ABC Kids

Background
ABC Kids is the children's block run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It ran as a block on the main channel from 1991-2011. From 2001-2009, the block was branded as abckids as it tried to target older children as well as younger ones. In 2009, around the same time ABC3 launched, the block returned to being preschool-focused and revived the original ABC for Kids name and logo, since ABC3 was now catering to older children. At the same time, a secondary block launched on ABC2, then called ABC for Kids on 2. In 2011, the block on the main channel ended after 20 years, with all preschool programming moving to ABC2. Since then ABC Kids has aired from 6-7pm, with ABC2 (later ABC Comedy, and as ABC TV Plus) taking over at 7pm. Since the start of the block in 1991, the ABC Kids branding has been used on home media releases of children's programming from ABC.

Note: There are multiple periods where ABC Kids changed their branding on television, but continued using older branding on home video releases, thus the time periods denoted on this page may overlap considerably. Except where an era is denoted as "TV Only", the ending dates for each logo should be taken to refer to their last known home video appearance.

1st Logo (3 June 1991-21 June 1993) (Home Video Only)


Logo: A card features Babar the Elephant next to a "B", as a voiceover says "B is for Babar" and a clip of the show plays accompanied by its theme song. The same pattern is followed for the following shows: Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Play School, Fireman Sam, and Spot. 3 more similar cards to the ones used for all the shows flash up with the letters "A", "B", and "C" before cutting to the ABC for Kids logo, which consists of 6 squares in a 2x3 grid with the top 3 squares containing the letters "A", "B" and "C" and the bottom row containing items that start with the letters above, in order, an apple, a bee and a carrot. Below the squares, "For Kids" is written in a small spaced out font with 2 small ABC "Lissajous curve" logos on either side. As the logo appears, the voiceover says "And ABC is for the best in children's video. They're all available for you to collect now".

Trivia: The clips from the shows are as follows:


 * Babar (2 clips from the episodes "Babar's First Step" and "City Ways")
 * Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (3 clips from the episodes "Thomas Comes to Breakfast" and "Wrong Road")
 * Play School (1 clip)
 * Fireman Sam (3 clips from the show's opening)
 * The Adventures of Spot (1 clip from the show's opening)

Variants:
 * Later tapes show a promo picture of Thomas from the TV series rather than a Railway Series illustration of him.
 * On earlier New Zealand tapes, a theme montage promo was used. While starting off with the ending card, the clips appear in varying order. They are Postman Pat, Spot (taken straight from this logo), Play School (Walking In The City, taken from Hats), Babar, The World of David the Gnome and Fireman Sam.

Technique: Stop motion and 2D animation from the clips.

Music/Sounds: The sounds from the clips and the narrator and when the cards show up at the end, the Play School theme is heard.

Availability:
 * Seen on ABC Kids videos from 1991 through 1993, some examples being the 1991 VHS of Play School: The Road Show, Spot's First Video (the 1997 print uses the 3rd logo), Spot Goes to the Farm (the 1994 print uses the 3rd logo and the 2000s reissue uses the 4th logo), ABC for Kids Video Hits and ABC for Kids Video Hits Vol 2 (the 1993 and 1994 prints use the 3rd logo), The Adventures of Spot (the 2000 re-release uses the 4th logo), Play School: Special and Concert, and Peter Combe Plays Chopsticks (the 1993 VHS uses the 3rd logo). On the 1993 re-issue of Babar: The Missing Crown Affair, the 1994 reprint of Fireman Sam: Fire Safety Special, the 1994 re-issue of ABC For Kids: Live in Concert, and the 1997 re-issue of Fireman Sam: Lost Cat, the logo is replaced by the 3rd logo.
 * This is also retained on the 1994 reprints of Bananas in Pyjamas: Birthday Special and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends: Thomas and Gordon, the 1998 VHS reprint of Fireman Sam: A Spot of Bother and on the 1997 reprint of Bananas in Pyjamas: Show Business.
 * The last three tapes to use this promo were Babar: Monkey Business, Fireman Sam: Brass Band and Widget: Great Barrier Thief.

