An entertaining and informed history of children's television from 1958 to 1985: a celebration of a unique and hugely influential shared cultural experience and an analysis of what it said about the nation then, and what it means to us now.

For decades, British children's TV was surely the finest entertainment in the world. From Thunderbirds to The Clangers, Blue Peter to Magpie, Camberwick Green to Tiswas, and Captain Pugwash to The Magic Roundabout, there was a huge variety on offer for kids - and adults - to enjoy.

Now, in The Golden Age of Children's TV, Tim Worthington brings back the joy of those times and the programmes we loved, sharing a deep-dive behind the scenes of key programmes, how they came about and the stories behind the shows. From Saturday morning telly to teatime favourites, discover everything you never knew about the programmes you loved as well as the gossip from behind-the-scenes.

Written with affection but also with a wry appreciation of the shortcomings of the times, this is the hugely engaging and entertaining story of a key part of our pop culture, from a time long before streaming and the internet, when we sat down together to watch brilliant British telly.

"'The wisdom of Florence, the mystery of Dylan and the fun of Zebedee are combined in this hugely entertaining and charming book. Sincere love, detailed memory and deep knowledge make this dive into children's TV history truly joyful and satisfying'" - SAMIRA AHMED

"'I love this book. It's important, invaluable and oddly emotional. Our favourites are there, of course, Bagpuss, Swap Shop, Play School, but Tim Worthington, with unabashed obsession, picks apart three decades of the nation's teatimes, Saturday mornings and long summer breaks'" - GRACE DENT

"'Tim Worthington is the acknowledged master of this kind of entertaining but authoritative media scholarship'" - STUART MACONIE

"'A fabulous deep dive into an Atlantis of nostalgia'" - DAVID QUANTICK