50 Fun Facts About Teletubbies

Who created Teletubbies with Andrew Davenport?

Wood's company Ragdoll had previously made Rosie and Jim and Tots TV.

For which broadcaster was Teletubbies originally made?

The first episode aired on BBC2 on 31 March 1997, in a slot previously held by Playdays.

What are the Teletubbies named after?

Their antennae are the other instantly recognisable feature, each a different shape.

What color is Tinky Winky?

He is the largest, oldest and leader of the group, and carries a red bag.

What shape is Tinky Winky's antenna?

Jerry Falwell later cited the triangle and the purple as supposed gay symbols.

Which Teletubby is green?

He is the most stubborn of the four and often wears a black-and-white patterned hat.

Dipsy is named after his antenna, which resembles what?

The creators have said Dipsy is of African descent; his face is darker than the others'.

What color is Laa-Laa?

She loves to sing and dance and has a curly antenna.

What is Laa-Laa's favorite toy?

The ball is a bouncy orange rubber one.

Which Teletubby is the shortest and youngest?

She is red, rides a scooter and sometimes speaks Cantonese.

Po's antenna is shaped like what?

Her creators have stated she is Cantonese; her favourite toy is a blue and pink scooter.

Which language does Po sometimes speak?

Pui Fan Lee played her in the original series.

What is the name of the Teletubbies' home?

It is set into the ground and entered through a hole at the top or a large semicircular door.

What kind of appliance is Noo-Noo?

He rarely leaves the dome and gets called 'Naughty Noo-Noo' when he sucks up tubby toast.

What color was Noo-Noo in the original series?

The revival gave him orange, pink and yellow stripes.

What are the periscope-like devices that rise from the ground called?

They are the only residents of Teletubbyland who speak in full sentences.

Which comedian was among the original Voice Trumpet voices?

Toyah Willcox and Rudolph Walker were other original voices; Jim Broadbent and David Walliams joined the revival.

Who played the Sun Baby in the original series?

The Sun Baby rises at the start of each episode and sets at the end.

Which is the only Earth animal found in Teletubbyland?

They are Flemish Giants and live in holes and bushes.

What breed are the bunnies seen on the show?

They live in rabbit holes and bushes and rarely appear in the magical events.

Which actress voices the Tubby Phone in the revival series?

Pressing its button triggers the Tubby Phone dance.

What are the baby Teletubbies introduced in the revival called?

Their names include Mi-Mi, Daa Daa, Ping and Umby Pumby; they got their own web series in 2018.

On what date did the first episode air in the UK?

It was pulling two million viewers an episode by that August.

Which programme's time slot did Teletubbies take over, upsetting some parents?

Despite the initial backlash the BBC kept the new schedule.

In roughly how many countries has Teletubbies aired?

It has been dubbed into 45 languages.

Which US network aired Teletubbies from 1998 to 2008?

The reboot later aired on the Nick Jr. Channel; a Netflix redub starred Tituss Burgess.

Who narrates the 2022 Netflix redub of the reboot?

It premiered on Netflix on 14 November 2022.

What inspired Andrew Davenport's concept for the show?

The creators also worried about how children were reacting to late-1990s technology.

In which English county was the show filmed, on a farm at Wimpstone?

The same farm had been used for Tots TV.

What became of the original Teletubbyland set in 2013?

Owner Rosemary Harding was tired of fans jumping fences and crossing cattle fields.

Which illustrator drew the original Teletubbies characters?

His drawings were valued at up to £80,000 on Antiques Roadshow in 2022.

Which company made the first line of Teletubbies dolls?

Hasbro signed on in 1998; Microsoft UK released ActiMates versions in 1999.

Teletubbies dolls were the top-selling Christmas toy in which year?

Shops rationed them to one per customer and parents camped overnight.

Which fast-food chain sold Teletubby-shaped chicken nuggets in 1999?

McDonald's followed with keychains in 2000; psychiatrist Alvin Poussaint called the deals 'troubling'.

How much had the franchise earned in merchandise sales by October 2000?

The Daily Telegraph later called it the most lucrative show in BBC history.

What chart position did the single 'Teletubbies say Eh-oh!' reach in the UK?

It stayed in the Top 75 for 32 weeks and sold over a million copies.

Which act kept the Teletubbies off the 1997 Christmas top spot?

'Too Much' won; a year later a BBC quiz wrongly named the Teletubbies as the Christmas number one.

Which music executive paid the BBC a £500,000 advance for the Teletubbies record?

He predicted the record would make over £2 million; it sold 317,000 copies in its first week.

Which two nursery rhymes feature in 'Teletubbies say Eh-oh!'?

The flowers of Teletubbyland sing the second one.

Which US televangelist claimed in 1999 that Tinky Winky was a 'gay role model'?

The BBC replied that Tinky Winky was 'simply a sweet, technological baby with a magic bag'.

In which country did a children's ombudsman revisit the Tinky Winky question in 2007?

Ewa Sowińska dropped it after a sexologist found no harm to children.

Which 'magical event' sketch was banned in several countries for its unsettling tone?

A re-edited version with new voice acting aired several years later.

Which city's mayor declared 28 March 2007 'Teletubbies Day'?

Mayor Mike Bloomberg gave them the key to the city for the show's tenth anniversary.

How many episodes did the 2015 reboot run for?

It premiered on CBeebies in the UK and ended on the Nick Jr. Channel in August 2018.

What is the 2002 spin-off that teaches colours, shapes and numbers called?

It doesn't take place in Teletubbyland but against changing coloured backgrounds.

As of 2025, which company owned the Teletubbies brand?

Formerly DHX Media, it launched a Teletubbies Pride Collection in 2021 with proceeds to GLAAD.

Which 2025 horror film opens with children watching Teletubbies?

A hard-rock cover of the theme also plays later in the film.

On which reality show did the Teletubbies 'audition' in 2022 for their 25th anniversary?

They hugged Simon Cowell, who had helped release their number-one single.

What was the name of the show's production company?

Founded in 1984, it also made Rosie and Jim, Brum and In the Night Garden.

Which literary children's series did the show's co-creator produce for ITV from 1979?

Hosted at times by Tom Baker, it won Children's BAFTAs in 1979 and 1982.