When adults go bananas

When adults go bananas

Children's TV has its share of decidedly grown-up antics, writes Lenny Ann Low.

Children's television programs have long been a tightly vetted form of entertainment. Scripts are assessed by advisers, props are painstakingly pre-assembled and every segment is carefully rehearsed beforehand.

But children's shows have their share of bloopers.

Animals don't behave as they should. Words with double meanings slip through.

Benita Collings, a presenter on ABC TV's Play School for 30 years, recalls several memorable moments, many of them involving her co-host, John Hamblin.

In one episode, Collings - pretending to be a house - was standing with her arms raised like a roof. ''John was saying, 'This is a nice strong house,''' she says. ''He walked in front of me, talking about the windows and so on.

''Then he went behind me and said, 'Lovely rear entrance,' and kept going.

''He could do that. The adults would get it and fall about, the kids would just think, 'Oh yeah, lovely rear access.'''

In another episode, she and Hamblin were explaining how to make lunch. Collings laid a tablecloth, on which she placed a plate and knife.

Watching this quietly, he asked: ''I suppose a fork's out of the question?''

Agro's Cartoon Connection, an early-morning children's show that aired from 1989-97 on Channel Seven, was rife with ribald humour.

Agro Vation, a puppet voiced and performed by Jamie Dunn, cheekily taunted most of his co-presenters.

When a viewer requested that he and co-host Terasa Livingstone kiss, he objected: ''There's plaque. Breath.'' Livingstone demurred but Agro continued: ''Yeah, well, what about the shaving rash on your chin?''

No surprises when it comes to Agro.

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Cartoon Connection with Agro was awesome, would never be allowed on tv these days.

Probably not, though to be fair I don't remember anything quite that adult actually making it to air.

Wow the voice of agro was one dirty bastard.