Legacy: A known favourite amongst Australian kids' show fans. This is the first promo to debut the ABC For Kids logo.

2nd Logo (21 September 1992-2009)


Logo: A bee buzzes around with a banner containing the letters "A", "B" and "C" in the style of the then-current ABC For Kids logo. The banner snaps into place in the centre towards the top of the screen, the bee then appears below the banner and flies around to create a dust trail in the shape of the ABC Lissajous curve logo before disappearing.

Variant: At the end of ABC for Kids Video Hits Vol 2 (1992), the logo continues with the Bee flying into the screen and ending up below the "B", an apple falling down below the "A" and a carrot emerging from the ground below the "C", "For Kids" fades in below. While this happens, a child's voice talks about ABC for Kids books and merchandise being available at ABC Shops and Centres. This variant was also seen as the intro to ABC for Kids: Live in Concert, albeit with the opening theme.

Technique: Simple 90s 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: The bee buzzing. Plus the sounds of the environment (such as birds chirping), and a sound effect when the banner snaps into place. The long version has narration and additional sound effects.

Availability:
 * The long version was only seen on ABC for Kids Video Hits Vol 2 (1992) and ABC for Kids: Live in Concert.
 * The short version was used as an intermission clip on compilation video tapes like ABC for Kids Favourites, at the opening of some VHS releases (such as The Wiggles: The Wiggly Big Show, The Dorothy the Dinosaur and Friends Video, and Captain Feathersword the Friendly Pirate) in place of the 4th logo, and on most ABC Kids DVDs released from 2000-2009 (such as on most The Wiggles DVDs like Wiggly TV, Pop Go the Wiggles, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, and the opening of Wiggle Bay, as well as on The Hooley Dooleys: At the Farm).
 * The last release to use this logo on home video was the 2006 VHS of The Wiggles: Here Comes the Big Red Car, and its last known DVD appearance was on the 2009 DVD of Fireman Sam: A Spot of Bother.

3rd Logo (23 August 1993-10 November 1997) (Home Video Only)


Note: The video on the right is the original 1993-late 1994 variant

Logo: As a series of clips from ABC children's shows of the era plays, a voice (possibly that of veteran Play School presenter Benita Collings) says:

"There's a place, alive with the magic of imagination and all the colours of the rainbow. There's a place where the heart and mind always play together. There's a place to learn from, laugh about and grow with. There's a place that's miles from the everyday yet so close to home. There's a place where friends are funny, furry and often four-legged. There's a very special place just waiting for you. It's called ABC for Kids. The best in children's entertainment to take home on video today."

Towards the end of the narration, an extended version of the first logo's animation introduces the ABC for Kids logo, then once it finishes, it zooms up and a ladybug comes in from the left forming the words "the best in children's entertainment on video" and then the bee buzzes past and we see another clip. The clips before the 2D animation are all playing in a frame with the boxes "A", "B" and "C" with the Apple, Bee and Carrot following respectively, sliding left and right, with the bee bouncing back and fourth.

Trivia: The clips from the shows are as follows:
 * Bananas in Pyjamas (3 clips from the episodes "Doctor Bananas", "See-Saw" and "Chasing Rainbows")
 * Play School (1 clip from Play School Meets the Orchestra)
 * Johnson and Friends (1 clip from the episode "Baby of the Family")
 * Lift Off (3 clips from the episodes "Remember 2" and "That's Not Fair 2", another from the episode "Because It Feels Good 2" appears at the end)
 * Thomas and Friends (1 clip from the episode "Trust Thomas")
 * Widget the World Watcher (2 clips from the episode "Widget's Walkabout")
 * Postman Pat (2 clips from the specials Postman Pat takes the Bus and Postman Pat and the Toy Soldiers)
 * ABC For Kids: Live In Concert (2 clips from The Wiggles' performances of "Get Ready to Wiggle" and "Here Comes a Bear")
 * Ferry Boat Fred (1 clip from the episode "Fred the Floating Zoo")
 * Blinky Bill (1 clip from the show's opening)
 * The Adventures of Spot (1 clip from the episode "Spot Goes to the Farm")

Variant: The original variant (used from 1993-late 1994) is basically the same as above, but instead, there are 2 Fireman Sam clips (taken from the show's opening) in place of the Johnson and Friends clip and an additional clip from Ferry Boat Fred (taken from the episode "Fred Joins a Band") in place of the Blinky Bill clip.

