Review for Hey Duggee: The Stick Badge and Other Exciting Stories!

Hey Duggee is one of the most fantastic shows to have come from the Cbeebies channel in a long while. Having children myself I have had to sit through the many cheery shows of Justin Fletcher, the insane awesomeness of Peter Rabbit and the sleepytime nature of In The Night Garden. However, of all the shows my small children force me to sit through, the one I look forward to most is Hey Duggee. It is not surprising that the show has won a BAFTA and Emmy for the show as it clearly is one of the best.

Duggee is a dog who teaches an after school club called The Squirrels. They are Roly a Hippo, Tag a Rhino, Happy a Crocodile, Betty an Octopus and Norrie a Mouse.

Each episode is themed in regards to what 'Badge' The Squirrels are trying to get. They range from The Memory Badge where they are all trying to help Happy remember where he lost his tooth to the The Space Badge where Duggee teaches them about the Solar System. Each episode usually centres on The Squirrels learning something and it is a very clever way to teach children without it being overcomplicated or boring.

Hey Duggee features ten episodes all around five to ten minutes each. This makes it perfect for a quick treat before or after school or nursery. Also included is a rather bizarre Sing-A-Long Stick Song extra. It is surprising that the student community have not made this a dance or chart hit as it is incredibly catchy and could easily be something that would be played in a club.

What I love about this show as a parent is that the show is fun to watch for the whole family. Having Alexander Armstrong who most will know from Pointless, but the children will also know as the new voice of Dangermouse and his narration is just perfect and I must admit that I find myself saying 'Well that was fun wasn't it?' whenever we do anything at home.

At times the crazy animation reminds me of old cartoons like Animaniacs or even the Monty Python animation of Terry Gilliam. The frantic, comedic nature of it all coupled with the harmless nature of the show makes it such a joy to watch.

Hey Duggee is a show that all children of all ages (and most adults) will enjoy. I find every episode a joy and despite the fact that I know this will be played on a loop in my house all day, this is not a bad thing at all. Go out and buy it and you can get your 'Buying a Perfect DVD' badge. A-Woof!