Teletubbies talk to tykes on tube

They are loved by European tots, parents and club kids, and today, the Teletubbies are coming to the United States.

"Teletubbies," the hit British children's show, will begin its daily run at 9 a.m. today on PBS.

Tinky Winky, Po, Dipsy and Laa-Laa are the terry cloth, Technicolor stars of this new toddler TV show craze. Set in magical Teletubbyland, the Teletubbies -- with their individually shaped TV antennas and sweet, alien-like Cabbage Patch Kids faces -- sing and teach nursery rhymes.

The Teletubbies, which may force Barney into extinction, are geared toward young toddlers, aged 1 to 4 years old.

The premise of the show is very basic with the idea that "something magical will happen in every episode," said Stacey Levin of Gilden & Company, a public relations marketing firm.

These short clips are also poignant because when the clip is finished, the Teletubbies shout, "again-again!" and the short film will repeat itself.

"These clips are very repetitious so kids will get it," Levin said.

Created by Anne Wood of Ragdoll Productions, the Teletubbies were first met with an immense amount of opposition from parents in England for the baby talk language of the characters.

Teletubbies do not speak in full sentences. Theirs is more of a language only toddlers truly understand, such as "Uh-oh," and "Bye-bye," Levin said. Some educators criticized the show, she said, claiming the baby talk was harmful to young viewers' learning.

A year after its debut, "Teletubbies" has managed to win over both its critics and its audience. Many educators have changed their tune about the show's educational value, and the show has a 43 percent viewership in its time slot, Levin said.

Teletubbies' goal is to help toddlers learn to play with language and become confident enough to speak. The show also promotes the use of toddlers' imaginations, Levin added.

Yet this imagination promotion has gone beyond tots to the European club kids who also watch the show. With the show's bright colors, Tinky Winky's handbag (which some observers have claimed indicates homosexuality), the magic windmill and the repetition of the movies, some have found elements that associate a drug culture into Teletubbyland.

Whether "Teletubbies" will have the same impact on American ravers and club kids is to be seen.

Although the show has not aired yet, some University ravers might watch to see what the fuss is all about.

"I might give it a chance, but it might not hold up to the 'Fraggle Rock' standard," said Dave Choi (senior-administration of justice). "People are just attracted to shiny objects these days and probably will watch because it is trendy."