Teletubbies scene so scary it was banned around the world still scars fans today
Ahh, the Teletubbies. Tinky Winky, Laa-Laa, Dipsy and Po. Not the most threatening of creatures with their television tummies and antennas – right?
Well, think again, because one episode of the children’s classic was so scary it had to be banned from several countries and was eventually censored by show bosses.
It sounds more like a lost episode Creepypasta, but this was all genuine – and broadcast to millions of people when it first aired back in 1997.
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The Lion and the Bear featured just that – cardboard cutouts of a lion and a bear, the lion on wheels and the bear with terrifying eyes rolling around in its head and huge claws outstretched to maul the innocent ‘Tubbies… you get the idea.
Children across the nation were left scarred by the independently moving limbs of the cardboard characters, along with the Bear’s terrifying intonation of: “I’m the bear! I’m the bear! And I’m coming!”
The Teletubbies proceed to flee the predator, with Laa-Laa warning his pals to “hide!”
The music was also called out as not being “age-appropriate” for kids, with the scary voices and chase sequence towards the end of the ‘magical event’ the focus of parents’ complaints.
One review even branded the section “the greatest horror film of all time”.
Eventually bosses had no choice other than to edit the original sketch for 2001, after it was banned in several countries in 1999 for being inappropriate for children.
The US outlawed the episode entirely as its network PBS was so concerned by the backlash it had already received.
The edited version included various added sound effects to make the Lion and the Bear less scary, like a doorbell ringing when the Bear first pops out from behind a tree with its tongue lolling about in its gaping maw.
Piano music also made the sketch a lot more bearable, apparently, while the Tubbies are no longer afraid of the Bear, and instead giggle at her presence.
However, some of the original DVDs still contain the original sketch, and you can catch it on YouTube here – if you dare.
Dipping behind the scenes of Teletubbies a little more, it’s clear the sketch isn’t the only terrifying aspect. The costumes used by the actors were actually huge, with Laa-Laa and Dipsy looming 10 feet tall, while Po averages around six feet.
Giant bunnies – real name Flemish Giant rabbits – were used on set so they’d look proportionate to the hulking beasts, and they allegedly mated so frequently that takes were often interrupted and had to be redone.
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