Blue Peter, you've included some epic moments throughout 2020, but the one that struck me through October 2020 was on the best week of my life, when Scream Street made its return to screens and introduced new character Six. This was from the time Wolfgang made his triumphant return to screens, and Blue Peter did all these features for Halloween, including a behind the scenes look at The Witches, a bat craft from a Horrible Histories star and, the best part, Adam's behind the scenes tour of Scream Street, which is my favourite bit of 2020 on Blue Peter. I never knew Blue Peter would be focusing on Scream Street until last October. For those who missed it, see how those epically spooky adventures even geared to adults were made, with the assistance of Adam. BUT! There are a few questions that need to be asked:
Is Luke going on an adventure with Doug and smoking two joints?
Is Mrs. Watson climbing a tree?
Is Doug hanging out with a goblin whilst suffering from a broken arm and getting the munchies from smoking too much zombie marijuana?
Find out - if you can - if Scream Street airs new episodes on the 22nd of March next year!
Mimi & The Mountain Dragon is like a segment of Disney's Fantasia meets Christmas specials like The Snowman - properly animated and done by one of my favourite animation studios, Factory, the studio behind my favourite shows Strange Hill High and Scream Street, this is one tenderly told tale of family and using music to tame a fierce heart that should only be told to children and families young and old on Christmas, including reckless adults like me. If Disney did a live-action version of Mimi & The Mountain Dragon, I'd be all in on seeing it. Unlike the original book, which contains speaking, the special is told through music and singing, teaching us about the love of a family and how the power of music can tame a fierce, bad-tempered heart like the Mountain Dragon's. My favourite part is when Mimi hums, as it is so haunting to one, and near to the end, when Mimi starts singing and a whole chorus joins her - it just brings magical images to your head, including images of friends you love so dearly, including ones like ones from shows like Scream Street, Bluey, Dog Loves Books and Love Monster. Just as with Disney's Fantasia, the wordless images of Mimi, the Mountain Dragon, the baby dragon, the villagers, the village and the snow-covered surroundings make you want to see the music as a tale of friendship and loyalty, one which gives you the courage to think that your family is the group of people who care for you most in your life. I was struck on the heart when I first heard Mimi sing. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a dear friend like Mimi and her baby dragon friend. 'Til next year, Mimi...
GRIZZ: Right, let's see: salad, sausages, burgers, cooked sweetcorn...all present and accounted for. You actually did a good job on the food, Ice Bear.
ICE: Ice Bear is best chef.
PANDA: I think he says he wants us to tuck in.
GRIZZ: Oh yeah. Well, it is BBQ time after all.
GRIZZ: Hmmm, boy, these burgers are good.
PANDA: I sure love those sausages.
GRIZZ: I prefer the sweetcorn when it's popped like popcorn.
PANDA: What? You prefer popcorn instead of sweetcorn with butter?
GRIZZ: Maybe.
PANDA: Well, CBBC's airing the Burrito thing as we spea-
GRIZZ: No no no, not the time that burrito gave one of us smelly breath!
SQUEAKY-SQUEAK-SQUEAK!
GRIZZ: Did you guys hear that?
PANDA: No.
GRIZZ: It sounded like some sort of squeak.
[A squirrel scurries down from a nearby tree and proceeds to eat the sweetcorn. A hedgehog joins him, eating the sausages.]
PANDA: Talk about a hedgehog loving chilli dogs.
[A fox comes by an eats the burgers. He snatches Grizz's burger.]
GRIZZ: Hey, that's mine!
PANDA: Let them have what they eat.
GRIZZ: [angrily] That's it - I am not standing to have another barbeque anymore! Every time we do, animals surround us!
ICE: Ice Bear is a friend to animals.
GRIZZ: Inside, everyone!
5 MINUTES LATER...
[The bears are staring at one of Tasty's BBQ videos, nodding their heads in time to the music.]
Come back to this blog post later during Summer for lots of tasty and healthy BBQ recipes for you and your family:
By now, you're probably having trouble getting kids who are excited for Christmas to sleep. Forget The Night Before Christmas, it's time for something completely different: Hush Little Polar Bear. As you listen to the story, imagine you're snuggling next to a Mama polar bear for comfort like Luke, Resus, Cleo and me, while two polar bear cubs nestle by your toes like two perfect white little hot water bottles.
PANDA: So...should we go in there to spend all our Christmas money?
GRIZZ: Who cares, let's go and explore all the cool toys anyway.
IN THE TOY SHOP....
[Grizz finds an orange space hopper and begins bouncing it like a basketball. Panda finds a remote control airplane and begins to fly it around the shop, attracting the attention of the shopgoers. Ice Bear just stares at a lullaby machine, turns it on and the music is activated.]
GRIZZ: Hey....HEY! Ice Bear!
ICE BEAR: Huh?
GRIZZ: We got our gifts!
ICE BEAR: Ice Bear is in a trance.
GRIZZ: Good!
PANDA: Let's get going, we don't want Chloe to get disappointed.
GRIZZ: Does she even have a baby brother?
