Magic Grandad was an educational programme which originally aired on BBC Two under the title 'Switch On, Switch Off' during Schools section of 1993. The show saw 'Magic' Grandad take his young grandchildren back in time, many of the adventures are about comparing the past and the present and seeing how evidence of what happened in the olden days still survives. The show was said to make learning about history "fun for youngsters" and was aimed at children aged 5-7 years. The series was introduced to support the History National Curriculum at Key Stage 1. New seasons have been made periodically to support new areas of the infant history curriculum such as seaside holidays and toys. The early season have a companion booklet of teacher's notes with descriptions of the episodes, various suggestions for follow-up work and photocopiable worksheets.
Writer: Anne Ross Muir, Sharon Miller, Emma Collins
Producer: Hazel Graham
Director: Anne Ross Muir
Grandad
Kimberley and Gary's great grandad can magically transport them into the past. Grandad's magic extends to allowing he and the children, even in modern dress, to be accepted as guests of the people they visit.
3 episodes
Grandad Albert takes Kim and Gary back to a breakfast time when he was a lad, where the porridge has been cooking on the range all night and bacon is only served for the man of the house.
Runtime: 15 minGrandad Albert takes the kids back to see how people travelled about when there wasn't any cars.
Runtime: 15 minGary doesn't want to have a bath, Grandad Albert tells him all about when he was young, his family didn't even have a bathroom.
Runtime: 15 minGrandad Albert starts taking the children further back in time, his magic can now extend to different places, even abroad to France and Crimea.
4 episodes
The children are arguing about Rapunzel, so Grandad Albert takes them back 400 years to meet Princess Elizabeth, when she was locked up in the Tower of london.
Runtime: 15 minKimberley, Gary and Grandad Albert go out for dinner with Auntie Pat, who is blind. Auntie Pat is given a menu in Braille, so Grandad tells the children about Louis Braille and takes them back in time to visit him.
Runtime: 15 minGary is in hospital after falling off his bike. Kimberley tells Grandad that she wants, Grandad explains that hospitals were not very nice places in the olden days.
Runtime: 15 minThere is a fire on the street where the children live, Grandad Albert explains that in the olden days fire was far more dangerous. They travel back to meet the Samuel Pepys during the great fire of london and help him bury his Cheese.
Runtime: 15 minWe now meet a new Grandad and two new children, Tom and Nikki. This time Grandad's magic relies on his collection of old 16mm films - when they are projected he is able to take his grandchildren 'into' the films and back to the time when they were made. All the adventures now take place in 1901 and have a recurring cast of characters.
3 episodes
Nikki and Tom are left at their Grandad's home by their parents, Grandad shows them some old films showing life at the seaside 100 years ago. The children want to find out more about the olden days and so they all walk into the projector screen and find themselves in 1901.
Runtime: 15 minTom and Nikki see film of a young Grandad swimming in the sea with an old-fashioned rubber ring, and his mother attempting to change under a towel. When they go back 100 years they immediately go off to find a bathing machine and change into their own old-fashioned swimming costumes.
Runtime: 15 minGrandad takes Tom and Nikki back to 1901 to explore the attractions of the pier.
Runtime: 15 minAnother new Grandad takes over for this season. This time Magic grandad travels through time on his own, meeting with his many grand children only when he finds something "brill-a-brill" to show them.
3 episodes
Grandad arrives at Matthew and Leah's house. He transports them back to 21st July 1969, the day man first walked on the moon. They meet a west Indian family and try out their huge array of toys including space hoppers and Lava lamps.
Runtime: 15 minTom and Melissa are fighting who gets to play on the Game Boy Advance, Grandad arrives and takes them to 1953, the day the food ration ended in britian.
Runtime: 15 minGrandad takes Harry and Maddy back to when his own great grandad was a child, the first year of mass education, when the working class were given free schooling. They explore some of the wood and metal toys of the era.
Runtime: 15 minAnother new Grandad, this time he takes his many different grandchildren to meet famous people from history and lets them ask questions.
4 episodes
Ryan won't let his sister Scarlett join in his play sword fight as "girls can't fight with swords". Grandad arrives and tells them about Boudica, they then travel to AD61 and meet her.
Runtime: 15 minLucy does not want to go to the doctor's for a vaccination, Grandad arrives and takes her and her brother Duncan to meet Dr Jenner.
Runtime: 15 minMorgan and Harry are drawing pictures of bridges and boats. Grandad tells them about Isambard Kingdom Brunel, then they travel to meet him.
Runtime: 15 minScarlett and Ryan are having a battle between soldiers and robots. Grandad arrives and tells them about Mary Seacole, who helped injured soldiers during the Crimean War. They travel back in time to meet her and help to collect fresh medical supplies.
Runtime: 15 minMagic Grandad now has a magic pocket watch which he uses to bring up more information on the famous person he and his grandchildren visit. The format has now changed slightly, the famous person is visited twice at different stages of their lives.
4 episodes
Yasmin wants to be a pilot but Harry doesn't think women can fly planes. Grandad arrives and tells them about Amy Johnson, one of the first women ever to fly a plane.
Runtime: 15 minMilly and Jamie are arguing whiel trying to cook the tea. Grandad takes them to meet Mrs Beeton and some of her 20 brothers and sisters.
Runtime: 15 minMillie and Jamie are interested in Grandad's memorial day poppy, so he takes them back to a battlefield of the First World War.
Runtime: 15 minGrandad takes Harry and Yasmin Charles Darwin.
Runtime: 15 min