A Sad Announcement

Next week, due to recent events, CBBC is, as I put it, 'going to school'. This means abandoning Scream Street in favour of the strangely surreal Hey You What If. When I first saw this, I was angry, then upset, then I burst into a crying fit, as I often do when I lose my friends Luke, Resus and Cleo. I wish they never aired Hey You What If and aired an awesome dinosaur cartoon instead - wait, they have Deadly Dinosaurs. What counts? As a result, I'm taking a break from CBBC until Scream Street comes back on again to spend time with my new best friend, Simon. A break from CBBC means more time to concentrate on my works and dedicate some of them to my best CBBC friends from Scream Street, and turning the TV off after seeing Simon means I'm helping the environment and saving electricity. The truth is, I love Scream Street and I love CBBC but not when it's treating the show like utter rubbish, so I'm only seeing CBBC on weekends, because they 'won't be going to school' and showing films from Scooby Doo and Tom & Jerry.

In the meantime, there are lots of articles online about how to cope without your friends and what to do if your favourite piece of media. Click the links below and take some good advice from the users of these websites. You won't regret this.

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/when-your-childs-favorite-media-goes-away

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/12-ways-to-cope-with-missing-someone

https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/longing-loved-one-learn-how-cope/

https://blog.chocchildrens.org/how-to-help-children-who-miss-their-friends-amid-covid-19/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/joinin/help-your-child-cope-with-missing-someone

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/kids-missing-friends-tips-children-stay-socially-connected-70424634

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/lets-get-real-our-kids-are-feeling-lonely-in-lockdown_uk_5e9992bdc5b62f4a2df54de3

https://amodernmother.com/my-daughters-best-friend-is-moving.html

Draw a picture of your TV friend or write them an old fashioned letter, plus read books like 'Llama Llama Misses Mama' and 'I Love You All Day Long' to remind yourself of how much you love friends like Luke, Resus, Cleo and Bluey.

Scream Street Bites - Mike's Phone Call

[The phone rings. Mike Watson answers it]

MR. WATSON: Hello?

MAY-LI: So glad you called, Mike, I haven't heard from you in years. How's things back in Ireland?

MR. WATSON: Shut up!

MAY-LI: What?

MR. WATSON: The Mike you recognised had white hair, not black hair like mine!

[Mr. Watson slams down the phone and exits the room.]

3 HOURS LATER...

[The phone rings. Mr. Watson answers it]

MR. WATSON: What is it this time?

RICKY: Is this the Smart Art Depart? I need a new supply of art equipment, as mine has run out.

MR. WATSON: GO DIAL THE RIGHT NUMBER, YOU STUPID ART WHINGER!

[Mr. Watson slams down the phone and storms out of the room]

4 HOURS LATER...

[The phone rings. In a fit of rage, Mr. Watson throws his newspaper onto the ground and answers it]

MR. WATSON: If it's another CBBC character trying to sell me something, or screaming something at me, or mistakenly calling me instead of someone else, I'll-

ICE BEAR: Ice Bear has called the wrong pizza takeaway number.

MR. WATSON: Phew.

Watch The Dumping Ground, Art Ninja, We Bare Bears and the Scream Street episode 'Wolfgang' on iPlayer:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06pmnxt/scream-street-series-1-4-wolfgang

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b03ps789/the-dumping-ground

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b0701ncx/art-ninja

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000qz54/we-bare-bears

I.B.F.Fs/Simon Story Ideas

It Must Be A Party:

I invite the I.B.F.Fs over to my house for 'the sleepover of the century', but soon all their friends come over upon hearing the news. It turns into a massive slumber party as a result!

Spikes & Spines:

Bingo, Missy and Buddy are asked to watch Book Cub's echidna cake, which she decorated for the 50th anniversary of the indigenous museum. At the same time, Dr. F finds Eefa's spellbook and recites a spell which transforms her into a real echidna. Bingo and her friends must learn the importance of asking a grown-up for help to change Dr. F back to normal.

The Treasure Of King Neptune

After hearing Sharptongue tell the folk tale of King Neptune, Cleo, Luella, Six, Lou and I set off down the beach on a tricky quest to find the mermaid treasure.

Monster Nosh:

Calypso's school hosts the annual Halloween party, and everyone dresses up in their fantastically spooky Halloween costumes. The monster residents of the neighbourhood must go as themselves, but that doesn't stop Luke, Resus, Cleo, Luella, Six and me from playing shadow puppets in a dark corner of the school.

Sharing Cocktails With Your BF Be Like...

My Email From Factory!

Jo sent me another email - shamefully she cannot tell about Scream Street anymore, but what she did tell me is that the new lockdown will not stop me from being creative! There will be more Scream Street episodes later this year, she added. Phew! This is the motivational response I wrote back to her:

Videos That Show My Feelings About Scream Street Not On Next Monday & Wednesday

How Could You Do This, CBBC?! How?! HOW?!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/55552432?collection=cbbc-top-picks-today

But....

Simon has rescued me, as Super Rabbit! From now on, on days Scream Street doesn't air, I'll watch DVDs, Tiny Pop, iPlayer and Youtube instead. Thank you, Simon, you're the best!

