On November 14, Netflix released its rebooted version of the iconic 90s children’s showTeletubbies. With all its babytalk, slapstick comedy, and colorful visuals, viewers would be forgiven if they thought the show wasn’t that deep. But with a global fanbase stretching back to its original release in 1997, there is a lot more toTeletubbiesthan meets the eye.
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The show centers around four multicolored protagonists known as theTeletubbies:the purple Tinky Winky, the green Dipsy, the yellow Laa-Laa, and the red Po. In addition to their iconic colors, each character has a differently shaped antenna on their head through which they receive different video messages each episode.
10Inspired By Astronauts
Though many viewers ofTeletubbiesover the years have suggested they look a lot like aliens, the iconic quartet is actually inspired byNASA astronauts. Co-creator of the show Andrew Davenportexplained to the BBCthat there was an absurd kind of irony in the advanced technology it took to allow humans to walk on the moon when compared with they way they toddled around on it like children. He and Anne Wood,Teletubbiesother co-creator, adapted this idea of toddling spacemen to create the original series. Set in a magical place calledTeletubbyland,the show’s creators also say that this is canonically where television comes from.
9They’re Actually Giants
Fans might not realize that, despite their babyish appearance and mannerisms, the Teletubbies are far from babyish in size. It can be hard toget an idea of characters’ heightsfrom vision alone, but the multicolored quartet are undoubtedly gigantic. This fact hasunnerved many fans.
Tinky Winky is by far the tallest Teletubby, measuring in at a terrifying 10 feet tall. The smallest of the Teletubbies, though still not small by any reasonable standard, is Po at 6 feet 6 inches. The other two, Dipsy and Laa-Laa, measure up somewhere in between.
8Age Uncertainty
The toddling gait of the Teletubbies as well as their babytalk way of speaking all suggest that this leading group are the same age as their intended pre-kinder audience. But the show itself doesn’t really explain the characters’ ages. Most media outletsrefer to the quartet as babies, as do the creators.
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But with the addition of the Tiddlytubbies in the series revival of the 2010s, its unclear whether the original Teletubbies are meant to be adults. The Tiddlytubbies are 8 animated infant versions of their older counterparts and live in a special nursery area within of the Tubbytronic Superdome.
7Tinky Winky Is Not Gay
One of the elements of the show that has gottenTeletubbiesinto hot water over the years is the speculation around Tinky Winky’s sexuality. During the show’s initial release, especially in the US, parents watchingTeletubbieswere shocked to see the canonically male Tinky Winky carrying a red handbag.
Combined with his purple coloration, which has historically been used to identify queer communities, and the triangle antenna on his head, many viewers concluded that Tinky Winky was a gay man. This caused a strong wave of backlash against the show by homophobic commentators who felt Tinky Winky waspromoting LQBTQIA+lifestyles.Teletubbiescreators eventually made anofficial statementthat said: “Tinky Winky is simply a sweet, technological baby with a magic bag”.
6Dipsy Is Black
Subtle differences in the faces of the Teletubbies can be seen by viewers with a discerning eye. But, especially in the case of Dipsy, these complexion choices were purposeful. The original actor behind the Dipsy costume was John Simmit, a black British comedian and occasional DJ.
The show’s creators wanted to reflect this in their costuming, and thus gave Dipsy a darker complexion than the others. When the show was brought over to the US, its creators confirmed thatDipsy was indeed black. Thisdiversity of casthas been further developed in the recent Netflix reboot, with several different sun babies appearing in the show.
5Laa-Laa Is A Dancer
In the same vein as Dipsy,Teletubbiescreators took inspiration from the actress playing Laa-Laa for the character’s personality. Before being cast as Laa-Laa in the original 1997 series, Nikky Smedley was afreelance dancer.
Maneuvering the Teletubby suits required a lot of strength and effort, so it was quite remarkable that Laa-Laa remained such an expressive character. In the original series, the revival, and the recent Netflix reboot, Laa-Laa can be seen dancing through the meadow, singing to herself, and even doing ballet in a tutu.
4Po Speaks Cantonese
Another example of actors influencing the way in whichTeletubbiescharacters are portrayed comes in the form of Po’s voice. A British-Chinese actress by the name of Pui Fan Lee was originally cast as the shy and tomboyish Po. The creators included elements of Lee’s Chinese heritage in their design of the character through the complexion of Po’s face and her mannerisms.
In aninterview with BBC Radio 4, Lee also confirmed that a few of Po’s memorable phrases and vocalizations are actually Cantonese words. These phrases include “fi-dit, fi-dit” which means “faster, faster” when Po uses her scooter, and “yat, yee, san" when she counts. Though it may not be obvious, Po’s characterization is designed to be a subtlerepresentation of Asian culture.
3Big Hug Agenda
One of the central messages ofTeletubbiesis that a big hug should be a daily event and that loving each other is important. This message is something that has been central to the show since its creation.Teletubbiesco-creator Anne Wood cited watching an episode ofPower Rangersas another key inspiration, due to the show’s violent fight scenes and villains.
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Created as an antidote to this violence in children’s TV,Teletubbiesis well known for the gentleness of its characters and its happy, upbeat vibe. Aside from the occasional fall for slapstick value, the worst thing that happens inTeletubbiesis when the famous pink goop known as Tubby Custard spills everywhere. But by each episode end the Teletubbies and their home are always clean again.
2Noo-Noo Has Changed
The Teletubbies wouldn’t be complete without their good friend Noo-Noo, the robotic vacuum who helps them keep the Tubbytronic Superdome clean. In the original series, the Noo-Noo is a dark blue with a big red light on his backside. In this early iteration of the series, Noo-Noo is incredibly naughty and often tidies up things he shouldn’t like Laa-Laa’s ball or Dipsy’s hat.
In many episodes he gets lovingly told off or chased by all the Teletubbies. In both the 2010s revival and the 2022reboot of the classic 90sseries, however, the Noo-Noo has changed significantly. Instead of his usual blue, the new Noo-Noo is orange, pink, and yellow. He is also a lot less naughty than he was in the original, and can also be seen going outside for the first time ever.
1There’s Always Been Cult Following
The now 25-year-old series might be a nostalgic memory for many millennials and gen z, but even at the time of its original releaseTeletubbieshad a large adult following.Known as ‘Teleclubbers’, many college students and young adults in the late 90s would turn to the show after returning home from a night of partying.
This large adult following also spawned a wide array ofbizarreTeletubbiesconspiracy theories. Thoughconspiracy theories about children’s showsaren’t exactly new, it is strange to see a show created out of happiness and love be turned into something a lot darker.
