This is a very old article. It has been imported from older blogging software, and the formatting, images, etc may have been lost. Some links may be broken. Some of the information may no longer be correct. Opinions expressed in this article may no longer be held.
I am a big fan of Woolly & Tig. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a five minute show that works on a very simple formula:
- The narrator (a slightly older Tig, looking back to when she was younger) explains “when I was very little…” and introduces something interesting she did.
- Young Tig gets angry, anxious or afraid about the new experience.
- Her toy spider – Woolly – comes to life and talks her through the experience.
- She’s not angry/anxious/afraid any more.
- An adult – usually somebody associated with whatever Tig was scared of – catches sight of Woolly out of the corner of their eye and is startled. Tig says “it’s only a toy spider”.
- The narrator sums up how much she likes the new experience and ends with “I looooove Woolly”.
Oh, and everybody is Scottish. (Except Woolly for some reason.)
What do I like about it? There’s nothing I do not like about it. But some things I especially like are:
- The main actors are genuinely related. Tig is played by Betsy McCredie; her dad is played by her real dad Colin McCredie (who is also in Taggart); her mum is played by her real aunt; the narrator is her older sister Maisie.
- Tig is very sweet.
- It does actually seem to have helped my three year old daughter over a few of her anxieties.
- Everybody is Scottish.
Anyway, they’ve made and screened 30 episodes, and we’re now into repeats. I do very much hope that the BBC decides to commission a second series. Some things my daughter is anxious about that could be made into episodes:
- having her hair brushed
- roads that don’t have pavements
- little brothers who insist on playing with your toys
- parades
- fireworks
- caterpillars that look like they might jump onto your scooter
Perhaps that last one is a little too specific?
