Nina and the Neurons

Nina and the Neurons
Genre Children's, Educational
Presented by Katrina Bryan (as "Nina")
Country of origin UK
No. of seasons 11
No. of episodes 175
Production
Running time 15 minutes
Release
Original network CBeebies
Original release 26 February 2007 - 2 October 2015

Nina and the Neurons is a programme shown on the CBeebies channel aimed at four to six-year-olds to help them understand basic science. Nina is a neuroscientist[1] who enlists the help of five Neurons (animated characters representing the senses) in her brain to answer a scientific question.

The show is produced by Lucille McLaughlin, who has also produced the children's programmes Balamory, Me Too! and Bits and Bobs.[2] The series is commissioned by CBeebies Controller, Michael Carrington.

Synopsis

Most of the show is based at Glasgow Science Centre, with a small part taking place outdoors. At the start of the show, Nina conducts experiments in front of an unseen audience of children. At one point of the show, Nina is 'contacted' by (usually two or three, but rarely four) children, who appears on a computer screen asking a science-related question (e.g., ‘What makes rainbows appear and disappear?’) Nina then chooses one (or more) of the five Neurons inside her brain based upon which of the senses is most appropriate to answer the question. Once the Neuron has been selected, the children (called the 'experimenters') then visit Nina, using fun experiments and games.

Afterwards, Nina takes the children out to find out more about the answer to the question, sometimes with the help of their friends and family. After they have found out the answer to the question, they travel back to the Glasgow Science Centre to do another experiment. Then, the ‘experimenters’ leave.

At the end of each show, a song is sung, which changes from series to series depending on the theme of the series. Then, the Neurons discuss what they have done and the individual role they have played. The show ends with Nina and the Neurons bidding farewell to the viewers.

Characters and cast

The main character of Nina is played by Scottish actress Katrina Bryan. She is a scientist who works in the lab. Nina wears either a white lab coat with brightly coloured cuffs and lapels in her lab, or one of a bright yellow coat or blue jacket when outside. In the programme, Nina drives either a pale blue 1970s Volkswagen Type 2 (Transporter) minibus or a New MINI, both bearing numberplates reading 'NINA', or rides a bicycle in the Go ECO! version.

The Neurons are computer animated characters (stylised with human facial features and body, but no legs) who live inside Nina’s brain, with no legs, and are named to reflect the five senses which they represent:

Felix, voiced by James Dreyfus in the first series but subsequently by Lewis MacLeod represents touch. He is green and speaks in a posh accent and is particular about his appearance.

Belle, voiced by Kelly Harrison represents hearing. She is red but also loud and can be bossy. She also the group vice leader.

Luke, voiced by Patrice Naiambana, represents sight is yellow and is also the group leader. His character is laid back and relaxed.

Ollie, voiced by Siobhan Redmond represents smell. She is purple and described as 'sweet, self-assured and a bit of a goth.'[3] She is the elder sister of Bud.

Bud, voiced by Sharon Small represents the taste neuron. He is blue and also the youngest Neuron and can be enthusiastic and easily excited. He is the younger brother of Ollie.

Bud and Ollie are often chosen together by Nina due to the way taste and smell work together.

Felix and Luke got chosen together by Nina due to the way touch and sight work together.

Belle and Luke got chosen together by Nina due to the way hearing and sight work together.

Felix and Belle got chosen together by Nina due to the way touch and hearing work together.

Awards and nominations

  • Awarded Best Children's Programme[4][5]
  • Nominated as Best Children's Programme[6]

Composer: Scottish Composer Graham Ness

Exhibits

There is a themed Nina & the Neurons activity trail at the Glasgow Science Centre.

Episodes

The first series began on 26 February 2007 and ended on 30 March 2007. The 2nd series began airing on Cbeebies on 31 March 2008 and ended on 2 May 2008. It was followed by a third, this time called Nina and the Neurons: Go Eco!, on 13 June 2008 as part of CBeebies' year-long green initiative called EcoBeebies, which ended on 15 August 2008. A fourth series called Nina and the Neurons: Go Inventing started on 18 May 2009, where Nina invites several young inventors to her lab to discover how things work by inventing their own versions. It ended on 19 June 2009. The fifth series, Nina and the Neurons: In The Lab, was broadcast from 27 September 2010 to 10 December 2010. In the show, Nina and the experimenters discover changes and reaction.

A sixth series, called Nina and the Neurons: Brilliant Bodies, premiered on 5 September 2011. The show focuses on the parts of the human body. The seventh series, Nina and the Neurons: Go Engineering, is another series about inventions. It started in 2013. Series 8 is called Nina and the Neurons: Earth Explorers, explores the Earth, the sea and beyond. The series also started in 2013. The last three series, Get Sporty (2014), Go Digital (2015) and Get Building (2016) focus on sport, gadgets and building respectively.

