Scooby-Doo Voted UK’s All Time Favourite Kids TV Show

Sky Kids has commissioned a survey to ask 2,300 parents and children aged between 5 to 9 years old in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (1,150 parents and 1,150 children) to find out their all time favourite kids show.

After the results were counted and collated, it emerged that Boomerang’s very own Scooby-Doo (including all variants and series) is the UK’s favourite kids show of all time. Scooby-Doo topped the chart at 23%, that’s nearly 1 in 4 people. Since 1969, Scooby-Doo has been entertaining children all over the world. The show’s enduring popularity has no sign of slowing down, this shows that Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma will yet to solve more spooky mysteries into the foreseeable future.

Tom and Jerry, another classic animated show that airs on Boomerang UK came in at 2nd place at 22% of the vote (including all variants and series), only narrowingly missing the top spot by 1%. Tom and Jerry is known for its madcap cat and mouse chases and for its slapstick humour which has entertained generations of children.

Ben 10 (including all variants and series) came naturally in 10th place in the combined children and adults statistics, the alien-battling adventure show has been airing on Cartoon Network for over 10 years. A current Cartoon Network favourite, Adventure Time came in at 9th place in the children’s only statistics, its open world approach to fantasy storytelling and its wide variety of characters has made Adventure Time become one of Cartoon Network’s most successful shows of all time.

The research was commissioned by Sky Kids and conducted by research company 72 Point in March 2016.

From The Sky UK Press Release

New research from Sky Kids, reveals Boomerang channel series Scooby-Doo, tops the chart as the nation’s favourite kids’ TV show amongst both nostalgic parents and young children, with 23% of the vote. The results prove that the TV programme, famous for helping solve ghostly mysteries, is as popular today as it was after first bursting onto screens.

The survey of 2,300 kids aged 5 to 9 along with their parents, commissioned to mark the launch of the new Sky Kids app, finds that another timeless show comes in second place, with 22% of parents and children picking Boomerang’s slapstick comedy Tom and Jerry. Joint third are favourites, Nicktoons’ ever-optimistic hero SpongeBob SquarePants and the beloved, British pre-school eOne series Peppa Pig (17%). Fifth place goes to the magical show Ben & Holly (14%), also from eOne.

The research shows whatever the family favourite, kids don’t seem to tire of re-watching their much-loved shows time and time again at a remarkable 53 times a year, compared with parents who admitted to still watching their beloved childhood TV show 12 times in the past 12 months.

Even when children know how an episode unfolds these shows have the qualities that make them so re-watchable, with kids realising the importance of comedy at a young age and picking a TV programme because “it’s funny” (59%). The imaginative stories and playful characters are also reasons why they choose to watch a show over and over again, with 47% of children stating “I like the adventures they go on” and 38% revealing they “love the characters”. Meanwhile, adults say that they cherish watching children’s TV as it’s nostalgic and brings back happy memories of their own childhood (29%), as well as being a great way to bond with their little ones (21%).

Dr Sam Wass, parenting expert and psychologist and known for Channel 4’s award-winning series “The Secret Life of 4-, 5-, and 6-Year-Olds”, commented:

“As parents we spend so much time as the authority figure, imposing boundaries and setting rules, so sitting down to watch TV with your child can help to reset and recharge your relationship. I love that so many children voted for shows and cartoons that their parents also used to enjoy when they were young and that they are all available on the Sky Kids app. Watching and discussing these shows together will allow your child to see the child that was once in you.”

The Sky Kids app is designed for children aged 3-9 and features thousands of episodes of their beloved TV shows, including favourites Scooby-Doo, Peppa Pig and SpongeBob SquarePants. The app, which launched in March and is available to download from both Google Play and Apple’s App Store offers a fun and safe way to enjoy the widest range of the most popular kids’ TV programmes. All of the content is available on demand and gives children their own profile with shows tailored to their age.

