Zig Zag - Units
This in a brief overview of all 51 individual units of Zig Zag. Click 'read more' for more details of each unit individually.
1980s
The Normans
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Norman Invasion | 19 Sep 1983 |
| 2. | Norman Castles | 26 Sep 1983 |
| 3. | Norman Rule | 3 Oct 1983 |
A look at life during and after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Through the magic of the television studio Sheelagh meets William the Conqueror's brother Bishop Odo, who explains the circumstances of the invasion, the Bayeux Tapestry, how castles were built and and how life worked for the peasants.
Hungry Times
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | drama The Trap | 10 Oct 1983 |
| 2. | drama The Trial | 17 Oct 1983 |
Accompanying Zig Zag's unit on The Normans, this two-part drama serial tells the story of a Saxon family in the year 1086, struggling after the Norman invasion in the face of new laws, curfews and plagues on their animals which leave them hungry and desperate but still proud Saxons.
Computers
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Computers in Society | 21 Nov 1983 |
| 2. | Computers in Schools | 28 Nov 1983 |
A state-of-the-art look at early 1980s computer technology for junior pupils, including computer games, robotic arms and a flight simulator, and ways that schools have used computers to help with their projects on The Normans.
Space
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Into Space | 16 Jan 1984 |
| 2. | On the Moon | 23 Jan 1984 |
| 3. | Planets and Comets | 30 Jan 1984 |
| 4. | Stars | 6 Feb 1984 |
| - | rpt Light and Shadow | 13 Feb 1984 |
| 5. | Tomorrow's Spacemen | 3 Feb 1986 |
| 6. | Tomorrow's Space | 17 Oct 1988 |
Sheelagh and Paul travel in the 'Spaceship Zig Zag' on the first stage of a rocket journey, investigate the beginnings of space travel, landing a man on the moon, and the other planets in our solar system. The subject of space exploration was chosen for its topical interest to schoolchildren in 1984, anticipating a visit from Halley's Comet which eventually took place in 1986.
From 1986 this unit was joined by two episodes on Spaceship Earth which consider Earth as a spaceship and look at its resources and weather. Those two programmes have a separate page on this site.
The Olympics
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| - | rpt Ceremonies | 9 May 1984 |
| 1. | The Ancient Olympics | 14 May 1984 |
| 2. | Human Bodies | 21 May 1984 |
| 3. | Animal Olympics | 4 Jun 1984 |
| 4. | The 1984 Olympics | 11 Jun 1984 |
| 5. | The 1992 Olympics | 15 Jun 1992 |
A unit of programmes inspired by the Olympic Games, and shown every four years to tie-in with the actual games. Regular presenter Sheelagh Gilbey is joined, for this unit only, by Wayne Laryea.
The Arabs
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Islam | 17 Sep 1984 |
| 2. | Sinbad the Sailor | 24 Sep 1984 |
| 3. | Sugar and Spice | 1 Oct 1984 |
| 4. | Water for the Desert | 8 Oct 1984 |
| 5. | Tomorrow's Arabs | 15 Oct 1984 |
A look at the Islamic religion, the historical influence of Arabic culture on the UK, and the modern Islamic world.
The Eskimos
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Arctic | 14 Jan 1985 |
| 2. | At Home on the Ice | 21 Jan 1985 |
| 3. | Sedna and the Seals | 28 Jan 1985 |
| 4. | The Coming of the Caribou | 4 Feb 1985 |
| 5. | Women and Children | 11 Feb 1985 |
| 6. | The Eskimos Today | 25 Feb 1985 |
A look at how people live in arctic conditions and how life works for modern Inuit people in Canada, including interviews with the women and children living in Canada in the 1980s
Topical Programmes
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Domesday Project | 21 Mar 1985 |
| 2. | Topical Programme (Summer 1986) | 16 Jun 1986 |
| 3. | Quiz Programme | 22 Jun 1987 |
| 4. | Australia's Bicentenary | 21 Mar 1988 |
| 5. | Hungarian Link-Up | 27 Nov 1989 |
For a while in the 1980s Zig Zag presented one Special programme each year, not directly related to the units being shown in the rest of the term and usually on a topical subject. For the first two years these Zig Zag Special episodes covered the Domesday Project enterprise organised by the BBC, and later took on other topics.
