Candy Jar Books

11/10/2026

📺 100 DAYS OF 90s KIDS’ TV – DAY 26/100 📺

🚂 Remember when Thomas the Tank Engine wasn't just a TV show… he was basically EVERYWHERE? 😂

🎬 DAY 26: THOMAS TAKES OVER!

For Day 26, we're going back to this brilliant advert for ERTL's Thomas the Tank Engine toy range.

And if you were a Thomas fan in the 90s, you didn't just have to settle for watching him on television.

Oh no.

You could have Thomas toys. 🚂
Thomas books. 📚
Thomas puzzles. 🧩
Thomas lunch boxes. 🍱
Thomas lampshades. 💡

Basically, if you could put Thomas on it, someone probably did!

This ERTL advert is a great little snapshot of just how enormous the Thomas merchandise machine had become. The railway adventures might have started on the Island of Sodor, but Thomas was quickly making his way into every corner of children's bedrooms, school bags and toy boxes.

And… some of us probably wouldn't have had it any other way. ❤️🚂

WATCH THE ADVERT HERE: ▶️ https://youtu.be/96l_brIEQx8?is=yffriKbU4wQ_P3zI

What Thomas the Tank Engine merchandise did you have growing up? And did anyone else have a Thomas lunch box?! 😂

26 days down. 74 more to go. Give us a follow and come back tomorrow for Day 27!

Recorded In 1996!!!

10/10/2026

📺 100 DAYS OF 90s KIDS’ TV – DAY 25/100 📺

🔥 Remember when a children's TV show had a machine called the FORFEIT FURNACE… and parents actually complained to the BBC about it? 😂

🎬 DAY 25: THE FORFEIT FURNACE CONTROVERSY

If you watched Get Your Own Back in the 90s, you knew exactly what was coming when someone was sent to the Forfeit Furnace.

And if you didn't watch it…

Well, basically, it was a giant contraption designed to dish out punishments to the grown-ups who had been nominated by their children. 😂

Presented by the legendary Dave Benson Phillips, Get Your Own Back was peak 90s children's television.

Kids would nominate a parent, teacher or other grown-up who had wronged them, compete in ridiculous challenges and then, if they won, they got their revenge.

And that revenge could involve anything from getting covered in gunge to being subjected to the terrifying machinery of the Forfeit Furnace. 🔥😂

But not everyone thought it was quite so hilarious.

For Day 25, we're looking back at the moment when outraged parents contacted the BBC's Points of View to complain about the controversial Forfeit Furnace.

Because apparently watching grown adults being humiliated on television in front of thousands of children was where some parents drew the line. 😂

And honestly, it's fascinating watching this back today.

The 90s were full of children's programmes that were deliberately chaotic, messy and slightly anarchic. Get Your Own Back wasn't trying to be educational or particularly sensible.

It was about REVENGE.

It was about children getting one over on adults.

And it was about the sheer joy of watching your mum, dad, teacher or other unfortunate grown-up getting absolutely covered in gunge. 🤣

Looking back, the complaints are almost as entertaining as the programme itself.

Because imagine sitting down, watching Get Your Own Back, becoming genuinely outraged by the Forfeit Furnace and thinking:

📞 “Right. I'm writing to the BBC.”

😂😂😂

But that's what makes these old clips so brilliant. They remind us just how different children's television could be – loud, messy, ridiculous and completely unafraid to let kids have a bit of fun at the adults' expense.

And let's be honest…

If Get Your Own Back came back today, the Forfeit Furnace would probably have its own TikTok account. 🔥😂

WATCH THE POINTS OF VIEW CLIP HERE: ▶️ https://youtu.be/5E-_qxhzlXg?is=njkqYWqsawE4B8ax

Did you watch Get Your Own Back? Were you a fan of the Forfeit Furnace? And did you ever secretly wish you could nominate a teacher or parent? 😂

25 days down. 75 more to go. Give us a follow and come back tomorrow for Day 26!

© BBC. Featuring the infamous 'bear burning' incident from series 5...

09/10/2026

📺 100 DAYS OF 90s KIDS’ TV – DAY 24/100 📺

🎮 Remember when the PlayStation wasn't a retro console… it was THE new thing everyone desperately wanted? 😂

🎬 DAY 24: ANDY CRANE MEETS THE PLAYSTATION!

