Kidding around for Children In Need

It’s here! Yet another seasonal affirmation, Children In Need is taking over a lot of your tellybox this Friday with its annual telethon, raising funds for worthy causes at home and abroad to help the most vulnerable in society – the little kiddies. And just in case you’d forgotten, now is a time when it’s more important than ever to give as big industry altruism and government generosity towards charities have run dry and the only well they’re able to tap reliably is the general public.

“dial in your donation early and then YouTube the best bits over the weekend”

Right, now that’s out of the way it’s down to the nitty gritty: are you going to watch it? Terry Wogan accompanied by lovely ladies, this year they would be Fearne Cotton and Tess Daly, has become an institution. At some point in the evening he’ll hand over to someone else to guide “the good ship Children In Need” – you can bet he’ll use those actual words, and by the end of proceedings Graham Norton will be hanging back with all of the other ‘naughty’ children for the late night turns they couldn’t show you before the watershed when little impressionable Joshua and Jemima would still be up. There’s a formula to this. Will you channel hop around, hoping to catch the one-offs from the likes of Doctor Who or Absolutely Fabulous (or whoever is this year’s must-see), or will you dial in your donation early and then YouTube the best bits over the weekend as better quality versions of the ‘good bits’ are uploaded?

If you want to watch the whole thing in its entirety, becoming one with the sofa, it becomes a smorgasbord of preview tasters of West End shows and casting opportunities. Like when we used to rent videos and sit through the trailers, devouring the coming attractions hungrily, this is the perfect opportunity to sift through taster treats of the best that musical Theatreland has to offer. Not to mention catch up with current pop trends, and sneak a peek at whether that soap star booked for the local panto can actually sing and dance. Which magical world do you think Alfie Moon will whisk us off to this year?

Not to mention the number of ‘wacky’ stunts performed to raise money, as well as moving and deliberate tear-jerking short films about “all the good work your money will be put to… if you just pick up that phone now.” It’ll get a lump to your throat quicker than a YouTube clip of a litter of puppies.

However, if you don’t feel like tuning in to the boisterous onslaught, and your Friday nights are precious retreats after a knackering week, it’s still a good idea to give a little. BBC2 hasn’t forgotten you. There’s a brand new series of Attenborough: 60 Years In The Wild starting on Friday too. Over an hour of beautiful archive footage of Sir David Attenborough and the wonders of the world. Some would say the perfect hideaway. Well done BBC.

Children In Need, BBC everything, Friday 16 November 2012