Gardens and Growth
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Seeds | 29 Apr 1985 |
| 2. | Plants | 8 May 1985 |
| 3. | Flowers | 13 May 1985 |
| 4. | Fruits | 20 May 1985 |
Programmes about growing plants and flowers told through the context of gardening, including plentiful timelapse film of plants growing, and retellings of stories about gardens including the Bible story of the Garden of Eden and the Greek myth of Persephone.
Over to You
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | DIY Puppetry | 18 Nov 1985 |
| 2. | DIY Photography | 25 Nov 1985 |
| 3. | DIY Animation | 2 Dec 1985 |
| 4. | Festival of Animation | 9 Jun 1986 |
| 5. | DIY Video | 13 Nov 1989 |
Encouraging viewing pupils to make their own puppet shows, cameras and animated films by talking about the history of existing methods and showing schools at work on projects.
Spaceship Earth
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Rocks | 10 Feb 1986 |
| 2. | The Atmosphere | 24 Feb 1986 |
A pair of programmes about the planet Earth, first its rocks, volcanos and mountains, and then its weather.
The Greeks
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Athena's City | 21 Apr 1986 |
| 2. | Pottery | 28 Apr 1986 |
| 3. | Women and Children | 7 May 1986 |
| 4. | Greek Schools | 12 May 1986 |
| 5. | The Persian Wars | 19 May 1986 |
| 6. | The Greek Theatre | 2 Jun 1986 |
A look at Ancient Greece through studio recreations of everyday houses, schools and workplaces. Sheelagh meets historical figures and goes out to explore the sites of battles in Greek wars.
You and the Media
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Writing and Printing | 22 Sep 1986 |
| 2. | Books and Newspapers | 29 Sep 1986 |
| 3. | Reporting | 6 Oct 1986 |
| 4. | Sounds and Pictures | 13 Oct 1986 |
Programmes about human communications, framed through media studies. There is an overview of the history of human communications from cave paintings, consideration of calligraphy, how pictures can express meaning without words, and how people can give different accounts of the same events.
Mordicus
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mordicus Episode 1 | 20 Oct 1986 |
| 2. | Mordicus Episode 2 | 3 Nov 1986 |
| 3. | The Making of Mordicus | 10 Nov 1986 |
A two-part BBC wildlife film by John and Simon King, called Mordicus the Buzzard and originally shown for a general audience on 23rd and 30th November 1984 as part of the series Three in the Wild. It was edited down and repeated on Zig Zag with new introductions for school viewers.
In the third episode Simon King talks to Zig Zag's Sheelagh Gilbey about how the film was made.
Winter Festival
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sweden | 17 Nov 1986 |
| 2. | Holland | 24 Nov 1986 |
| 3. | Finland | 1 Dec 1986 |
Films about how children take part in Christmas-related celebrations in three different European countries, covering the Festival of Lucia in Sweden, 'Sinterklass Day' in the Netherlands, and traditions in Finland.
Canada
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Railway | 9 Mar 1987 |
| 2. | A Tale of Two Cities | 16 Mar 1987 |
| 3. | Timber | 23 Mar 1987 |
| 4. | Wildlife | 30 Mar 1987 |
Paul Coia takes a journey across Canada, from Toronto to British Columbia, reporting on modern and historical aspects of life, including the building of the railways, gold mining, lumberjacking and log birling, Totem Poles, and the beaver.
The Vikings
| # | Title | Broadcast | Clips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Vikings Are Coming! | 21 Sep 1987 | |
| 2. | A Viking Town | 28 Sep 1987 | |
| 3. | Viking Sailors | 5 Oct 1987 | |
| - | The Saga of Class 2's Project | 18 Sep 1989 |
Paul Coia visits historic locations to discover how the Vikings came to Britain and what they did after they arrived.
The Saga of Gunnar Goldhair
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | drama Murder in Coppergate | 12 Oct 1987 |
| 2. | drama The Monster of Jorvik | 19 Oct 1987 |
A historical drama serial in two episodes, set in a Viking settlement at Jorvik in England.
Gunnar returns from exile to the settlement of Jorvik, where his father had been put to death for making false coins. He speaks to the inhabitants, Saxons and Vikings, and finds a community under the thrall of the local 'moneyer' Grim the Greedy.
Gunnar is determined to find justice for his father, but comes under suspicion himself when one of his neighbours is murdered in the street.
The Channel Tunnel
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The English Channel | 2 Nov 1987 |
| 2. | The Tunnel | 9 Nov 1987 |
| 3. | A Link to Europe? | 16 Nov 1987 |
Three topical programmes about building the Channel Tunnel - still several years from completion at the time of broadcast. Looking at the historical importance of the English Channel, how animals and humans build tunnels, and the opinions of people against and in favour of the Channel Tunnel.
