Teletubbies, the hit BBC children’s format, is to return to the small screen 15 years after Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po last waddled off screen from their saccharine pastureland home.

Rather than simply pull the mothballed costumes out from the back of the closet however producers are keen to engage with today’s digital-savvy viewer by embedding a touch screen device on their stomachs.

Other digital additions include virtual flowers which gradually come into bloom as episodes progress although producers insist that the majority of the set will be real; including a new windmill ‘crafted from natural materials’.

A high profile cast has been assembled to voice key roles including Harry Potter star Jim Broadbent, ex-Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton and Jane Horrocks with stand-up comedian Daniel Rigby narrating proceedings.

Maddy Darrall, executive producer at Darrall Macqueen who are producing the new sho, said: "To work on the new evolution of Teletubbies is like being handed the television crown jewels. Teletubbies changed the landscape of children's television and remains a much-loved pre-school series.

"Our creative focus is on respecting the legacy and the heritage of the original and giving it a little creative scrub-up and technological sparkle to match the viewing expectations of a new generation."

Teletubbies first run saw it become a staple of children’s programming from 1997 to 2001 when it was viewed by an estimated 1bn children in more than 100 countries.