The History of TV in the West Midlands - Kids' TV (26/05/2025)

PJ Ellis speaks to the people behind iconic kids TV shows made in the West Midlands.

• 60 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

1. Come along and join the club

Revisit the Pebble Mill studio 20 years after it closed it’s door.

• 13 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

2. It’s all about the drama

Amongst the many genres of TV to come out of Pebble Mill, drama was at the forefront.

• 10 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

3. Carving out a space for Carrott

Pebble Mill fast become the place to be, not just for TV series but for new presenters.

• 8 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

4. Reading off the toilet roll

Midlands Today is BBC’s flagship regional news programme in the West Midlands.

• 12 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

5. A first for daytime TV

Exploring how Pebble Mill became a place for pioneering day-time TV.

• 12 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

6. A Mini TV City

Take a visit to the former ATV Centre on Birmingham’s Broad Street.

• 13 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

7. The Rise Of Chris Tarrant

Former Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host Chris Tarrant’s career started in Birmingham.

• 14 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

8. Can’t Beat A Bit Of Bully

Who knew it'd be a familiar voice to kick start a family favourite TV show?

• 11 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

9. Making a good impression

From recording sketches on the Crossroads set to the infamous Margaret Thatcher puppet.

• 15 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

10. High profile sackings and wobbly sets

The Crossroads Motel was at the centre of the drama for more than 20 years.

• 12 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

11. Turning into a dog

Kids’ TV series Woof! was filmed in Birmingham.

• 11 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

12. Custard pies and buckets of water

Chris Tarrant shares his memories of working on the popular kids’ TV series Tiswas.

• 12 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

13. When Tarrant went Over The Top

O.T.T. was the short-lived, late night spin-off of Tiswas.

• 11 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

14. Chugging along on the old Ragdoll

Popular kids’ TV shows Rosie & Jim and Brum were both produced in the West Midlands.

• 11 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

15. The next Teletubbies?

Teletubbies reportedly generated a billion pounds in merchandise sales alone.

• 13 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

16. Waking up with Nick Owen

Daytime magazine series Good Morning With Anne & Nick was broadcast live from Birmingham.

• 8 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

17. Contenders ready, Gladiators ready

Get you foam fingers out as we look back at 90's hit TV show Gladiators.

• 13 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

18. Amazon, Giant, Wolf and beyond

After the original Gladiators success, the show was relaunched in 2024.

• 14 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

19. Carry on Doctor

Soap opera Doctors was filmed first at Pebble Mill and later at the BBC Drama Village.

• 15 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

20. The Jasper Carrott sitcom that didn’t quite land

Jasper Carrott shares his memories of working on the ill-fated sitcom ‘All About Me’.

• 10 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

21. Birmingham, Belfast and bent coppers

Executive producer Simon Heath shares his memories of working on Line Of Duty.

• 10 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

22. The doctor won’t see you now

Doctors star Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh reacts to the axe of the daytime soap.

• 12 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

23. When Birmingham doubles for New York

Find out how the second city has stood in for several places around the world.

• 12 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

24. The new home of TV in Birmingham

There's a vision for a new era of production and creative industries in the Midlands.

• 12 mins

History Of TV In The West Midlands

25.The next Peaky Blinders

Find out what's in store for the future of TV production in the West Midlands.

• 13 mins