Rush, The Fallow Deer
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rush the Deer 1 | 23 Nov 1987 |
| 2. | Rush the Deer 2 | 30 Nov 1987 |
A BBC wildlife film by John and Simon King following the life of a deer born in the New Forest, originally shown for adults on Christmas Eve 1985 and serialised for Zig Zag.
Getting About
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Trail Clues | 15 Feb 1988 |
| 2. | Direction | 29 Feb 1988 |
| 3. | Distance | 7 Mar 1988 |
| 4. | Reading the Earth | 14 Mar 1988 |
A unit about map-reading, finding your way in an unknown area, and getting to know your local area better.
The bulk of each episode is taken up with a dramatised treasure hunt around the Isle of Wight, in which Tony Aitken tries to help a boatyard threatened with closure by following clues to local landmarks and following directions.
Wildlife Safari
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Movement | 9 Jan 1989 |
| 2. | Attack and Defence | 16 Jan 1989 |
| 3. | Homes | 23 Jan 1989 |
| 4. | Breeding | 30 Jan 1989 |
| 5. | Rearing | 6 Feb 1989 |
| 6. | Messages | 13 Feb 1989 |
| 7. | Working Together | 20 Feb 1989 |
| - | A Classroom Safari | 7 Jan 1991 |
| 8. | Beaver Pond | 11 Mar 1991 |
| 9. | Animals in Danger! | 18 Mar 1991 |
A look at animal behaviour in different ways, with regular presenters Sheelagh and Paul joined by animal expert Nick Davies, and helped by film from the BBC's natural history archives including the David Attenborough series Life on Earth. Animals behaviours are linked to human behaviours, such as the number of people who need to be in the Zig Zag studio to make the programme, linked to animals working together.
Cathedrals
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Building of a Cathedral | 27 Feb 1989 |
| 2. | The People of a Cathedral | 6 Mar 1989 |
| 3. | The Life of a Cathedral | 13 Mar 1989 |
Programmes about the history and events at two cathedrals, in Lincoln and Derby.
World of Work
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Green Fingers Plant Company | 5 Jun 1989 |
| 2. | The Strike Lane Sweet Company | 12 Jun 1989 |
Following two groups of school children who have set up 'mini enterprises' running their own businesses from their schools, one growing pot plants and the other making "Toffee-Poppy-Choc" sweets.
1990s
The Odyssey
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Wooden Horse | 15 Jan 1990 |
| 2. | The Cyclops | 22 Jan 1990 |
| 3. | The Magic of Circe | 29 Jan 1990 |
| 4. | The Sirens | 5 Feb 1990 |
| 5. | The Fury of Poseidon | 12 Feb 1990 |
| 6. | The Homecoming | 26 Feb 1990 |
A retelling of stories from Greek myths of Odysseus, along with features about schools undertaking project work in areas such as archaeology, pottery making and poetry.
The storytelling sequences had originally been shown as part of the earlier series Merry-Go-Round in summer 1976, and repeated in 1977 and 1981. New introductory segments were made for this revival as part of Zig Zag a decade later.
Let's Face It
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Face | 30 Apr 1990 |
| 2. | The Message | 9 May 1990 |
| 3. | The Portrait | 14 May 1990 |
A set of programme about the face, including police photofit identification, communicating emotions through facial expressions, and the history of portrait painting. The final episode includes a look at the puppet charicatures from the Spitting Image TV programme.
Water
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Water for Life | 17 Sep 1990 |
| 2. | Moving Water | 24 Sep 1990 |
| 3. | Sink or Swim | 1 Oct 1990 |
| 4. | Land and Sea | 8 Oct 1990 |
| 5. | Water at Work | 15 Oct 1990 |
| 6. | Back to the Future | 29 Oct 1990 |
Various approaches to the subject of water, including the water cycle, hydraulic power, canals and erosion.
Trees and Man
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Man Who Planted Trees 1 | 10 Jun 1991 |
| 2. | The Man Who Planted Trees 2 | 17 Jun 1991 |
A look at children planting trees in the countryside introduces a two part serialisation of the Oscar-winning animated film The Man Who Planted Trees from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, telling the story of a shepherd who transforms an arid wilderness.
