CBBC Classic Shows Tier List.

CBBC CLASSIC SHOWS TIER LIST

You may have recently read an article about the outrage caused by a recent tier list that CBBC posted on its Twitter. Now, we already know that most opinions shared on Twitter tend to be wrong but this one really did take the biscuit (great saying btw). The first thing I noticed was that they had put Newsround in the bottom tier and ChuckleVision in the mid-tier. What?!?! Anyway, here is my attempt at creating my own CBBC shows tier list. Keep in mind 3 things: 1) this is just my opinion. 2) I've had to leave off shows I don't remember (wtf is Ooglies?). 3) I've only included shows that CBBC included on their tier list so there are quite a few classics missing i.e. Arthur. 

Hmmm tier:

Basil Brush - Even as a kid, it just wasn't funny. 

UBOS - Really bad attempt at cashing in on the Harry Potter craze back in the day. 

BAMZOOKI - Children design their own robot things to complete challenges. Good idea but was poorly executed and a bit dull.

The Slammer - Talent show type format like BGT for kids. Was alright I guess.

Mid Tier:

Dennis the Menace - Was never quite as good as it should have been. Didn't live up to the comics. 

Mona the Vampire - Amazing theme tune but a fairly average cartoon. 

Raven - Did well to have a bit of a different vibe to other children's game shows but wasn't quite as exciting as some.

Top tier:

50/50 - Always seemed like the kids were genuinely having fun on this show. "Flynn, what did they win?". 

Get Your Own Back - A great format for a game show and Dave Benson Phillips was probably one of my favourite hosts from that generation. 

Smart - Really nice, genuinely chilled vibe for a children's show. Never seemed patronising and I would have had a go but I never had any bloody pipe cleaners. 

Deadly 60 - Very informative and another show that was massively helped by having a great host in Steve Backshall. 

Tracey Beaker - I've always really respected Jacqueline Wilson as a children's author and Tracey Beaker is no exception. It also had a really diverse cast including being one of the few shows I had seen that included children with disabilities. 

Dick & Dom in da Bungalow - Who can forget classics such as bogies, don't drop the sausage and baby racing?

Legend tier:

ChuckleVision - The Chuckle brothers took a show that appeared to have a tiny budget and practically the same story-line every week and they still made it entertaining! They always seemed to be genuinely likable and the nation (including me) mourned when Barry Chuckle died last year. Also, if you haven't seen their collaboration with Tinchy Stryder then you need to watch it now. 

Horrible Histories - This is one of the few children's TV shows that I still find genuinely funny and interesting. As a teacher, I have used clips from the show many times in my lessons. They really make the children laugh and present information in a way that they don't forget.  

Newsround - A really consistent show that has barely changed it's format since I was a child and it doesn't need to. 

Which shows do you think I put in the wrong place on the list and which classics did they miss that you wish they had included on their list?

My Top Graphic Novels.

My Top 5 Graphic Novels

In the literary world I think graphic novels can still be a bit looked down upon although I do think more and more people are realising that graphic novels may have more scope than they initially thought. One of the main reasons that I like reading them is simply because it makes an interesting change from reading more traditional novels. They are easier to read which, after reading some 500+ page tome, can be a welcome break. I'm fairly new to the world of graphic novels but here is my top 5 list of the ones I have read so far (and only 2 of them are about superheroes). 

#5 - Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Frank Miller. 

TDKR is a version of Batman that you don't really see in the films. He is older and a bit more vulnerable which makes him a more complex and interesting character in this story. It is considered by many to be one of the most important graphic novels of all time for good reason. 

#4 - The Best We Could Do - Thi Bui. 

This story has so many themes that it is difficult to summarise. It is a memoir and one of the main themes is immigration, largely based on the experiences of the authors parents who were from Vietnam. It's incredibly personal and moving and should probably be compulsory reading for anyone who claims to hate immigrants. 

#3 - Watchmen - Alan Moore.

Possibly the most famous graphic novel on this list and the first one that I personally ever read. Alan Moore famously lives in Northampton, where I went to university, and is a bit of a local hero. I saw him once in Waterstones and he had the exact look and presence you would expect of someone who wrote Watchmen. Anyway, I've said nothing about Watchmen but read it anyway, it's amazing. 

#2 - Maus - Art Spiegelman.

One of the many words that you could use to describe Maus would be epic. The story encompasses so much action, emotion, history etc that you feel like (wait for the cliche) you've been on a real journey by the time you've finished it. There are so many stories out there about the holocaust, as there should be, but this is definitely one of the more unique and memorable ones that I have read. 

#1 - My Friend Dahmer - John "Derf" Backderf. 

I loved reading this book from start to finish. It was just so...weird. It reminded me a bit of the work of Robert Crumb in that it was able to combine the surreal and the ordinary into an incredible work of art. It is about the authors experiences of going to the same school as Jeffrey Dahmer, giving us a completely unique account of this infamous serial killer. 

I still haven't read that many graphic novels and would be interested to hear your recommendations.