Technique: Live-action, stop motion and animated clips from different shows and 2-D animation for the ABC for Kids towards the end.

Music/Sounds: A calm tune and the narration, plus sound from the clips at certain times, when the bee buzzes past, we hear a bee buzzing noise.

Availability:
 * Seen on all ABC Kids VHS tapes from mid 1993 to around 1997, some tapes that have this logo are Spot's Magical Christmas, Johnson and Friends: Dinosaur Tracks (one of the first known tapes to use the late 1994-1997 variant), Lift-Off: E.C. and the Lift-Off Kids, Postman Pat and the Barometer, the 1997 VHS of The Wiggles: Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas (the 1999 print uses the previous logo), the 1993 re-print of Play School: All Together Show & at the Zoo, the 1997 VHS of The Wiggles: Wiggledance! (the 1998 print plasters this with the next logo instead), and Play School: On the Move.
 * The pre-late 1994 variant also appears during the closing of the 1994 VHS tape of Airbourne (said closing mainly composed of kids VHS promos) despite being a Roadshow release.
 * This promo is also retained on the 1997 reprint of Bananas in Pyjamas: Hiccups and the 2000 reprints of The Wiggles: Big Red Car and The Wiggles: Wake Up Jeff! as their masters were recycled from their original 1993, 1995 and 1996 releases, respectively.
 * Some of the first tapes to use the logo are Play School: Out and About and Wiggle Time!.
 * On the 2000s re-issues of Spot Goes to the Farm and Spot Goes to a Party, this logo is replaced by the next one.
 * This does not appear on Blinky Bill and the Winter's Tale, the 1993 VHS tape of Peter Ustinov Reads the Orchestra, the 1994 VHS tape of Escape from Jupiter and the 1995 VHS tapes of Art Attack and Art Attack 2 as they use a normal ABC Video promo instead.
 * One of the last tapes to use the pre late-1994 variant was ABC for Kids: Lots of Other Great Songs.
 * Some of the last tapes to use this logo were Arthur's Eyes and Arthur's Pet Business.

Legacy: A favourite amongst Australian kid show fans. The additional clip from Lift Off at the end of the promo may get to some, due to the Backsacks finishing singing the "Echo Song".

4th Logo (28 November 1994-10 March 1997; 5 January 1998-2008 (ident), 1998-2005 (clip show))


Logo:
 * Ident: Against a white background, the 2 rows of 3 boxes appear empty and hand drawn (changing colors throughout). Over them, an ant walks in, before turning into an armadillo and then an apple as it moves into its square and a group of Kids says "A", next, a bird flies in, turns into a butterfly and then a bee which moves into its box as the Kids voices say "B", then a cow walks in before becoming a cat, then a carrot which moves into its box as the kids say "C", the Kids then say "ABC!" as the entire logo is revealed.
 * Home Video Promo: The TV ident plays out as normal. We then cut to a clip show featuring in order: The Hooley Dooleys, Blinky Bill, Bananas in Pyjamas, Arthur, Noddy's Toyland Adventures, Johnson and Friends, Magic Mountain, Sesame Street, Postman Pat, Thomas the Tank Engine, Spot, and The Wiggles: Wiggledance!. The last few seconds of the ident animation play again, but this time, after the kids say "ABC!" we hear a voiceover (possibly that of veteran ABC TV announcer Tony Ferguson) saying "Bringing you the best in children's video".

