‘Parents should give themselves a break’: the guilt-free children’s TV guide Rebecca Seal
There can be few parents who haven’t, in the last 11 months, snapped the television on in desperation, so that it can do a bit of childcare, or bring a temporary halt to the endless requests for food. In the first lockdown, with no formal home-learning to do, my children watched hours of telly, sometimes on iPads, while their father and I attempted to work. And when we weren’t worrying about the pandemic, or money, or everything, we worried about whether it was melting their brains.
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This approach has made Liz very successful indeed. Over the past decade, she has sold more than five million copies of her novels, each of which is designed to look like a child’s dog-eared exercise book. This year is the 10th anniversary of Tom Gates and will see the publication of Ten Tremendous Tales, the 18th book in the series.
What’s more, a new TV show, The Brilliant World of Tom Gates, has just launched on Sky. It’s a mix of animation and live action, with additional songs, games and crafts. It features the voice of actress Catherine Tate, and segments where Liz gives tips on how to draw the characters at home.
Catherine Tate is joining the “madhouse” in her new TV role.
The ex-Doctor Who actress, 52, will voice a long-suffering mother in an adaptation of the hit Tom Gates books.
Liz Pichon’s books, known for their doodles, illustrations and handwritten font, have sold more than 11 million copies around the globe and are being made for the screen for the first time.
The series, documenting “in hilarious detail” young protagonists Tom’s “everyday trials and tribulations at home and school”, will air on Sky Kids in January.
Rita is voiced by Catherine Tate (Sky Kids)
Tate will be “the voice of Tom’s, relatively sane mother” Rita, while Line Of Duty actor Mark Bonnar has signed up as “strict, beady-eyed teacher” Mr Fullerman.