Caraidean
Caraidean is a Channel 4 Schools series from the 1990s, covering Scottish Gaelic language for primary school pupils.
A language-immersion series in Scottish Gaelic for the first years of school, using various techniques to mix basic vocabulary such as greetings, colours and numbers, into a comic storyline about young people making a children's TV programme.
The programme-within-the-programme is also called Caraidean, Gaelic for "Friends". It is presented by Alasdair, who has trouble selecting which colour bow tie to wear each week, with Anna the reporter who delivers an "out and about" segment asking questions of children in the street.
They are assisted by Ruairidh the camera person, who operates the talking (cardboard cut-out) camera, Ciorstaidh Camara. The producer Eilidh prepares the programmes and is seen writing out the title to each episode, word by word, as part of the 'script'. Eilidh is played by the series real-life associate producer Sandra MacIver, and Eilidh's discarded bed socks also come to life as literal sock puppets for a conversation in each episode.
Alongside the Gaelic-speaking humans is Rover, a stray dog (and man-in-a-suit puppet) who meets them and who speaks to the camera in English to explain the set up. Rover frequently watches (fake) continuity announcements for the Caraidean programme on Channel 4 Schools in a shop window.
Rover tries to gain access to the Scottish Television studios in Cowcaddens, Glasgow
and the whole team is seen both outside and inside the studios.
Each episode also features a song using the key vocabulary of the week, and the songs were available to schools on audio cassette.
Before the series proper began the very first episode, Siuthad!, is a teachers' programme, presented in English by Sandra MacIver to explain the set-up and demonstrate how three different teachers had made use of pilot programmes.
Episode List
| # | # | Title | English title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 | ||||
| - | - | Siuthad! | Go ahead! | 19 Sep 1995 |
| 1. | (1) | Dè an t-ainm a th' ort? | What is your name? | 26 Sep 1995 |
| 2. | (2) | Dè an aois a tha thu? | How old are you? | 3 Oct 1995 |
| 3. | (3) | Ciamar a tha thu an-diugh? | How are you today? | 10 Oct 1995 |
| 4. | (4) | Dè tha thu a' dèanamh? | What are you doing? | 17 Oct 1995 |
| 5. | (5) | Dè tha thu ag irraidh? | What do you want? | 31 Oct 1995 |
| 6. | (6) | CĂ it a bheil thu a'fuireach? | Where do you live? | 7 Nov 1995 |
| 7. | (7) | Mi fhĂŹn agus mo theaghlach | Myself and my family | 14 Nov 1995 |
| 8. | (8) | Is toigh leam seo | I like this | 21 Nov 1995 |
| 9. | (9) | Tha i fuar an-diugh | It's cold today | 28 Nov 1995 |
| Series 2 | ||||
| 10. | (1) | Tha an t-uisge ann | It's raining | 26 Sep 1997 |
| 11. | (2) | Tha sĂšilean gorm agam | I have blue eyes | 3 Oct 1997 |
| 12. | (3) | DĂšin an doras | Shut the door | 10 Oct 1997 |
| 13. | (4) | CĂ it a bheil thu a' dol? | Where are you going? | 17 Oct 1997 |
| 14. | (5) | Dè an uair a tha e? | What's the time? | 24 Oct 1997 |
| 15. | (6) | A bheil peata agad? | Do you have a pet? | 7 Nov 1997 |
| 16. | (7) | Dè bhios tu a' dèanamh Disathairne? | What do you do on Saturday? | 14 Nov 1997 |
| 17. | (8) | Dè bha thu a' dèanamh? | What were you doing? | 21 Nov 1997 |
| 18. | (9) | Mo dhachaigh | My home | 28 Nov 1997 |
| 19. | (10) | Nollaig Chridheil | Merry Christmas | 5 Dec 1997 |
Broadcasts
| Year | Term | Day | Time | Channel | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | Autumn 1995 | Tue | 10:45 | Channel 4 | 26 Sep to 28 Nov | Series 1
|
| 1996-97 | Autumn 1996 | Tue | 10:45 | Channel 4 | 17 Sep to 26 Nov | Series 1
|
| 1997-98 | Autumn 1997 | Fri | 10:25 | Channel 4 | 26 Sep to 5 Dec | Series 2
|
| 1998-99 | Autumn 1998 | Fri | 10:25 | Channel 4 | 25 Sep to 4 Dec | Series 2 |
Credits
| Starring | Sandra MacIver as Eilidh Duncan MacNeil as Alasdair |
| Scriptwriter | Anne Lorne Gillis |
| Designer | Judith Clyde |
| Education Officer | Mollie Balfour |
| Music | Blair Douglas |
| Puppet Maker | Ultimate Animates |
| Titles | Tellygraphics |
| Production assistants | Moira Nicol, May Smart |
| Associate producer | Sandra MacIver |
| Executive producer | Rhoda MacDonald |
| Director | Norman Morrison |
| Fhuair am program seo taic airgid bho Comataidh Telebhisein Gaidhlig A Scottish Television Enterprises production for Channel Four |
Resources
There were teacher's guides and song cassettes and videos available.
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