Lucy Murphy, Head of Sky Kids Content said:

“It’s great to see Scooby-Doo standing the test of time and remaining a favourite amongst kids and parents. The Sky Kids app has thousands of episodes of kids TV shows, from traditional favourites like Tom and Jerry through to favourites today such as Ben and Holly, so children and parents alike can enjoy their most-loved shows.”

The Statistics From The Survey

The top reasons kids re-watch their favourite shows are:

They find the plot or characters funny (59%)

Likeable characters (38%)

Because it makes them happy (32%)

Enjoyable character adventures (23%)

Loveable music, theme tunes and songs (20%)

Pretending they are a character in the show (13%)

Top 10 shows of all time voted for by children and adults:

1. Scooby-Doo = 23%

2. Tom and Jerry = 22%

3. SpongeBob SquarePants = 17%

3. Peppa Pig = 17%

5. Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom = 14%

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles = 13%

7. Paw Patrol = 12%

8. Dora the Explorer = 12%

9. Horrible Histories = 11%

10. Ben 10 = 10%

Top 10 children’s shows of all time voted for by children:

1. Scooby-Doo = 25%

2. Tom and Jerry = 22 %

3. SpongeBob SquarePants = 22%

4. Peppa Pig = 20%

5. Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom = 18%

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles = 16%

7. Paw Patrol = 16%

8. Dora the Explorer = 14%

9. Adventure Time = 13%

10. Ben 10 = 12%

Top 10 children’s shows of all time voted for by adults:

1. Tom and Jerry = 21%

2. Scooby-Doo = 20%

3. Blue Peter = 13%

4. Peppa Pig = 13%

5. SpongeBob SquarePants = 11%

6. Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom = 10%

7. Horrible Histories = 10%

8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles = 10%

9. Mr Men = 9%

10. Mr Benn = 9%

About Dr Sam Wass

Dr Sam Wass gained a first-class undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology at Oxford University. He did his PhD at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, and his postdoctoral research at the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences in Cambridge.

He is currently based at the University of East London and at Cambridge University. He researches how stress affects early concentration and learning capacities in children from low socio-economic status backgrounds. Sam also works with children from a variety of atypical backgrounds including those with Autism Spectrum disorders, Attention Deficit Disorder and other clinical conditions. His research has been funded by the Medical Research Council, the British Academy, the Economic and Social Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research, the Nuffield Foundation, and many others.

Sam is also very active as a science communicator in the media. He is one of the host scientists in the award-winning Channel 4 series The Secret Life of 4-, 5- and 6-Year-Olds, for which he is heavily involved in programme development and appears regularly as an on-screen scientist. He appears on television (BBC News) and radio (BBC Radio 4, 5 Live), and has given talks at the Royal Institution. His work also often appears in national newspapers such as the Independent, Telegraph and on BBC News. Sam has acted as media spokesperson for public campaigns by Save the Children, Nickelodeon, Ikea, Dulux and many more.

About Sky Kids

Sky Kids is available to download now from both Google Play and Apple’s App Store. The app works on 3G/4G and Wi-Fi and is available for customers at no extra cost, with the Sky Family or Variety bundle or Sky Q.

Sky announced the development of the app with Ustwo in June 2015 as it aimed to build on its position as the best entertainment choice for children and their parents. Sky’s commitment saw the expansion of the kids’ shows available in Sky’s on demand library from 700 to 4,000 episodes making Sky home to more episodes of the most-watched kids’ shows than any other provider in the UK and Ireland.

Following the on-demand investment, a dedicated kids tile was added to the Sky homepage which opens up a one-stop-shop of all the kids’ shows and movies available on demand, all kids TV recordings, plus a quick view of what’s on now on linear channels like Cartoon Network, CBeebies and Nick Jr. Since the kids tile was added, on-demand views have more than trebled.

Sky’s Kids service has been overseen by Sky’s first dedicated Head of Kids Content, Lucy Murphy, who joined Sky in November 2015.

Sky Kids Mobile App for iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sky-kids/id1027861829?mt=8

Sky Kids Mobile App for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bskyb.skykids