Before PlayStation 2, before the PS3, before online gaming, downloadable games and spending £70 on a new release… there was this.

THE MIGHTY ORIGINAL PLAYSTATION. 🎮🔥

And in the 90s, it felt like the future had arrived.

For Day 24, we're going back to CITV's brilliant technology and gaming show Bad Influence!, where Andy Crane takes a look at Sony's brand-new PlayStation console.

And if you were a 90s kid watching this at the time, this wasn't some dusty old piece of retro gaming history.

This was cutting-edge technology. 😂

The PlayStation had arrived in the UK in 1995 and very quickly became one of the defining consoles of the decade. Suddenly, those blocky cartridges we'd grown up with were being replaced by shiny CDs, 3D graphics were becoming a BIG deal, and everyone seemed to be talking about games like Wipeout, Ridge Racer and Tekken.

And watching Andy Crane reviewing it now is absolutely fascinating because you can see just how exciting this all felt at the time.

No YouTube reviews.
No TikTok.
No 4K gameplay videos.
No downloading a 100GB update before you can even start playing.

If you wanted to know whether a new console was any good, you watched programmes like Bad Influence! and hoped they told you everything you needed to know. 😂

And let's not forget the greatest 90s gaming ritual of all…

📺 Watching someone else play because they had the console and you DIDN'T. 😭😂

Bad Influence! was brilliant at capturing that feeling that technology was changing incredibly quickly. Games weren't just something you played anymore, they were becoming a huge part of youth culture.

Looking back at this footage today, it's amazing to think that the PlayStation being shown here would eventually become one of the most successful and recognisable gaming brands in the world.

But back then? It was just the new PlayStation. And we REALLY wanted one. 🎮❤️

WATCH ANDY CRANE REVIEW THE PLAYSTATION HERE: ▶️ https://youtu.be/J3YHXF719jw?feature=shared

Did you have a PlayStation in the 90s? What was the first game you played? And were you a PlayStation kid, a Sega kid or a Nintendo kid? 👀🎮

24 days down. 76 more to go. Give us a follow and come back tomorrow for Day 25!

Bad Influence! was a UK magazine television show featuring video ga...

08/10/2026

08/10/2026

📺 100 DAYS OF 90s KIDS’ TV – DAY 23/100 📺

🧸 Remember when being a 90s tot meant having an entire world of videos, computer games and cuddly characters waiting for you? 😂

🎬 DAY 23: THE BBC TOYBOX PROMO

If you were a little kid in the late 90s, chances are you were familiar with the BBC's Toybox brand.

And this 1998 promo is basically a tiny time capsule of what the BBC thought 90s tots wanted for Christmas… or their birthday… 🎁

Toybox brought together some of the BBC's biggest preschool and children's favourites, with a mixture of videos and computer games designed to keep little ones entertained.

And just look at the line-up! 👀

There are familiar faces, colourful characters and enough nostalgia packed into a couple of minutes to make anyone who grew up in the 90s suddenly remember sitting far too close to the television.

💿 VHS videos?
🎮 Computer games?
📺 BBC children's favourites?
🧸 Characters you absolutely HAD to have?

Yep. This was basically the 90s toddler starter pack.

What's particularly brilliant about these old promos is seeing just how different children's entertainment was before streaming, YouTube and apps. If you wanted to watch your favourite character, you might have had to wait for it to be on TV… or persuade your mum and dad to buy the VHS. And if you wanted to play a game? Well, you'd better hope the family computer wasn't being used! 😂

The Toybox promo is also a great reminder of just how much the BBC was building a world around its children's programmes. These weren't just shows you watched for half an hour after school or on a Saturday morning. They were becoming videos, games, books and toys that followed you into the real world.

And… some of these old computer games look like they deserve a comeback. 🎮❤️

WATCH THE BBC TOYBOX PROMO HERE: ▶️ https://youtu.be/GB_vKgb6Zu4?is=uc3xok1DkZUvl1O6

Which Toybox video or computer game do you remember? And what was the ONE 90s kids' TV character you desperately wanted on VHS? 📺🧸

23 days down. 77 more to go. Give us a follow and come back tomorrow for Day 24!

