❌

Normal view

Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! review – delightful origin story for CBeebies’ prehistoric pals

14 October 2026 at 02:00

The pair’s first feature-length adventure stars Jemaine Clement and Olivia Tennet, has a dreamy soundtrack and beautiful stop-motion visuals – fantastic family fun

Kiri is a lively yellow dinosaur, Lou is an amiable purple palorchecie (a fictional beast, vaguely resembling a palorchestes, which in turn vaguely resembles a giant tapir) – and if you’ve been watching their CBeebies show, which hails from New Zealand and consists of 5-minute episodes, you’ll know they’re the best of friends despite their ingrained temperamental differences. But how did they become friends in the first place? For the uninitiated, Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! functions as an introduction to the characters and their world, while for fans it’s a delightful origin story.

At only one hour long, the runtime is toddler-friendly – and to be honest, there are plenty of films marketed at adults that could learn a lesson from writer-director Harry Sinclair’s economical storytelling. (Sinclair is also the writer of the TV series, alongside Buffy the Vampire Slayer writing alum Rebecca Kirshner.) With the voice acting talents of Olivia Tennet (Freda in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), plus dreamy songs from Don McGlashan (Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn), Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! would arguably work superbly as an audiobook or radio show – except the visuals are a treat too.

Continue reading...

Β© Photograph: Stretchy

Β© Photograph: Stretchy

Β© Photograph: Stretchy

Parents fear YouTubers are bringing β€˜brain rot’ to Netflix. But are kids wising up to β€˜slop’?

10 October 2026 at 15:00

As streamers poach viral creators to appeal to children, digital whack-a-mole has become a new kind of family challenge

Exasperated dad Simon Hooper shakes his fist at the camera in a viral video. β€œWe managed to get rid of YouTube in our household six months ago and the kids are finally OK with it,” he says – but Netflix is β€œnow commissioning YouTubers to make their brain rot and putting it back in front of my kids’ faces”.

The precise β€œbrain rot” he’s referring to is the arrival of a polarising show that’s lighting up parent chats around the globe. And while Salish and Jordan Matter might be new to Netflix Kids users, the father-daughter content creators are familiar to anyone who’s spent any time on the internet.

Continue reading...

Β© Composite: Pituk Loonhong/Getty Images/Guardian Design

Β© Composite: Pituk Loonhong/Getty Images/Guardian Design

Β© Composite: Pituk Loonhong/Getty Images/Guardian Design

❌