PANDA: Her old lullaby machine is broken, so Ice Bear made the right decision.
Every day is like a tea party when you eat at the Care Bears pop-up cafe! First We Bare Bears, then Sesame Street, then My Little Pony and now this. Japan is such a fun country, filled with endless possibilities - and Precious Moments joined in on the fun too!
Meet Otah, a cute and lovable otter who resides only in Gardens By The Bay in Singapore. He loves to play and make wishes by the lemon tree, and, with his Grandma's help, makes the best ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookies and lemonade! He loves setting up a lemonade stand to save money for presents for his family, and he's a very kind and inquisitive otter. Otah's world is a magical one, and Singaporeans love to have fun in his house and his favourite place by the Wishing Lemon Tree. Find out more here:
I've recently found evidence of a Sesame Street pop-up cafe, which means you can eat your way through ABC's and 123's...and maybe share a cookie with Cookie Monster. Tiny Pop's furry monster superstars having their own cafe in Japan means young children will definitely eat out and learn at the same time. Remember the We Bare Bears pop-up cafe I mentioned in an earlier post? It's like that, except for younger children. Check out more from Little Day Out:
[Luke, Resus, Cleo, Luella and Six and I are sitting around the fireplace eating chocolate bars and drinking hot cocoa.]
LUELLA: Thanks for the hot cocoa and the chocolate bar, Sybil.
ME: That's okay, I'll always warm your Winter. I'm glad we invited Shaun and Bitzer along for the ride too, ISN'T IT, GUYS?!
SHAUN: Baa!
BITZER: Ro-ro-ro-ro-ro-ro!
LUKE: Sybil, I....it's just that...
ME: So, do you defeat the Grumpus every year?
CLEO: Not exactly. With you, we can celebrate Christmas in your creative ways. We can see Hetty Feather with her Broadway style dance moves, or Hank Zipzer doing a Christmas Romeo & Juliet, or..er...erm...
SIX: Carol Singing & Her Friends?
[Everyone laughs]
ME: Good one, Six. Wait, you stole it from Almost Never, didn't you?
SIX: I watched it.
ME: It's repeated a. Lot.
[Luke sighs, and walks out of the house into the snowy garden outside.]
RESUS: At least you don't see Almost Never on iPlayer. You've got lots of things to do every Christmas, watch The Grumpus and Jody In Wonderland, check out your presents, read Horrid Henry's Christmas Cracker....
ME: Boy, such a lot. Luke? Luke?!
[Luke sits outside, shivering. Through the night, he gets covered in snow...and then collapses]
[The next morning, I sit on my bed, crying. Resus and the others attempt to comfort me.]
CLEO: I feel the same way as you do, Luke will be sure to come back in.
ME: I can't be complete without Luke. I...I love him, and nothing should ever come between us, not ever!
BITZER: Ro-ro-ro-ro!
ME: What is it, Bitzer?
BITZER: Ro-ro-ro-ro-ro!
ME: Come on everyone, out into the garden!
OUTSIDE....
ME: [gasps] LUKE! [crying] Oh my god...I'm so sorry, I've left you out of our conversation. You never said what you meant to say to me...I love you.
[My tears begin to melt away the ice and snow surrounding Luke]
LUELLA: Sybil, look!
ME: What is it!
LUELLA: Your tears, they're melting away the snow around Luke!
ME: Luke!
[The snow melts away around Luke, and he stirs. Both of us embrace joyfully]
ME: LUKE!
LUKE: Sybil!
RESUS/CLEO/LUELLA/SIX: Hooray!
DIG: Wuff-wuff!
LULU: Rrraaarrr!!
SHAUN: Baaa!
BITZER: Awwooooooo!!!
[Luke and I kiss]
RESUS: Hey! You forgot the mistletoe!
LUELLA: Never mind, my dark angel, we kiss under the mistletoe near the end of The Grumpus.
RESUS: Well! As if I thought I knew.
INSIDE...
LUKE: I'm so glad you treated me to hot chocolate, Sybil, my throat was turning into an ice rink outside.
ME: All the best to heal my one true love.
LUELLA: And if it weren't for her tears, she'd leave Luke out to die now.
LUKE: Oh! I seem to have a whipped cream moustache!
ME: Me too, Luke. Hey, how's about we share a hot chocolate-flavoured kiss?
LUKE: Come here, you little...!
[Both of us drink our cocoa and kiss.]
RESUS: Ooh...saucy....
Merry Christmas!
Watch Scream Street's The Grumpus and Shaun The Sheep's Fireside Favourite on iPlayer:
I love those little pop-up cafes they put up in Japan. They're so colourful and fun and bright and make an eating experience twice the fun. Examples include My Little Pony, Mr. Men, Care Bears and this - We Bare Bears. It feels like you're eating with the bears, Chloe and Nom-Nom in Milkshake Heaven. Almost everything in this cafe has the bears on it, including the food! No wonder CBBC's recent stars were popular enough to get their own cafe. Eating with the bears is more fun than ordering from their food truck!
