Television series
Button Moon
- Science fiction
- Light-hearted
- Dip in and out
Button Moon is a charmingly weird British children's show where Mr. Spoon pilots a homemade rocket to a celestial world of anthropomorphic cutlery. It's stop-motion surrealism for very young viewers—playful, wonderfully strange, and animated with genuine creativity on a shoestring budget. A cult favourite that proves children's TV doesn't need to explain itself.
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Bagpuss1974
British children's stop-motion about a saggy, baggy cat and his crew of toys who solve mysteries together. Endlessly inventive, deeply weird, and beloved by everyone who watched it.
But At 13 minutes per episode and entirely gentle, it moves at a pace that tests modern patience. Some find it slow to the point of somnolence.
Fraggle Rock1983
Jim Henson's puppet world has genuine whimsy and heart. A family of creatures navigates their underground society with humour that works for kids and adults. Warmly anarchic.
But It can feel didactic—lessons are often explicit rather than earned. The saccharine moments don't always land.
The Wombles1973
Crisp British animation about creatures who live on Wimbledon Common and collect rubbish to repurpose. Clever, morally sound without sermonising, and genuinely funny in a dry way.
But The pacing is leisurely. If you need constant stimulation, it won't keep you. Some episodes blur together.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Button Moon
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Box of Delights1984
Both are British children's television built on practical effects and a willingness to be genuinely odd. Neither feels compelled to explain its logic or hurry. Both are artefacts of an era when children's TV trusted its audience to live in strangeness.
A stop-motion Christmas fantasy that's baroque, slightly unsettling, and enchanting. It feels handmade in the best way—full of practical effects and genuine strangeness that modern TV can't quite replicate.
But The pacing is glacial by modern standards and the plot meanders. It's built for patience and evening watching, not casual viewing.
More like this (5)
Clangers1969
Stop-motion space creatures who live on a small planet and communicate in whistles. Bizarrely soothing, visually inventive, and stranger than it first appears. Pure creative joy.
But The lack of dialogue is either meditative or frustrating depending on your temperament. It's genuinely slow.
The Magic Roundabout1965
Anarchic French animation about a dog, a rabbit, and their surreal friends in a magical garden. The English dub is hilariously deadpan. Strange, funny, and hypnotic.
But It's deliberately nonsensical. If you watch wanting plot coherence, you'll be perpetually baffled and annoyed.
Danger Mouse1981
British cartoon about a white mouse secret agent with an eyepatch. Fast-paced, silly, packed with puns and absurdist humour. Genuinely clever writing under the mayhem.
But The rapid-fire jokes mean some land and some miss. The constant noise can exhaust. Very much a product of its animation era.
Aquaman1967
Surprisingly fun Filmation cartoon with ridiculous Sea-friends and genuinely imaginative underwater villains. Earnest, bright, and weirder than you'd expect.
But The animation is limited and the dialogue delivery often wooden. Some episodes border on tedious. Not aged well.
Time Masters1982
Both use animation to build worlds rather than tell conventional stories. Both are uninterested in narrative efficiency or explanation. Both feel like they exist in their own logic entirely.
René Laloux's gorgeously animated sci-fi film about a rescue mission through alien landscapes. It's meditative, visually singular, and genuinely strange—an art film that happens to be science fiction.
But It's deliberately paced, wordless for long stretches, and emotionally cool rather than warm. The animation is hand-drawn and hypnotic, which some find tedious. No plot summary will prepare you.
