Play School Marks 50th Anniversary with New Character

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SYDNEY: ABC Kids’s Play School is celebrating its 50th anniversary by introducing a new character to the preschool show.

Joey the joey, designed by award-winning children’s book illustrator Bruce Whatley (Diary of a Wombat, Josephine Wants to Dance, The Ugliest Dog in the World), will make her debut on the upcoming birthday episode, “Come to the Party.” The special episode will air on ABC Kids and ABC iview at 9:30 a.m. on July 18. Play School was first broadcast in Australia on July 18, 1966.

The show places an emphasis on learning through play and seeks to reflect a modern, multicultural Australian society.

As part of the 50th birthday celebration, viewers will also be able to watch two more installments of the Play School Celebrity Covers episodes on ABC Kids and ABC iview, including The Umbilical Brothers with Fairytale Mash-up at 8 a.m. and John Hamblin singing “Old MacDonald” at 5 p.m. These will be followed by the half-hour Play School Celebrity Covers Special at 6:30 p.m., featuring Hamish and Andy, John Hamblin, Dan Sultan, Molly Meldrum and Charlie Pickering, Delta Goodrem, Benita Collings and Don Spencer, Josh Thomas, Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales, Guy Sebastian, Magda Szubanski and You Am I.

Play School executive producer Jan Stradling said, “We’re very excited to welcome Joey to the Play School family and look forward to sharing her with viewers on the momentous occasion of the series’ 50th birthday. It’s been a joy working with celebrated artist Bruce Whatley and watching him bring Joey to life. We know she will be warmly embraced by viewers all around Australia.”

Whatley added: “Play School was such a staple part of our household when our children were growing up and as adults they still have fond memories of the presenters and toys. It was quite an honor to be asked to create the character of Joey for such an iconic production as Play School and it’s pretty cool to even be a small part of the nostalgia of the generations that are to follow.”