In The Night Playground

In the Night Playground... is a British animated preschool children's television series, aimed at children aged from one to six years old.[2] It is produced by Ragdoll Productions. It was produced by Anne Wood, the team that also created Teletubbies. The programme is narrated by Derek Jacobi. It is filmed mostly in animation and features a mix of actors in computer animation. The characters include Swablu, Spearow, Chewoo, the Three Patrats, the Unowns / the Burmys, The Pachirisus the Nicky Nonk and the Picky Ponk

The series was announced in 2006, and twenty episodes were first broadcast in 20 March 2007. Two series were made, with 100 episodes in all.

Overview
The programme features a large cast of colourful characters with names who live in a magical forest scattered with large tulips and brightly coloured flowers. The characters mostly speak short, phrases and each has their own special song and dance. The playground is a sunny, colourful night and the music is jaunty and music box-like. Producer Anne Wood said

Each episode starts with a different baby in bed, while the narrator introduces the episode. The scene cuts to Swablu in his nest, flying to the Night Playground. Then the camera pans up to the sky and zooms in, followed by tulips. After the title appears under a bush, either the Nicky Nonk or the Picky Ponk appears. The episodes end with one character receiving a bedtime story, which is generated by the magical Carousel that sits at the centre of the Night Playground. This story is a summary of the plot of the episode. Sometimes the characters all dance together under the Carousel

Swablu does not go to sleep, and his goodbye sequence ("Swablu's not in bed!" ... "Tweet!" ... "Don't worry, Swablu! It's time to go") rounds off the programme. The Night Playground turns into the night sky and Swablu is seen asleep in his nest as the end credits roll

Places
The Swings is a toy where only Swablu goes, for a swing in the Night Playground. It leads to the Carousel at the beginning and end of an episode.[11] It was first featured in the episode "Chewoo Cleans Faces

The Tulip Patch is where Spearow lives. It is a field full of tulips. Spearow is usually the only character that can be seen in the patch.[12] It was first featured in the episode "The Unowns in Spearow's Nest

Chewoo's Hammock is where he lives The hammock, along with the Swings was first featured in the episode "Chewoo Cleans Faces

The Patrat Bush is where the Three Patrats live. It is the largest house in the playground with so many activities to do such as playing music, playing with blocks and brushing teeth (like the Picky Ponk and the Nicky Nonk it is bigger on the inside). It was first featured on the outside in "Chewoo Cleans Faces" and on the inside in the episode "Too Loud Three Patrats! Peace and Quiet!

The Unowns/Burmys' House is a small house at the foot of a tree where the Unowns and Burmys live. It, along with the Swings and Chewoo's Hammock was first featured in the episode "Chewoo Cleans Faces

The Tune Bridge is a musical bridge near Chewoo's Hammock. Whenever someone walks on the bridge, it plays a musical tune. It, and the Swings, Chewoo's Hammock and the Unowns/Burmys' House, were first featured in the episode "Chewoo Cleans Faces

The Carousel is where the characters meet to dance at the end of some episodes.[13] It has a picture of all the characters including the Ball, Spearow, The Unowns And Burmys, The Picky Ponk, The Pachirisus, Spearow's Megaphone (but except the Color Birds, Mr Unown's Moustache, one of the Troublephones, The Little Round Bush, Swablu's Nest, some Tulips and Spearows Nest), the Color Birds' Tree (alternative only), a Tulip(alternative only), the Bridge, the Patrat Bush, the Patrat Instruments, the Patrat Bricks and, of course, the Carousel, itself. It has three pictures of Chewoo, one with him blowing his trumpet(alternative only), and one with him holding his soap, it has two pictures of Patrat 3, one with her and the other Patrats, the other of her alone, it has two pictures of the Nicky Nonk, one with its doors shut, the other with its doors open (alternative only), and it has two pictures of Swablu, one of him flying, the other of him waving (alternative only),the carousel has an alternate version of itself. The first dance was featured in the episode "The Three Patrats' Acorn Game" and it first gave a clue in "Swablu's Blanket in Chewoos Hammock". In episodes 60, 87, and 99. The alternative dance plays after spearow does her little dance., it, along with the Patrat Bush, the Swings, the bridge and the hammock, was first featured in the episode "Chewoo Cleans Faces

The Color Birds Tree is where the Color Birds sing in a certain section and together and at the end, it was first featured in the episode "Swablu's Blanket in Chewoos Hammock

The Little Round Bush is a miniature version of the Patrat Bush, it has no windows or doors, the patrats like chasing each other around it, it is the patrats favourite place, it was first featured in the episode "Chewoo's Trumpet makes a funny noise"