The Green Balloon Club: part of series of CBeebies programmes to raise awareness of environmental issues. Photograph: BBC
The BBC is launching an EcoBeebies campaign with special green episodes of Bob the Builder, plus a new year-long children’s season of programming about the environment.
In June, EcoBeebies will begin with an event at Syon House in London and then continue with a new Friday afternoon CBeebies show called The Green Balloon Club, an album released by BBC Worldwide, and a special Green Star award scheme for children.
Other BBC programmes such as Charlie and Lola and Bob the Builder will also feature special environmentally-friendly episodes as part of the EcoBeebies campaign.
Dubbed a “green Famous Five”, The Green Balloon Club features four eco-warrior children and a dog, plus films by Bill Oddie and BBC Natural History Unit presenter Chris Howard.
The programme follows the popular junior versions of Springwatch and Autumnwatch and will begin at the end of this year’s Springwatch.
Each week, the children appear to fly around the country in a balloon, looking at wildlife and visiting schools and other children who are trying to improve the environment.
More than 300 children auditioned for the Eco-Beebies roles and have been given character names corresponding with their special areas of interest.
Lily-Rose is played by Isabella Blake-Thomas and she specialises in botany; Ant, played by Adam Wells, presents insect-related features; Cat, played by Thai Murray-Edwards, focuses on animals; and Jay, played by Jake Pratt, presents pieces about birds.
They are accompanied on their adventures by Skye the balloonist, played by Debbie Korley.
The 25-minute programme will also encourage children to do their bit for the environment through an online Green Stars rewards scheme.
Youngsters can win stars by doing simple things such as remembering to turn off taps. They can then trade their stars at local libraries for special Eco Beebies bird feeders.
BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial arm, is also releasing an album of the songs the children sing in The Green Balloon Club, and CBeebies Radio on BBC7 will also air special programmes.
The executive producer of CBeebies’ in-house production, Alison Stewart, said: “This is not just a one-off, attention-grabbing event, it’s a major commitment.
“Green Balloon Club has been commissioned for 48 episodes and there’s a real buzz about it. It means we’ll be able to grow things and watch them throughout the year, rather than just for a few weeks during Springwatch.
“Eco-Beebies is about looking after the places where they live. We’re not saying do this and save the planet but we are saying you can do one thing and you will make a difference.”
Eco-Beebies will launch on June 8, then the Green Balloon Club will launch on June 20 on the CBeebies digital channel and is likely to also run on BBC1 or BBC2.
[Courtesy of The Guardian]
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