Tikkabilla

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Tikkabilla is a UK children's television programme, shown on BBC1, BBC2 and on the CBeebies channel.

The programme aims to educate pre-school children in an entertaining manner. The title "Tikkabilla" comes from the Punjabi word meaning "Hopscotch", a popular children's game.

Each programme is introduced by two adults and a small dragon puppet named Tamba. Tamba serves as the programme's naive child; the programme's educational content is introduced as the presenters explain things to Tamba. Whilst Tamba appears in every episode, a team of presenters take it in turns to pair-up in each show. These presenters include Justin Fletcher, Sarah-Jane Honeywell, Paul Ewing, Simon Davies, Lorna Laidlaw, Toni Fruitin and Amit Sharma (both series 4 only) and Beverley Hills (series 1-3 only). Tamba is performed by puppeteers Sue Eves (series 1 - 4) who created the voice for Tamba; Alison McGowan (series 2 & 3) and Katherine Smee (series 4 - "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace"/"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)"/"Lost in Space"). Sue Eves has also written many scripts for the programme.

Beverley Hills also writes for the programme as well as writing for the sister show, Storymakers

Much of the show's format follows that of 1964-1988 UK children's programme Play School. In the studio, which features a large, colourful house, the presenters and Tamba perform songs, tell stories and make things. Occasionally, special guests visit, normally to demonstrate a special skill or performance. The iconic square, round and arched windows made famous by Play School are again used as a device to transport the viewer from the studio to the outside, real world. Location items, sometimes featuring the presenters and Tamba and usually including young children, introduce the wider-world to the young audience.

Tikkabilla features mini-series inside the programme, such as Summerton Mill and Higgledy House, both of which are now shown as standalone programmes on CBeebies.

Produced by the BBC's pre-school unit, 4 series have been made since the show began in 2002. The most recent was first transmitted in September 2005.