Technology
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Home Technology | 16 Sep 1991 |
| 2. | Transport Technology | 23 Sep 1991 |
| 3. | Shopping Technology | 30 Sep 1991 |
| 4. | Swimming Technology | 7 Oct 1991 |
| 5. | Showbiz Technology | 14 Oct 1991 |
| - | Technology (Teaching Today) | 27 Sep 1991 |
Programmes on various aspects of technology such as how a bicycle works, how a supermarket is operated, and techniques used in a theatre.
Tales from Europe (1992)
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| - | The Teacher's Tale | 13 Jan 1992 |
| 1. | Switzerland | 20 Jan 1992 |
| 2. | Germany | 27 Jan 1992 |
| 3. | Britain | 3 Feb 1992 |
| 4. | Denmark | 10 Feb 1992 |
| 5. | Netherlands | 17 Feb 1992 |
| 6. | Czechoslovakia | 2 Mar 1992 |
| 7. | Belgium | 9 Mar 1992 |
| 8. | Finland | 16 Mar 1992 |
| 9. | Greece | 23 Mar 1992 |
A selection of traditional stories from countries all across Europe, re-told and animated for Zig Zag.
The episodes are presented by the enterprising Molly, who burrows her way across Europe in a 'hypersonic mole' vehicle, accompanied by her teddy bear Esperanto. Each week she goes underground and drives the mole to a new country, observing it's geography and lifestyles through her periscope before telling a children's story from that country accompanied by puppetry or animation.
The Anglo-Saxons
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Anglo-Saxon Life | 14 Sep 1992 |
| 2. | Anglo-Saxon Treasure | 21 Sep 1992 |
| 3. | Anglo-Saxon Monks | 28 Sep 1992 |
| 4. | Anglo-Saxons Invaded | 5 Oct 1992 |
| 5. | Anglo-Saxons at Bay | 12 Oct 1992 |
| 6. | Anglo-Saxons Triumph! | 19 Oct 1992 |
Paul Coia finds out about the Anglo-Saxons by visiting sites such as a reconstructed village at West Stow and the remains of a monastery in Jarrow. He meets the 'ghosts' of characters from the past who explain their lives and interests.
The first three episodes include a re-telling of Beowulf written by Kevin Crossley-Holland, with illustrations and a traditional story-teller.
The last three episodes include the filmed drama serial The Raven and the Cross, as originally shown on Merry-Go-Round in 1974.
Trees
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Friends of Man | 26 Apr 1993 |
| 2. | From Little Acorns | 5 May 1993 |
| 3. | Animal Lodgers: Life Around the Tree | 10 May 1993 |
| 4. | Timber, Friend of Man | 17 May 1993 |
| 5. | The Energy Power Pack | 24 May 1993 |
| 6. | Paper | 31 May 1993 |
Zig Zag's nature specialist Nicola Davies looks at trees from many different angles, including how they grow from acorns or seeds, how they are used in making cricket bats or wood sculptures, for energy as charcoal, and to makepaper. Stories from around the world related to trees are narrated by Colin Baker.
Roman Britain
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Invasion | 20 Sep 1993 |
| 2. | Fighters and Builders | 27 Sep 1993 |
| 3. | Town Life | 4 Oct 1993 |
| 4. | Country Life | 11 Oct 1993 |
| 5. | Gods, Games and Goodbye | 18 Oct 1993 |
Presenter David goes to find out about Romans in Britain by visiting historical sites. In an ancient box he encounters a virtual guide called Marcus, who shows him pictures and maps, and explains how Rome itself started, the invasion of Britain, the Roman army, and life for people in Roman times. A lamp with magical powers allows David to meet other figures from Roman times who explain what they did.
Mapmakers!
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Village View | 1 Nov 1993 |
| 2. | Town and Around | 8 Nov 1993 |
| 3. | City Limits | 15 Nov 1993 |
| 4. | Map Messages | 22 Nov 1993 |
| 5. | Mapping the Future | 29 Nov 1993 |
A guide to mapping skills in which Sally Gray drives round the country challenging local schoolchildren to use different techniques to create maps of their local areas in Somerset, Lancashire and Aberdeen.
Where You Live, Where I Live
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | We Live Here | 21 Feb 1994 |
| 2. | Getting Around | 28 Feb 1994 |
| 3. | Off to Work | 7 Mar 1994 |
| 4. | Let's Go Shopping | 14 Mar 1994 |
| 5. | Playtime | 21 Mar 1994 |
A study by young investigators of two contrasting areas, the village of Stanton-in-Peak in Derbyshire and the nearby Manchester city centre.
