset_

"If every kid watched waybuloo, the world would be such a nice place in 20 years time..."

It's a good thought, and so true!

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!

Tweet of the Day – 18 March 2012

From one David Round, in response to Stuart Hill's...

"Rory woke up especially to watch Homeland. He says it's up there with Sopranos and Waybuloo."

He (very sensibly, I thought) tweeted back...

"I was starting to lose faith with Homeland, but if Rory says it's up there with Waybuloo then I may need to reconsider..."