Playdays (Playbus)

1 9 8 8 – 1 9 9 7 (UK)
145 x 25 minute episodes

This pre-school children’s series was originally broadcast as Playbus but the name had to be changed in December 1989 after the BBC received a complaint from the National Playbus Association.

The concept remained unchanged, though, with a playbus visiting a different bus stop for each day of the week including the Why Bird Stop (Mondays), the Playground Stop (Tuesdays), the Dot Stop – which later became the Roundabout Stop (Wednesdays), the Patch Stop (Thursdays) and the Tent Stop – which became the Poppy Stop (Fridays).

Regular characters included Poppy the Cat, Peggy Patch (a rag doll) and the Why Bird (who lived at the Lost Property Office, where things that were left on the Playbus were filed).

Human presenters included Dave Benson Philips, Elizabeth Fost, Ricky Diamond, Chris Jarvis, Vanessa Amberleigh, Trish Cooke, Robert Hopkins, Will Brenton, Sue Monroe, Sarah Davison, Teresa Gallagher, Neil Bett, Peter Quilter and Zoë Ball.

The various bus drivers included Simon Davies, Royce Hounsell, Nick Mercer and Brian Jameson.

The series was created by Cynthia Felgate who had been an executive producer of Play School.

Why Bird (voice)
Fiona Beynor Brown (1)
Ellie Darvill (2)
Poppy (voice)
Sue Monroe
Peggy Patch (voice)
Sally Preisig
Mr Jolly
Robin Fritz (1)
Clive Duncan (2)
Andy Hockley (3)
Bitsy Bob
Michele Durler
Morris Cog/Charlie Grindle
Nick Mercer
Milly Sprocket
Michele Durler