Kenya
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | This Is Kenya | 19 Sep 1994 |
| 2. | A Day in the Life | 26 Sep 1994 |
| 3. | Food, Farming and Shopping | 3 Oct 1994 |
| 4. | Out and About | 10 Oct 1994 |
| 5. | Kenya from the Air | 13 May 1996 |
Kenyan youngsters Evangeline and Nana introduce viewers to their contrasting home lives near Mount Kenya and in Nairobi. There is also a traditional Kenyan story told in most of the episodes. An additional final episode, added later, presents a helicopter tour around the country.
Food and Farming
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | In the Beginning | 16 Jan 1995 |
| 2. | Winter | 23 Jan 1995 |
| 3. | Spring | 30 Jan 1995 |
| 4. | Summer | 6 Feb 1995 |
| 5. | Into the Future | 13 Feb 1995 |
Charting the history of agriculture from the prehistoric hunter-gatherers to modern farmers using satellite tracking.
The programmes visit Acton Scott Historical Farm in Shropshire at different times of the year, including in the spring when two newly born lambs are named Zig and Zag.
Geography UK
| # | Title | Broadcast | Clips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Introducing the UK | 18 Sep 1995 | |
| 2. | A River in Scotland | 25 Sep 1995 | |
| 3. | Weather in Wales | 2 Oct 1995 | |
| 4. | Living in Northern Ireland | 9 Oct 1995 | |
| 5. | Changing Environments in England | 16 Oct 1995 |
Presenters in each of the four nations of the United Kingdom explore the links between the landscape and the local people in distinct ways - looking at a Scottish river, the weather in Wales, a village, town and city in Northern Ireland, and environmental issues in England.
Danger Detectors
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Safety Inside | 20 May 1996 |
| 2. | Safety Outside | 3 Jun 1996 |
| 3. | Safety Further Afield | 10 Jun 1996 |
Encouraging children to think about health and safety, the presenter meets the 'danger detector' part of his brain and discusses various potentially dangerous situations with him, and encourages children to think about their own 'danger detectors' when cooking, crossing the road, visiting a farm or near water.
Ancient Greece
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Theseus and the Minotaur | 28 Oct 1996 |
| 2. | The Wooden Horse of Troy | 4 Nov 1996 |
| 3. | The Persians | 11 Nov 1996 |
| 4. | The Parthenon | 18 Nov 1996 |
| 5. | The Olympic Games | 25 Nov 1996 |
A mixture of documentary and drama about society in Ancient Greece.
Greek presenter Crissa Venetti visits modern Greece to explore its history and takes part in recreations such as a masked theatre production and an ancient Olympic race.
Meanwhile two "imagined" characters from ancient times talk about their lives and interests. Stephanos, a potter, and his slave Lydos, an artist, describe their trades, discuss events, and Stephanos tells stories including the myth of Theseus in programme 1, and the Wooden Horse of Troy in programme 2.
Village, Town, City
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Our Patch | 6 Jan 1997 |
| 2. | Ou Needs | 13 Jan 1997 |
| 3. | Our Land | 20 Jan 1997 |
| 4. | Our Changing Environment | 27 Jan 1997 |
Local children from four distinct places in Britain use their geographical skills to investigate their local areas and how the land and services are used.
The unit covers the village of Hendon in Suffolk, the town of Porthmadog in North Wales, the city of Leeds in England, and a farm at Princetown in Devon.
Making It Work
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | For the Animals | 14 Apr 1997 |
| 2. | For the Plants | 21 Apr 1997 |
| 3. | Over the Bridge | 28 Apr 1997 |
| 4. | For the Visitors | 7 May 1997 |
Programmes about the design and construction of a new habitat for tropical animals at Marwell Zoo, linked to school projects on design and technology.
Art
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Light, Dark and Tone | 12 May 1997 |
| 2. | Line and Shape and Form | 19 May 1997 |
| 3. | Colour | 2 Jun 1997 |
| 4. | Pattern and Texture | 9 Jun 1997 |
Footage of children at work on art projects both in their classrooms and out in the world, plus meetings with professional artists, to inspire viewers to develop their own art work.
Invaders
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Celts | 3 Nov 1997 |
| 2. | The Romans | 10 Nov 1997 |
| 3. | The Anglo Saxons | 17 Nov 1997 |
| 4. | The Vikings | 24 Nov 1997 |
| 5. | The Normans | 1 Dec 1997 |
Different periods of British history are explored through time travel and short dramas.
