THE WOMBLES, 1973
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First airing in February 1973, beloved BBC children’s TV show The Wombles took Britain by storm, enchanting young and old alike. Based on the books by Elizabeth Beresford, the show followed the lives of secretive, pointy-nosed creatures called Wombles who lived in burrows beneath Wimbledon Common in London, and spent their days collecting rubbish left by humans. The show’s theme tune was incredibly catchy and even spawned a spin-off pop group (also called The Wombles). Although the original series only aired for two years, it was repeated for many years and a remake was broadcast in 1997. The environmental theme of The Wombles inspired a generation of children to recycle and become aware of what they left behind.