Fireman SamPinguTeletubbiesPostman PatWilliam's Wish Wellington...

07/10/2026

📺 100 DAYS OF 90s KIDS’ TV – DAY 22/100 📺

💋 Remember when a same-sex kiss on a kids’ TV show caused such a fuss that parents were reaching for the phone? 😂

🎬 DAY 22: THE KISS THAT MADE TV HISTORY

In 1994, something happened on Byker Grove that would probably seem pretty unremarkable today. Two boys kissed. That was it. But back then?

Well… you'd think the BBC had broadcast something truly outrageous!

The moment between Noddy and Gary on Byker Grove became one of those pieces of television history that people still remember decades later. And it wasn't simply the kiss that made headlines. It was the reaction to it. The BBC received complaints from parents, newspapers picked up the story, and suddenly a brief moment in a children's drama had become a national talking point. People debated what children should be watching, whether a same-sex relationship was appropriate for a young audience, and whether television was changing too quickly.

Looking back now, the reaction is perhaps the most fascinating part of the story. Because beneath all the controversy, something genuinely significant had happened. Byker Grove had shown a same-sex kiss to a young audience at a time when LGBTQ+ representation on television was still incredibly rare. For many children watching at home, it probably wasn't a huge political moment. It was simply something that happened on Byker Grove. And perhaps that's what made it so important. ❤️

Of course, there was still a long way to go when it came to LGBTQ+ representation on British television. But moments like this helped open the door to conversations and stories that had often been ignored. It's easy to look back at the outrage today and wonder what all the fuss was about. But at the time, this really was a landmark moment in British children's television.💋

WATCH THE BYKER GROVE SCENE HERE: ▶️ https://youtu.be/UWWv7G2I-sE?is=eeQVrY6iXllwJPSa

Do you remember this episode? Did you watch Byker Grove back in the day? And do you remember the controversy surrounding the kiss?📺

22 days down. 78 more to go. Give us a follow and come back tomorrow for Day 23.

During a trip to the pictures Noddy Fishwick misreads the signs and...

07/10/2026

Free book! - https://mailchi.mp/e548e109d172/timescoop We’re pleased to offer you a free story from The Lucy Wilson Mysteries, written by Darren Evans.

The fair has arrived in Ogmore-by-Sea overnight, bringing with it the strangest attraction Lucy has ever seen: the crooked, clock-topped Time Scoop. Then she spots a dazzling blue button. It’s glowing. It’s mysterious. And, naturally, Lucy presses it.

Download the free story by clicking on the link...

06/10/2026

📺 100 DAYS OF 90s KIDS’ TV – DAY 21/100 📺

🛒 Remember when going shopping with Mr Blobby seemed like a perfectly sensible idea? 😂

🎬 DAY 21: MR BLOBBY GOES ON A SHOPPING SPREE!

If you were a kid in the early 90s, there was absolutely no escaping Mr Blobby. He was on Noels House Party. He had a song at Christmas. There was merchandise everywhere. And somehow, this enormous pink-and-yellow bloke who mostly said Blobby had become one of the biggest stars on British television. 😂

So naturally, the next logical step was to send him out shopping. And what could possibly go wrong? Well… Pretty much everything. 😂

Mr Blobby heads off on a shopping spree, and as you might expect, he doesn't exactly approach it like a normal trip to the shops.

There's running around. There's chaos. There's confused shoppers. There's an alarming amount of Blobby. And, of course, there are plenty of people desperately trying to work out what on earth is going on. 😂

Looking back, there's something wonderfully bonkers about the whole Mr Blobby phenomenon. Nowadays, wed probably call it a marketing strategy. Back then? He was just… Blobby. And somehow that was enough.

For a few glorious years, Britain collectively decided that a 6ft pink-and-yellow polka-dotted character who spoke almost entirely in one word was absolutely essential viewing.

😂🛒 WATCH MR BLOBBY GOES ON A SHOPPING SPREE BE:▶️ https://youtu.be/pOVeVBFT7sM?is=zaWW_TuvuW3xrqwM

Were you a Mr Blobby fan? Did you have any Blobby merchandise? Or did you find the whole thing slightly terrifying? 😂

📺 21 days down. 79 more to go. Give us a follow and come back tomorrow for Day 22.

