Tracing back to the origins of earlier examples of children show, like Howdy Doody, Blue Peter, Captain Tugg, the Flowerpot Men, the Single Ringing Tree, and the Clangers, we can ascertain that they are almost as old as television itself. In the United States, early children's shows are nearly always associated with a marketing brand of larger corporate products, such as Disney. Among later non-educational programs for children are the cartoon empire of Hanna Barbera, the fantasy series of Sid and Marty Krofft, and the science fiction programs of Irwin Allen.
A large number of kids show have seen an explosion in popularity among adults in appreciation of their high quality and educational value. Some examples of children show that have received recognition and popularity among children and adults include Bananas in Pajamas, The X, the Saturday Show, ALF, Captain Kangaroo, and more. Introduced first in 1992 on ABC, Bananas in Pajamas is the Australian children show, which spread quickly to other countries and became dubbed in their languages. The main characters of the show are two bananas, called B1 and B2, while the other characters include Rat in a Hat, and three Teddy Bears named Amy, Morgan and Lulu. The characters of the show were inspired by a song written by British composer Carey Blyton in 1967, and shown in the Australian version of Play School for many subsequent years.
Shown by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the X Show is primarily targeted at children aged 8-12. Anthony McLean and Sally Gifford are the studio hosts, performing various comedy acts and interviewing celebrities. Children and adults, as well as some celebrities, are interviewed by Morgan Waters. Among the celebrities that have been guests of the X Show are Hilary Duff, Claire Danes, JoJo, Fefe Dobson, Nelly Furtado, Jude Law, Katie Homes, Christina Milian, Ashlee Simpson and Gwyneth Paltrow.
A number of children show are aimed at a pre-school audience, the most prominent of these being Teletubbies, featured during the period of 1997-2001, by Ragdoll Productions. Each of its 365 episodes was designed by the creative director of Ragdoll Anne Wood, CBE, and Andrew Davenport. Being a rapid commercial success both in Britain and abroad, Teletubbies won a BAFTA in 1998. Despite the fact that the show is targeted to children aged 1-4, it is seen as a cult hit with some older generations, like college students. The combination of unusual design, bright colors and comedy actors contributed significantly to the show's popularity. Aired first in 2001, the Saturday Show is a BBC production, featuring a mix of games, cartoons and audience participation. Initially the show was presented by Joe Mace and Dani Behr, who were replaced by Simon Grant and Fearne Cotton in 2002. Started in 2005 as "Gunge Grant," Gunge GBH is the most popular segment of the show, which features the presenter going head to head with a kid in the quiz. Each contestant has five lives and the first one to lose them is gaunged. In case the child wins, he takes home some prizes, and "I've been Gaunged on the Saturday Show" certificate if he loses.