Catweazle
26 episodes (1970-71) 30m

Once a season an eccentric wizard gets transported from Norman times into the present while looking for a spell that will make him fly. He looks on modern wonders with the innocence of a child. One of the better children's fantasies to come out of the UK, each of its two seasons saw Catweazle acquire a new young companion.

Land of the Lost
43 episodes (1974-76) 30m

Great children's show in which a forest ranger and his two kids fall into a time rift and end up in a prehistoric world full of dinosaurs and apemen. A couple of Star Trek writers contributed outstanding scripts and the show was popular enough to warrant an early-90s revival from creators Sid and Marty Krofft. Catch it if you can.

Worzel Gummidge
54 episodes (1979-89) 30m

Jon Pertwee of Doctor Who fame stars as the walking talking scarecrow who has a different head for different situations (thinking, brave, counting, clever). His love, a fairground wooden doll, can also pass herself off as human - with only a couple of children that know the secret. High quality British children's television show.

Into the Labyrinth
21 episodes (1981-82) 30m

When three kids come across Ron Moody starring as the imprisoned sorcerer Rothgo, they get caught up in a trip through time looking for the mystical Nidus which has been stolen by an evil witch. They encounter characters like King Arthur and legendary wild west knifeman Jim Bowie along the way. Topnotch Arthurian romp.

Round the Twist
39 episodes (1989-2001) 30m

Fantastic and internationally successful Australian children's show created by noted writer Paul Jennings. Four series were made on-and-off between 1989 and 2001, each featuring the strange and loopy adventures of the Twist family. There were a few cast overhauls along the way, but the quality remained topnotch throughout.

Are You Afraid of the Dark?
91 episodes (1992-2000) 30m

Kids in 'The Midnight Society' meet in the woods and spin a few spooky tales. A topnotch Nickelodeon show for children that disappeared for a couple of years, but had enough going for it to warrant a return with a new cast in 1999. We find out late in the series that the Midnight Society had been going strong since 1937.

The Worst Witch
53 episodes (1998-2001) 30m

Lighthearted children's series based on the Jill Murphy books. A girl who has trouble flying her broomstick is sent to Cackles Academy to learn how to be a good witch. Trouble dogs her every move, with an array of not-nice teachers and students on one side and the nice ones in her corner. Somehow she always manages to save the day.

The Tick
9 episodes (2001-02) 30m

Tongue-in-cheek comic book hero, the 'Big Blue Bug of Justice', sets out to protect society even when it doesn't really need protecting. With practically no knowledge of humankind, he teams with a couple of other superhero wannabes to generally be very funny. Got a rough ride on the scheduling front and deserved much better.