Blobby hits the shops in style!!Please visithttps://www.mrblobby...

05/10/2026

📺 100 DAYS OF 90s KIDS’ TV – DAY 20/100 📺

🚀 Remember when Blue Peter came to the rescue because everyone wanted the same toy for Christmas? 😂

🎬 DAY 20: ANTHEA TURNER MAKES TRACY ISLAND – BLUE PETER 1993.

Thunderbirds was back on TV, Tracy Island was THE toy everyone wanted, and there was just one small problem…

You couldn't actually bloody find one. 😂

The Matchbox Tracy Island playset had become one of the must-have toys of Christmas, with shops struggling to keep up with demand.

So what did Blue Peter do?

They showed us how to make our own.

And not with anything fancy either.

A cardboard box.
Some toilet rolls.
A yoghurt pot.
Newspaper.
Paint.
A bit of imagination.

And probably quite a lot of glue. 😂

Anthea Turner took on the job of showing everyone how to build their very own Tracy Island out of household bits and pieces.

And this wasn't just some little craft that a handful of kids watched.

The response was huge. More than 100,000 requests were made to the BBC for the instructions afterwards.

Looking back, there's something brilliant about the whole thing.

Nowadays, if you wanted the latest must-have toy, you'd probably just order it online.

In 1993, Blue Peter basically said:

"Can't buy one? Make one." 😂

And suddenly half the country was rummaging through the recycling bin looking for cardboard.

▶️ WATCH ANTHEA TURNER SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE TRACY ISLAND HERE: https://youtu.be/ZM_iV7R8rTM?is=uHhvL79K2IJD40Q9

🚀 Did you ever make your own Tracy Island?

And if you did… did it actually look anything like the one on Blue Peter, or was yours held together with so much sticky tape that International Rescue probably wouldn't have been allowed to use it? 😂

📺 20 days down. 80 more to go.

Give us a follow and come back tomorrow for Day 21.

04/10/2026

📺 100 DAYS OF 90s KIDS’ TV – DAY 19/100 📺

🛍️ Remember when getting a Teletubby for Christmas was basically a national emergency? 😂

🎬 DAY 19: THE GREAT TELETUBBIES SHORTAGE OF CHRISTMAS '97

It's hard to explain to anyone who wasn't there just how BIG the Teletubbies were in 1997.

They weren't just a children's TV show anymore.

They were suddenly everywhere.

Tinky Winky. Dipsy. Laa-Laa. Po.

And apparently, every child in Britain needed one for Christmas. 😂

The demand for the Teletubbies toys got so ridiculous that shops were struggling to keep them in stock, parents were queuing outside stores from the early hours and some retailers even started limiting how many people could buy.

Yep… all that for four colourful, slightly odd-looking things from a children's television programme. 😂

There were even reports of people queueing from 2am to get their hands on them, while some shops were selling out almost as soon as new deliveries arrived.

And this BBC News report from November 1997 captures the whole madness perfectly.

You can almost hear the seriousness in the reporter's voice…

"TELETUBBIES ARE RUNNING OUT."

Meanwhile, somewhere at home, a four-year-old is probably just thinking:

"I want Po." 😂

The Teletubbies ended up being the top-selling Christmas toy of 1997, with around a million dolls sold in Britain by Christmas Day.

Honestly, looking back, it's one of those bits of 90s nostalgia that sounds completely made up until you see the footage.

▶️ WATCH THE BBC REPORT ON THE GREAT TELETUBBIES SHORTAGE HERE: https://youtu.be/hgKlKiK63iU?is=W4tzTn7Stkf5E-x6

So… be honest.

👶 Did you have a Teletubby in 1997?

And if you did… which one?

Tinky Winky 💜
Dipsy 💚
Laa-Laa 💛
Po ❤️

Or were you one of the unlucky ones whose parents couldn't find one anywhere? 😂

📺 19 days down. 81 more to go.

Give us a follow and come back tomorrow for Day 20.

"If you haven't already bought this year's most popular toy then p...