Variants: Trivia: The Clips from the shows are taken from their following episodes (or VHS releases/concerts):
 * On the opening sequence of the VHS of ABC for Kids: Lots of Other Great Songs (seen after the Roadshow Entertainment logo), after the kids say "ABC!" when the logo is revealed, the logo changes back into the 2 rows of 3 boxes, and then the CG "Lots of Great Songs!" text in green is being formed.
 * A shortened version appears on the 1998 VHS of The Wiggles: Toot Toot!, as it only shows the main logo at the start.
 * An even shorter version exists, showing only the "A" portion of the animation. It's unknown if any similar shorter versions that only show the "B", or "C" portions of the animation exist.
 * On Mixy VHS tapes, Mixy appears on the left side of the logo.
 * On the promo for the now-defunct ABC For Kids Club (which ran from 1998 until late 2002), the 20-second TV ident plays out as normal. When finished, the rest of the promo for the club continues, advertising the Club and the bonus things that people can get after joining the club.
 * On post-2005 DVDs of Hit Entertainment shows, the original 20-second TV ident without the clip show was used. Later releases have the audio cut off after the kids say "C!".


 * The Hooley Dooleys (taken from the 1997 VHS of "The Hooley Dooleys")
 * Blinky Bill (taken from the episode "Blinky Bill and the Lost Puppy")
 * Bananas in Pyjamas (taken from the episode "Cinder Rat")
 * Arthur (taken from the episode "Arthur's Spelling Trubble")
 * Noddy's Toyland Adventures (taken from the episode "Noddy the Champion")
 * Johnson and Friends (taken from the episode "Victoria Gets Swapped")
 * Magic Mountain (taken from the episode "Invisible Lion")
 * Sesame Street (taken from "Sesame Street: The Best of Elmo & Elmocize")
 * Postman Pat (taken from the episode "Postman Pat in a Muddle")
 * Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (taken from the episode "Thomas and the Special Letter")
 * The Adventures of Spot (taken from the episode "Spot's Favourite Toy")
 * The Wiggles (taken from "The Wiggles: Wiggledance!")

Technique: CGI and clips from ABC Kids shows of the era.

Music/Sounds: A calm, happy jingle and the Kids voices for the animation, sound from the clips and the voiceover briefly at the end.

Availability:
 * The long promo was seen on all ABC Kids VHS tapes from the late 1990s to early 2000s (examples being Don Spencer's Club Kangaroo Australia, Spot and His Grandparents Go to the Carnival, Bananas In Pyjamas: Beat Box, The Fimbles: Get the Fimbling Feeling and Spot's Musical Adventures) can also be seen on a few DVDs of the time with two examples being The Hooley Dooleys: Super Dooper and The Hooley Dooleys: All Together Now.
 * It was strangely absent on the VHS releases of Arthur & The Crunch Cereal Contest and The Wiggles: Space Dancing!.
 * The short version was used on television during the ABC for Kids block between 1994 and 2001.
 * It debuted on home video on the 1994 VHS release of ABC for Kids: Lots of Other Great Songs (as an intermission clip) and was also used as part of the opening of ABC for Kids: Showtime, and as an intermission clip on the ABC For Kids compilation VHS tapes such as ABC for Kids: Favourites, ABC for Kids: Bumper Collection, and ABC for Kids: Let's Sing and Dance!.
 * The first tapes to use this were Babar: A Charmed Life, Billy the Cat: The Rescue, Johnson and Friends: The Tin Star and Oakie Doke and the Orchestra.
 * It also shows up at the closing of the VHS of The Hooley Dooleys: Keep on Dancing right after the ABC Video logo, on the VHS of Johnson and Friends: Sock Soup (despite being a Fun For Kids tape), and at the end of the DVD of The Wiggles: Wiggle Bay after a promo for other The Wiggles VHS tapes and DVDs released at the time.
 * The ABC For Kids Club promo variant can be found during the opening of the 2000 VHS of ABC For Kids: Play Box, and the 2002 VHS of Down to Earth (despite being a Roadshow release).
 * It's also seen on the 2001 VHS of Arthur Babysits (even though it's a Fun For Kids Tape).

