This ‘Teletubbies’ reboot actually sounds pretty darn cool
Teletubbies: either a fond childhood memory, or a disturbing childhood nightmare, depending on your preferences. Either way, can you seriously believe it’s been 14 years since Po and Tinky-Winky last graced our screens? Where does the time go?
The British show aired back in 1997 on BBC, and even if it did creep a few people out, there’s no denying that it was popular: It reached over 1 billion kids, aired in over 120 countries, and was translated into 45 different languages, according to The Telegraph. And people miss it: Now, the Teletubbies YouTube channel gets almost 50 million views every month. They even got a creepy, slo-mo black-and-white viral homage recently.
So what’s next for the oddly addictive creatures? A reboot, of course! The Teletubbies are back in the form of a major relaunch, set to premiere later this year on the CBeebies channel in the UK. (We’ll be checking the YouTube channel for updates in the US!)
According to BBC, the show will still include the same characters as the ’90s version, but with a “refreshed and contemporary look.” It will also feature a major star— actor Jim Broadbent, aka Harry Potter’s Horace Slughorn!
Broadbent will be playing a talking trumpet that makes announcements during the show. “Teletubbies is truly a British institution and it’s very exciting to be involved in bringing this global hit back to our TV screens,” Broadbent told The Telegraph. “I’m really looking forward to working with the Teletubbies and giving them big hugs.” If anyone can elevate Teletubbies to an art form, it’s Slughorn himself. Now we really need this reboot in the states.
Another star in the new Teletubbies reboot: Jane Horrocks, who plays “Bubble” in Absolutely Fabulous. Horrocks will be playing the Tubby phone.
“I am very excited to be playing the Tubby Phone in the new series,” she told The Telegraph. “The series has a whole new feel to it, I think it’s hilarious, and it will appeal to adults as much as it does children.”
The Teletubbies’ original creator, Anne Wood, is not as thrilled about the new reboot. She sold the rights to the show back in 2013, and claims that the new show makes her “a bit sad,” according to The Telegraph. “It comes down to the times we’re in: people feel safer remaking hits of the past rather than investing in something new,” she said.
Certainly, reboots of classic shows and movies are definitely getting a boost these days (Ghostbusters, anyone?). Call us nostalgic, but we’re OK with the trend. And we’re definitely OK with more Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. Hey, they may have spooked us a little in the ’90s, but in a good way.
