One of my favourite TV shows as a child, was Pingu. Who would have thought that a collection of five minute episodes, featuring a noisy plasticine penguin, would be such a success?

All the episodes are on YouTube, and I found myself reliving part of my childhood last Saturday.

The first episode I found saw Pingu misbehave during a family meal, before getting told off and a smacked bottom, for throwing food at Mummy Penguin.

As a result of the family row, Pingu runs away from home (an igloo), before predictably becoming scared and lost.

It was great.

There was no way, in the year 2019, that CBBC would show that episode now…

• Smacking Pingu’s bum would now be classed as child abuse.
• The food fight, worryingly identifies a broken home.
• Pingu is clearly demonstrating a concerning level of ADHD.
• Let’s not even go there with Pingu running away from home. Did I mention there was a happy ending back in 1990? He was given a hot drink and snuggled in the warmth and safety of mummy and daddy’s bed. A lovely end to the episode, I am sure you’ll agree. In 2019, a lost and vulnerable Pingu meets a dangerous sealion called Rolf. Let’s just say, the subsequent episodes take a turn for the worse. Instead of being shown in between Peppa Pig and Dora the Explorer, Pingu 2019 becomes a hard-hitting 3-part ITV drama on child abuse.

The point of this blog post isn’t about the fact that, despite this generation’s minors, frequently murdering prostitutes on Grand Theft Auto, political correctness would undoubtably prevent 1990s kids’ television from being shown in 2019. No – this post is a lot more serious…

What in the name of bloody hell has happened to the Pingu intro?

This is the classic Pingu, we all grew to know and love…

Here’s the modern intro…

If I ever find who is responsible for this blasphemy, I will give them such a smacked bottom!