In modern times a boy called Rory encounters Maud, a time-travelling student from the future. Together they find out about historical invaders of the British Isles, chronologically the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings.
Maud has a computer-based tutor to help her study the past, who can show maps and diagrams to the two children, and uses evidence of the past to show reconstructions of how people might have lived. These dramatised reconstructions, telling stories from the various time periods, form the bulk of each programme.
Water, Air, Land
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Environmental Change | 12 Jan 1998 |
| 2. | Using the World's Resources | 19 Jan 1998 |
| 3. | Waste | 26 Jan 1998 |
| 4. | Guarding the Future | 2 Feb 1998 |
| 5. | Conflicts | 9 Feb 1998 |
A unit of programmes about environmental sustainability. A presenter known as The Director co-ordinates young Zig Zag investigators in Cardiff, Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire and Spain, looking at how people use water, air and land, and deal with waste, in ways that don't destroy the environment.
Tudor Life
| # | Title | Broadcast | Clips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Children: A Girl's Story | 21 Sep 1998 | |
| 2. | Homes: A Yeoman's Story | 28 Sep 1998 | |
| 3. | Food: A Housewife's Story | 5 Oct 1998 | |
| 4. | Street: A Merchant's Story | 12 Oct 1998 | |
| 5. | Entertainment: An Actor's Story | 19 Oct 1998 |
A mix of drama and documentary to show how ordinary people lived during the reign of the Tudor monarchs.
Weather
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Temperature | 11 Jan 1999 |
| 2. | Rain | 18 Jan 1999 |
| 3. | Wind | 25 Jan 1999 |
| 4. | Seasons | 1 Feb 1999 |
| 5. | World Weather | 8 Feb 1999 |
Children investigate different weather patterns with the help of BBC weather forecaster Helen Young and dramatic film from Australia and Canada.
A Walk Through Time
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Work | 25 Oct 1999 |
| 2. | Food | 8 Nov 1999 |
| 3. | Health | 15 Nov 1999 |
| 4. | Fashion | 22 Nov 1999 |
| 5. | Entertainment | 29 Nov 1999 |
A look at a British town developing over thousands of years of history. Tony Robinson sits on a bench in a computer-animated town, describing and pointing out the differences while the town changes through history from the Roman period, the Anglo-Saxons, the Tudors, the Victorians, the 1950s and the present-day at the turn of the 21st Century.
2000s
France
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Paris: A City | 17 Jan 2000 |
| 2. | Brittany: The Coast | 24 Jan 2000 |
| 3. | Camargue: A River Delta | 31 Jan 2000 |
| 4. | The Alps | 7 Feb 2000 |
| 5. | Maps and Mapping | 14 Feb 2000 |
An exploration of the city, mountains and coastlines of France as the presenter Josette travels around the country meeting local children and tradespeople in different areas.
Tales from Europe (2000)
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Switzerland: The Army of Bears | 18 Jan 2000 |
| 2. | Germany: The Pied Piper of Hamelin | 25 Jan 2000 |
| 3. | Denmark: The Ugly Duckling | 1 Feb 2000 |
| 4. | Czech Republic: Godfather Death | 8 Feb 2000 |
| 5. | Holland: The Lady of Stavoren | 15 Feb 2000 |
| 6. | Greece: Persephone Rising | 29 Feb 2000 |
| 7. | Belgium: With My Right Hand | 7 Mar 2000 |
| 8. | Finland: Reeta and the Cow That Ran Dry | 14 Mar 2000 |
| 9. | Britain: Arthur the King | 21 Mar 2000 |
A selection of folk tales and myths from different countries around Europe, re-told using puppets, animation, illustrations and other techniques. Each story is introduced with documentary film about a town in the country where it is set.
These 15 minutes programmes were edited down from the original 20 minute Zig Zag Tales from Europe programmes first shown in 1992. The fictional structure from the 1992 episodes with a woman called Molly tunnelling around Europe to observe the cities and read the stories has been removed, but the original narration of both the documentary sequences and the stories by the character Molly (played by Denise Coffey) is still present.
Snapshots: Children in the Second World War
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Evacuation | 8 Nov 2000 |
| 2. | Daily Life | 16 Nov 2000 |
Examining the lives of children during World War II using archive footage froma variety of sources, interviews, and some reenactments from fiction.
These programmes are presented as 'Snapshots' as they make up a shorter-than-usual unit of just two episodes, each composed of short segments on specific topics which could be used in isolation.
