HEY DUGGEE'S SQUIRREL CLUB [3+]

These short stories combine simple observations of everyday life with distinctive British humour, vivid illustrations and the belief that children discover the most when they are free to try things out, ask questions and play in their own way.

Since its premiere in 2014, the Granta Orchard series has become one of CBeebies’ most popular programmes, winning BAFTA and Emmy awards and winning over audiences in more than 150 countries. Its distinctive geometric animation, absurdist humour and musical imagination have also taken Duggee far beyond the television screen. THE STICK SONG became an online hit; the series made its way onto the stage and into London’s Design Museum, while its nods to film, music and pop culture keep parents entertained just as much as their children.

HEY DUGGEE’S SQUIRREL CLUB takes the familiar format in a more interactive direction. This spin-off invites children not just to watch, but to answer back, sing, count, move around and solve little puzzles together. The result feels more like joining in with a game than sitting through a traditional screening. The programme includes everything from a song about peace and a quiz-show game to a campfire, puppets and a chance to practise winding down. Duggee, meanwhile, remains unmistakably Duggee: calm, patient and reassuring, rarely needing many words when a supportive look, a gesture or a perfectly timed “woof” will do.

SQUIRREL CLUB is perfectly suited to a child’s first big-screen experience, with its short segments, clear rhythm, music and interaction. It is a screening that genuinely opens the door to the Squirrel Club and captures the joy of sharing a cinema experience.

‍

Text: Maria Nowicka