Garden BBQ

I've thought up another alternate name for the Bluey episode 'Hammerbarn' - 'Garden BBQ'. Just goes to show that various things, like Bluey episodes, can have lots of names - like Bingo, she calls herself names and adopts alter-egos during the games she plays with her friends and family.

I've also thought up an I.B.F.Fs story with the name 'Garden BBQ' based on Hammerbarn itself - the episode, not the place. However, it does involve pizza and sausage sizzles like in the Australian place 'Bunnings'. It's sort of like a sequel to BBQ, except it has Bandit inviting the neighbourhood over to a garden BBQ, and as we wait for lunch the I.B.F.Fs and I play a game of 'Crocodile Hop', attempting to avoid the vicious Lucky Ali-Gator and save the Croco Captives. Soon the game turns into a backyard jungle adventure, but we 'get back home in time for lunch'. At one point, Bandit talks about the events of Hammerbarn.

Lonesome

Every time I listen to Lonesome by Kina Grannis, various heartwarming images of Luke, Resus, Cleo, Oscar, Hedgehog, Arthur, Tracy Beaker, Vlad and Zoltan enter my head, but the images that the song makes me think about most are the Bluey episodes 'Camping' and 'Grandad'. Mainly 'Grandad', because this song makes me think about Bluey's mum's childhood, a time where you learn from the wisest person there is - your parents. You learn through life lessons, play, new experiences and trying new things, and that's exactly what a friend like Bluey has - a loving mother, all because of the life lessons and teachings from the lord her mother was taught in the past, passed down to a new generation.

Scream Street Bites - Sometimes

LUELLA: Blood of a frog, sperm of a pregnant newt...

MILDRED: Hey, Luella! What are you mixing up this time?

LUELLA: A spell to stop trainee witches from entering puberty.

MILDRED: Wait a minute...how do witches like you enter puberty?

LUELLA: Well, what you did know is that when a person hits puberty their body undergoes changes, but what I'm really talking about is how a trainee witch acts when she's on her period.

MILDRED: Uh oh, I guess we're going to have that whole talk about...

LUELLA: Yes, it's true, when I have my period the blood that comes out of my (bleeping noise) actually sends me into a rage. You have a craving for junk food, you talk sh(bleeping noise) to your friends and worst of all, you have...(gulps) mood swings.

MILDRED: Mood swings?

LUELLA: One minute you're happy, then next moment you're developing a fit of rage, and finally you're crying into your pillow. Don't you see? And when witches develop mood swings they use magic powers against everyone. This one time, Aunt Eefa was 15 and she had her period and she turned a student at her school into a gecko and then she got detention for a week.

MILDRED: Oh my god! Well, when witches at my school enter puberty, they do as normal British girls would do. A great British grow-up blood leak!

[Mildred can't take it anymore, she's physically sick and races to the bathroom. Eefa enters just as the sound of vomiting is heard from the bathroom, then Luella re-enters, vomit all round her mouth]

EEFA: Oh my god, Luella, you look terrible!

MILDRED: Luella and I were talking about witch puberty, Mrs. Everwell.

LUELLA: Get me some medicine, Aunt Eefa, please!

EEFA: Well, you've no need to worry. I have medicine made out of rose petals, cherub spittle, chocolate and white chocolate.

LUELLA: Watch me take it, Mildred, watch me.

MILDRED: Now I have the urge to be sick!

[Mildred races to the bathroom to vomit]

EEFA: Witch vibes.

Watch Lovestruck on iPlayer:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06nzrmn/scream-street-series-1-3-lovestruck

Previously On CBBC...

JJ: Previously on CBBC...

LUKE: Scream Street returned to satisfy us all,

And Summer Camp Island, a new show,

Will be bound to win CN lover's hearts over

ARTHUR/D.W: Our friend Tracy Beaker aired for once, UNCUT!

But we're only allowed to see her on weekday nights.

PENFOLD: CBBC is not intended for children and contains mature themes and violence.

I.B.F.Fs/Simon Story Ideas

A Trip Into Town:

I go into town and spend my pocket money on a great big bag of raspberry creams, then go to the park to share them with the I.B.F.Fs, but we don't know how to share them equally!

The Big Red Ride:

The Heelers offer to take me to school when my mum falls ill. As I sit in the back with Bluey and Bingo, I talk with them about what they plan to do at school and Kindy today, which sets me thinking about what I should do at school with my own friends today.

Lullaby For Simon:

Simon the Star Trickster annoys Bingo and Floppy by playing a variety of tricks on them. Fed up, Bingo and Floppy seek help of the maker of the stars Ursa Major and his son Ursa Minor to help compose a lullaby to get the Star Trickster to sleep.

Butterflies & Unicorns:

Playing with Simon, Gaspard, Lou, Bluey, Bingo, Chloe, Coco, Muffin, Socks and Luke in the backyard, I challenge them to a game of truth or dare. I hilariously dare them to give the dads a fairy-butterfly-unicorn makeover...and this results in Bandit and his friends embarrassing each other and amusing the mums!