Teletubbies

Madeline Fretz - Everyone who doesn't live under a rock knows who the Teletubbies are. They're four colorful characters by the names of Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po who live over the hills and far away, do typical baby and toddler stuff (the show is aimed at one and two year olds who can’t speak yet), and have televisions on their stomachs that show real kids' stories. Originally from the BBC in the UK, PBS acquired American broadcast rights to air the show, and the rest is history.

Since PBS was one of Sprout's four founders, a variety of shows from its archive library aired on Sprout when it launched, including Teletubbies. The show was originally on Sprout on Demand when it launched on Comcast in April 2005, and made it to the linear channel when it launched five months later. Along with Sesame Street and Barney & Friends, two other iconic PBS Kids shows, Teletubbies was part of the original weekend morning schedule. As time went by, it also aired during The Good Night Show.

Sprout described the show as:

"Teletubbies is a celebration of children's play. This series introduces young children - ages one to three - to the wonders and magic of high-tech in a safe and friendly way. The series is also a wonderful opportunity for parents to share the joy of first discovery through children's eyes."

The four titular characters got their own Sprout Diner snack - Teletubbies Tubby Sunshine Toast, a Birthday Show activity - Teletubbies Cupcakes, and were featured in the Rain ident.

The show stopped airing on PBS stations in 2008 once PBS Kids rebranded, and probably stopped airing on Sprout as well around the same time. In 2015, Nick Jr. started airing a new version of the show.