Legacy: A fan favourite among many Australian kids show fans. The "clip show" variant is noted for its quotability, thanks to many people memorising the dialogue used from watching various periodical ABC For Kids VHS releases.

1st Logo (2001-2009)
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Logo: In the logo, we see kids doing activities such as skateboarding, swimming, among others, while the text "cool", "kids", and "cool kids" show up. After we see a girl swimming, the "cool kids" text zooms into an underwater environment as three stingray-like things fly and become straight. We last see a fish swimming to the logo, as a "abckids" shows up and forms the logo described below, and the fish swims away from it.

Technique: The sound of the activities the kids are playing in, with underwater sounds as the logo is formed.

Music/Sounds: A wild fanfare done by an organ, with an ending done on a marimba.

Availability:
 * Can be seen on DVDs with the ABC Kids logo on the front cover.
 * It also makes a surprise appearance on the DVD release of ABC For Kids: Just For Fun, despite the VHS using the "Clip Show" version of the 4th logo.

2nd Logo (2001-2009)
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Logo: There are two types of IDs:
 * In the long IDs, we see a clip of kids having fun, leading into an animation featuring the abckids logo, essentially an abstract shape based on the ABC Lissajous curve with the words "abckids" in, with the "c" lowered slightly relative to the rest of the text on the shape.
 * In the short IDs, we see a CGI either forming the logo or happening around it. Notably, some of these idents featured a group of balloon puppies which interacted with the logo.

Technique: A mix of live-action and 3D animation

Music/Sounds: Various.

Availability: Extinct.
 * Check your old recordings as this branding was never used on home video.
 * At this time video releases still used the older "ABC For Kids" branding.
 * It should be noted that the "puppet show" IDs were used for opening and closing the block only and were used even after the next IDs were introduced and right up until this branding was discontinued following the launch of ABC3 and the ABC Kids block returning to a pre-school focused format.

Legacy: These are very much a product of the early 2000s visually, but they are a source of nostalgia for those who grew up in this era.

3rd Logo (2005-2008)
Logo: The same concept as the "There's More to..." IDs used by ABC TV at the time, except the metallic Lissajous curve is replaced by the abckids logo and the IDs feature various kids and characters from abckids shows.

Technique: A mix of 3D animation and either live action or the animation style of whatever character is appearing.

Music/Sounds: See the previous ID.

Availability:
 * Extinct on TV.
 * Check your recordings between 2005 and 2008.
 * These were used in tandem with the previous IDs.

(2009-2015, 2017-2020)


Logo: We see an ant come out of a box stacked on another one. It goes down to another box which opens to reveal an armadillo like the one from the last logo with an apple; he throws the apple to a live action boy sitting next to an "A" as the ant and a live action girl looks on. We see another stack of boxes balancing precariously with a live action boy and a bilby (an Australian marsupial, for those who don't know) at the top, butterflies emerge from the second box and the third box is revealed to be balancing on a "B" with a live action girl sitting next to it pointing up as a bee flies down. A cat bounces across a series of boxes, turning into a crocodile and then a carrot as it finally bounces off the letter "C". We cut to 3 kids in the middle of the frame who run off as 9 blocks bounce in and form a new version of the ABC for Kids logo; the first 2 rows are a redesigned version of the original boxes, while "FOR" and "KIDS" have their own boxes and the final box contains the 2002-2014 ABC Lissajous curve logo.

Variants:
 * There's a shortened version featured at the end of most DVDs, which lacks the kids and is somewhat fast paced. Also, the ABC Lissajous curve on the bottom-right box is multicoloured in the same style as the then-current ABC DVD logo. This has since become the main variant.
 * There's also a shortened version that only shows the formation.
 * A shortened variant was used for the ABC For Kids on 2 block on ABC2 from 2009-2011.
 * On Giggle & Hoot, after the logo is fully formed, the boxes spin, changing them into cardboard boxes, and the middle box opens up, and we follow the bee as it flies into it, leading to the show's opening title sequence.
 * A special Goodnight ident was made for closing the ABC For Kids on 2 block on ABC2. Starting with the logo fully formed, this variant is focused on the CG characters going to bed.

