Play School is set to make a comeback, as CBeebies seeks to revive the ground-breaking pre-school series.
It is inviting producers to pitch for 50 x 14 minute episodes of the show, plus 70 minutes of additional content for CBeebies Parenting – a new YouTube channel.
The BBC said that the contract, worth up to £2.5m was aimed at production companies with a “substantive base” in the Nations or English regions.
“Play School has always embodied so much of what CBeebies stands for: creativity, curiosity, imagination and learning through play. Bringing it back for a new generation is a meaningful opportunity to build on that legacy,” said Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s & Education.
The announcement comes as CBeebies launches its “Parenting Promise,” setting out its commitment to help every child learn through play and giving parents and carers greater insight into the principles behind the programmes their children watch.
“The CBeebies Parenting Promise sets out the principles that guide every decision we make. Behind every programme is a team of experts, programme makers and storytellers committed to creating content that helps children learn, grow and thrive,” continued Hidalgo.
“In a changing media landscape, we believe trusted, high-quality children’s content has never been more important.”
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Play School was originally designed to recreate nursery and playgroup experiences at home and the new version, which will be live-action will be inspired by the original.
Production companies are being asked to “reimagine its blend of songs, stories, movement, music, poetry and imaginative play” for today’s audiences.
Play School’s original presenters included Chloe Ashcroft, Johnny Ball, Baroness Floella Benjamin, Brian Cant and Derek Griffiths. They were helped out by toys: Humpty, Jemima, Big Ted, Little Ted and Hamble, later replaced by Poppy .
CBeebies’ invitation to pitch said that would like the new version of the programme “to bring to life a version of the toys in a contemporary capacity aligned to the expectations of today’s children.”
“We are open to exploring different approaches, whether that involves bringing back the full original line-up or introducing new characters alongside them and representing them through different media including animation.”
BBC Children’s is based at MediaCity.
