Sarah & Duck

August 6, 2017 4:05 PM

Baby Kitty LOVES Sarah & Duck. What other shows are like it?

Sarah & Duck is a BBC children's cartoon about Sarah and Duck and their adventures. It is immensely watchable and enjoyable. What other children's shows are like it?

Here are things Mr. kitty and I have identified about what makes it different:

It does not beat you over the head with a lesson.
It is not condescending to Sarah(the 7year old protagonist).
There is no singing/songs.
It's funny for adults and kids.


We prefer shows on Netflix or Amazon Prime as we are cord cutters.

posted by Suffocating Kitty to Society & Culture (20 answers total)

PBS: Peg + Cat - there is singing. It is worth it.
Amazon Prime: Tumbleleaf. No singing - no other show like it.
Netflix: Justin Time.
posted by Nanukthedog at 4:22 PM on August 6, 2017

Best answer: Oh my God I love Sarah and Duck. I have yet to find a show that equals it in terms of its gentle oddball nature and lack of Important Lesson, but Kipper is nice, although probably geared to slightly younger kids.

I'll be watching this question closely.
posted by Ideal Impulse at 4:22 PM on August 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

We're Sarah and Duck fans, too. Viva Yarn Lady! I second Kipper. Most episodes are totally pointless and it's very boring/soothing (unless you're a toddler who is all PUPPYYYYY)! It's on Netflix. There is also an anthology of Eric Carle stories there ("The Very Hungry Caterpillar") that has a similar vibe.
posted by whitewall at 4:37 PM on August 6, 2017

The resident teenager loves Sarah & Duck! So I recommend Charlie and Lola, which we both enjoyed when she was an actual preschooler and has a similar vibe.
posted by Flannery Culp at 4:41 PM on August 6, 2017

Sarah and Duck is best, hands down. The only thing that comes close in my experience is Pocoyo, although it's aimed younger than Sarah and Duck.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 5:49 PM on August 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have not seen Sarah and Duck, but my toddler and I adored Masha and the Bear. Available on Netflix. Not obnoxious, delightfully funny, not moralistic - just the adventures of a very mischievous little girl and her friend Bear.
posted by telepanda at 6:23 PM on August 6, 2017

Kipper!!
posted by bluespark25 at 7:12 PM on August 6, 2017

Sorry. My joy about Kipper just exploded out before I saw everyone else's recommendation. I think Peep and the Big Wide World is also fun and not loud or pushy.
posted by bluespark25 at 7:15 PM on August 6, 2017 [2 favorites]

Came in to say Pocoyo, and maybe Oswald the Octopus (although there's some singing. But it's super-weird.).
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:17 PM on August 6, 2017

Pingu!
posted by retrofitted at 9:55 PM on August 6, 2017

Wanted to second Charlie and Lola as well as Peg + Cat. Both are gentle, adorable, quirky, not condescending, and not annoying.
posted by forza at 10:16 PM on August 6, 2017

Also from the BBC, I think The Adventures Of Abney And Teal has a similar vibe. There's also Twirlywoos, which my 5y/o still enjoys (and my MIL was laughing at recently too).
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:11 AM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

Dipdap is another good one I like to watch with the kids. A recent favourite.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:56 AM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

Hey Duggee is funny enough that we occasionally watch the episode again when the kid is in bed.
posted by threetwentytwo at 2:53 AM on August 7, 2017 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Both Sarah and Duck and Abney and Teal draw on the storytelling structure, style and gentle whimsy of Smallfilms, a two-person animation company that operated in the UK from 1959 until the 1980s, mostly producing series of short animations for the BBC. Many of them can be found on Youtube. Notable ones are:

Bagpuss - regularly features high in lists of the most beloved British TV childrens' programmes ever. Does include songs.
The Clangers - Small woolly aliens on a small eccentric planet, speaking with swanee-whistle voices. Recently revived for a new series, now with voice-over by Michael Palin.
Noggin the Nog - The Icelandic Sagas for the under-sevens. Features one of the great villains of all time, Nogbad the Bad, who wants Noggin's throne so he can raise taxes. Early series are b/w and the 2d animation is very simplistic, later are colour.
The Pogles - bucolic rural charm with occasional undertones of folk horror. The first series (b/w) is so dark that the BBC never repeated it; subsequent episodes were called 'Pogles Wood' and were a good deal softer.
Ivor the Engine - delightfully gentle tales of a small Welsh railway and its only train. I would trade all of Thomas the Tank Engine for a single episode of Ivor.
posted by Hogshead at 4:05 AM on August 7, 2017 [2 favorites]

Little Bear.
Peep and the Big Wide World.
posted by metasarah at 5:41 AM on August 7, 2017

Seconding Hey Duggee!! it's brilliant and fun to watch for everyone.
posted by low_horrible_immoral at 6:13 AM on August 7, 2017

Charlie and Lola, Peep in the Big Wide World. We got years worth of entertainment out of those, completely fits your description. I'll also second Kipper, and the Smallfilms classics (Clangers, Noggin, Ivor). Also from that era, the "fuzzy felt" Moomin series with excellent narration by Richard Murdoch. I recently noticed Hey Duggee, and although our kids are now too old for it, I like it a lot and it may fit the bill. I agree, Sarah and Duck is wonderful.
posted by snarfois at 8:55 AM on August 7, 2017

Pingu. You should also be exploring nfb.ca, they are streamable - my Samsung SmartTV has the NFB app.
posted by Rat Spatula at 8:55 AM on August 7, 2017

Nothing that I've found is better than Sarah and Duck, but Clangers is equally special and incredibly unique. Adventure Zone has a similar whimsy and unusual characters to SaD, but is for older kids/adults, so maybe in 5+ years. Btw, Sarah and Duck season 3 is out, but not on Netflix yet. You can find a few places to watch for free it via Google.
posted by mirabelle at 7:07 AM on August 8, 2017