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?