Technique: Live-action kids interacting with CGI. This was made by ZSPACE.

Music/Sounds: A bouncy happy tune, with a bunch of kids saying "A!", "B!", "C!" and "ABC!" as they appear on screen similar to the 4th logo.

Availability:
 * In general, the standard variant was seen on DVDs from 2009 until 2015.
 * The variant without the kids appears at the end of DVDs from the same time period, and at the start of DVDs of The Wiggles and Play School from 2017-2019, in place of the ABC DVD logo.
 * On TV, the logo was used between 2009 and 2011, when the ABC4Kids branding was introduced.

Legacy: The CGI is much better than the 4th logo in its first era, the music is nice to listen to, and the animation makes this logo one of the most memorable ones in Australia.

(2011-2015)
Logo: There are both long and short IDs.
 * The short IDs feature a brief animation of the disembodied 4 of the new "ABC 4 kids" logo interacting with the rest of the logo, inevitably leading them to be joined together.
 * The long ones featured kids interacting with CGI environments, a-la the previous logo.

Technique: All CGI combined with live-action.

Music/Sounds: Depends on the idents, the short ones typically featured variations on a happy, bouncy tune.

Availability: Seen on the TV block from 2011-2015.

1st Logo (2015-2020)
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Logo: We start with the 2015 ABC Kids logo, which is "ABC" in small print at the bottom with a Lissajous curve next to it as per the previous logo with the word "KIDS" in big letters above with new, round, versions of the objects previously used in the "Boxes" logos, on a background. The new logo squeezes up and flies off like a firework, turning into a rocket, leaving the "objects" behind, and we cut to a cartoony version of space. We see that the rocket has a live action kid in it. We cut to a pink rocket with another kid in it, waving as a third kid uses some kind of slide. We then see a kid throwing a frisbee to a cartoony dog in a space helmet and some other kids playing, one using a hopper ball at the base of a blue rocket. We then cut back to the ABC Kids logo, now on a background and on an angle, and the original  rocket flies round and then behind the logo as it shuts like a door.

Technique: Live-action kids surrounded by CGI, similar to the 2008 logo, but done slightly better.

Music/Sounds: A cheery tune and various sound effects.

Availability: Seen on all ABC Kids DVDs since 2015. Also seen on the TV block.

2nd Logo (Closing Variant) (2015-2020)
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Logo: On a background, we see the ABC Kids logo slowly inflating. When it comes to its correct size, the apple, bee and carrot circles fly around, and then arrive back into the logo.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: A rendition of the ABC Kids riff with three slow notes followed by an up-tempo four-note riff, along with matching sound effects.

Availability: Same as the logo above until it was retired.

3rd Logo (2020-)


Logo: On a white background, we see an apple jumping in the air with different coloured circles. The same happens with the bee and a crocodile. Afterwards, we see all three of them bouncing on a circle as the new logo, which is the ABC Lissajous curve in a  circle with the  word "Kids" below, forms from it. The circle goes away, and the three characters stand in a stilted pose towards the audience.

Variant: A closing variant exists. We see the three characters having fun on a slide. Shortly after, they all get off as the apple rolls on its side to the crocodile. The crocodile helps the apple up as the logo forms in. The characters stand in a stilted pose like in the above logo.

Technique: 2D animation by ABC Made.

Music/Sounds: A rendition of the ABC Kids jingle from the 10th logo with some "children" sound effects mixed in. The closing variant has different sound effects.

Availability:
 * The opening variant is seen on all ABC Kids DVDs starting from 2020.
 * The first DVD to use that variant was The Wiggles: Fun and Games.
 * Also seen on the TV channel.
 * The closing variant is seen at the end of DVDs and on the TV channel.