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 Kids on 2. In 2011 the block on the main channel ended after 23 years, with all preschool programming moving to ABC2. Since then ABC Kids has aired from 6-7pm, with ABC2 (later ABC Comedy) 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 (1991-1993) (Home Video Only)
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Nicknames: "Letters", "Boxes", "Apple, Bee, Carrot", "Theme Songs", "Kids Clip Show"

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".

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.

FX/SFX: 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, one example being Spot's First Video. On the 1997 re-issue of Fireman Sam: Lost Cat, the logo is replaced by the next one. This is retained on the 2001 VHS reprint of Fireman Sam: A Spot of Bother. One of the last tapes to use this logo was Fireman Sam: Brass Band.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1992-2009)
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Nicknames: "The Bee", "Buzzzz...", "Apple, Bee, Carrot III", "Boxes III" (Long Version).

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 in Concert, albeit with the opening theme.

FX/SFX: Simple 90s 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: The bee buzzing. Plus a sound effect when the banner snaps into place.

Availability: The long version was only seen on ABC For Kids Video Hits Vol 2 (1992) and ABC for Kids 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 in place of the 4th logo, and on most ABC Kids DVDs released from 2000-2009. The last release to use this logo was the 2009 DVD of Fireman Sam: A Spot of Bother.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (1993-1998) (Home Video Only)
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Nicknames: "There's a Place...", "Kids Clip Show II", "Boxes II", "Apple, Bee, Carrot II"

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 colors 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, the extended version of the previous logo's animation introduces the ABC For Kids logo, then once it finishes, it zooms up and a bee comes in from the left forming the words the best in children's entertainment on video and then a 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)
 * Play School (1 clip)
 * Johnson and Friends (1 clip)
 * Lift Off (3 clips, another appears at the end)
 * Thomas and Friends (1 clip)
 * Widget the World Watcher (2 clips)
 * Postman Pat (2 clips)
 * The Wiggles (2 clips)
 * Ferry Boat Fred (1 clip)
 * Blinky Bill (1 clip)
 * The Adventures of Spot (1 clip)

Variant: Pre mid-1994 tapes have Fireman Sam clips in place of the Johnson and Friends clip and an additional clip from Ferry Boat Fred in place of the Blinky Bill clip.

FX/SFX: Just the clips, live action, stop motion and animated from different shows, plus 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.

Availability: Seen on all ABC Kids VHS tapes from mid 1993 to around 1997, one tape that has this logo is Spot's Magical Christmas. This 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. One of the first tapes to use the logo was Wiggle Time!.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (1998-2005 (clip show), 1994-2008 (non-clip show ident))
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Nicknames: "Kids Clip Show III", "Boxes IV," "A, B, C!", "Apple, Bee, Carrot IV", "Bringing You the Best in Children's Video"

Logo:
 * Ident: The 2 rows of 3 boxes appear empty and hand drawn, 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. The last few seconds of the ident animation play again, this time, after the kids say "ABC!" we hear a voiceover say "Bringing you the best in children's video".

Variants:
 * 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 says "C!".
 * An even shorter version exists, showing only the "A" portion of the animation.
 * On Mixy VHS tapes, Mixy appears on the left side of the logo.

FX/SFX: CGI animation 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 a voiceover briefly at the end.

Availability: The long promo was seen on all ABC Kids VHS tapes from the late '90s to early 2000s, can also be seen on a few DVDs of the time. It was strangely absent on the VHS release of Arthur & The Crunch Cereal Contest. The short version was used on television during the ABC for Kids block between 1991 and 2001. It debuted on home video on the 1994 VHS release of ABC for Kids: Lots of Other Great Songs and was also used as an intermission clip on the VHS of ABC for Kids: Favourites. The first tape to use this was Johnson and Friends: The Tin Star.

Editor's Note: 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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Nickname: "Cool Kids"

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 blue abc kids text shows up and the fish swims away from it.

FX/SFX: 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.

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.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (2001-2009)
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Nicknames: "abckids", "Lissajous Blob"

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 green shape based on the ABC Lissajous curve with the words "abckids" in blue, with the C lowered slightly relative to the rest of the text on the shape.
 * In the short IDs, we see a CG animation either forming the logo or happening around it. Notably, some of these idents featured a group of purple balloon puppies which interacted with the logo.

FX/SFX: 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.

Editor's Note: 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)
Nicknames: "Lissajous blob II", "More..."

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 green abckids logo and the IDs feature various kids and characters from abckids shows.

FX/SFX: 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.

Editor's Note: None.

(2009-2015, 2017-2020)
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Nicknames: "Kids and CGI", "Boxes V", "Apple, Bee, Carrot V"

Logo: We see an ant come out of a box stacked on another one, he 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 into a new version of the ABC for Kids logo, the first 2 rows are a redesigned version of the original boxes, but this time "FOR" and "KIDS" get 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.

FX/SFX: Live-action kids interacting with CGI.

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 till 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.

Editor's Note: 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 Australian logos.

(2011-2015)
Nicknames: "4 Kids (not the anime company)", "Aussie 4 Kids"

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, inevitable leading them to be joined together.
 * The long ones featured kids interacting with CGI environments, a-la the previous logo.

FX/SFX: 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.

Editor's Note: None.

1st Logo (2015-2020)
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Nicknames: "Kids and CGI II", "Apple, Bee, Carrot VI", "Kids ABC", "ABC In Space", "Space", "Space Kids"

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. the new logo squeezes up and flies off like a firework, turning into a red rocket, leaving the "objects" behind, as the background cuts 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 blue background and on an angle, and the original red rocket flies round and then behind the logo as it shuts like a door.

FX/SFX: 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.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (Closing Variant) (2015-2020)
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Nicknames: "Apple, Bee, Carrot VII", "Kids ABC II", "Inflating ABC"

Logo: On a blue 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.

FX/SFX: The logo inflating, and the circles flying back into place.

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

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

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (2020-)
Nickname: "Apple, Bee... Crocodile?"

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 teal crocodile. Afterward, we see all three of them bouncing on a blue circle as the logo forms from it. It goes away, and the three characters stand in a stilted pose towards the audience.

FX/SFX: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A rendition of the ABC Kids riff with some "children" sound effects mixed in.

Availability: Seen on all ABC Kids DVDs starting from 2020. The first DVD to use this was The Wiggles: Fun and Games. Also seen on the TV block.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (Closing Variant) (2020-)


Nickname: "Slide"

Logo: We see the three characters from the last logo 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 teal. The characters stand in a stilted pose like in the last logo.

FX/SFX: Same as the last logo.

Music/Sounds: Same as above, but with different sound effects.

Availability: Seen at the end of DVDs and the TV block.

Editor's Note: None.