(The titles for Series 1 and 2 are from Digiguide[7])

Series 1 (26 February 2007 – 30 March 2007)

  • 1. Stars
  • 2. Do We All Smell Different?
  • 3. Amazing Maze
  • 4. Trumpet
  • 5. Snowballs
  • 6. Eyebrows
  • 7. What's Cooking?
  • 8. All Bunged Up
  • 9. Nina Needs A Wee
  • 10. Spy Kit
  • 11. Granny's Glasses
  • 12. Where's The Bad Smell?
  • 13. Wakey Wakey
  • 14. Why Is My Tongue Wet?
  • 15. Shadows
  • 16. Birthday Surprise
  • 17. Different Tastes
  • 18. Monster Hunt
  • 19. Making Music
  • 20. Distance
  • 21. Staying Cool
  • 22. Too Much Salt
  • 23. Bud Needs Help
  • 24. Echoes
  • 25. Colours

Series 2 (31 March 2008 – 2 May 2008)

  • 1. Hide and Seek
  • 2. Getting Goosebumps
  • 3. Nina's Cake Bake
  • 4. I Can See A Rainbow
  • 5. Terrific Teeth
  • 6. Touching Clouds
  • 7. Smelly Feet
  • 8. In A Spin
  • 9. Bubble Trouble
  • 10. Fun In The Sun
  • 11. Tummy Rumbles
  • 12. Finding Flowers
  • 13. Lovely Lollies
  • 14. Brilliant Bones
  • 15. Rumbling Thunder
  • 16. Nina Gets Nosey
  • 17. What A Fright
  • 18. Let's Hear It For Ears
  • 19. Making Waves
  • 20. Splish Splash
  • 21. Baby Talk
  • 22. Funny Honey
  • 23. Digging Dogs
  • 24. When The Wind Blows
  • 25. Tremendous Toes

Series 3 - Go Eco! (15 June 2008 – 15 August 2008)

(Titles from Digiguide[8])

  • 1. Branching Out
  • 2. Food Glorious Food
  • 3. Keeping Cosy
  • 4. Super Slimy Slugs
  • 5. Mouldy Bread
  • 6. Something Fishy
  • 7. Recycling
  • 8. Flying High
  • 9. Monkey Business
  • 10. Every Drop Counts
  • 11. Furry Old Mould

Series 4 - Go Inventing (18 May 2009 – 19 June 2009)

(Titles from Digiguide[9])

  • 1. Bouncy Beds
  • 2. Pen and Paper
  • 3. Loud and Clear
  • 4. In The Box
  • 5. Mirror Mirror
  • 6. Wheels
  • 7. Clean It Up
  • 8. Lift Off
  • 9. Round and Round
  • 10. Get Wet
  • 11. Sliding Doors
  • 12. Handy Handles
  • 13. Cooking With Waves
  • 14. Time For Cogs
  • 15. Hot and Cold
  • 16. Buckle Up
  • 17. Dirty Dishes
  • 18. Top Taps
  • 19. Keys
  • 20. Eyes in The Dark
  • 21. Near and Far
  • 22. Hubble Bubble
  • 23. In a Flush
  • 24. Extraordinary X-Rays
  • 25. Swish Swish

Series 5 - In The Lab (27 September 2010 – 10 December 2010)

(Titles from BBC[10])

  • 1. Melty Chocolate
  • 2. Sleepy Dust
  • 3. Rattling Pan
  • 4. Burnt Toast
  • 5. Sugar and Teeth
  • 6. Super Sand
  • 7. Ferocious Fire
  • 8. Soap Suds
  • 9. Boat Float
  • 10. Grass Stains
  • 11. Salty Sea
  • 12. Wobbly Jelly
  • 13. Steamy Mirrors
  • 14. Fragrant Flowers
  • 15. Noisy Foods
  • 16. Popcorn Pops
  • 17. Sniffing Smells
  • 18. Mighty Metal
  • 19. Sticky Jam
  • 20. Bubbles Burst
  • 21. Onions Make Us Cry
  • 22. Wrinkly Fingers
  • 23. Glow Stars
  • 24. Wet Paint
  • 25. Marvellous Milk

Series 6 - Brilliant Bodies (4 June 2011 - 26 November 2011)

(Titles from BBC[11])

  • 1. Heart
  • 2. Handy Hands
  • 3. Sneeze
  • 4. Two Ears
  • 5. Blood
  • 6. Brain
  • 7. Wrinkly Face
  • 8. Earwax
  • 9. Exercise
  • 10 Tickly Feet
  • 11. Yawn
  • 12. Digestion
  • 13. Sleep
  • 14. Eyelashes
  • 15. Bellybuttons
  • 16. Scabs
  • 17. Eyes See
  • 18. Burp
  • 19. Spine
  • 20. Breathe
  • 21. Skin
  • 22. Balance
  • 23. Memory
  • 24. Broken Bones
  • 25. Fingertips Feel

Series 7 - Go Engineering (14 January 2013 - 8 March 2013 )

A series about Engineering feats consisting of 25 episodes (15 minutes each) started being broadcast on 14 January 2013.[12] Each episode tries to simplify a tricky science concept into three key experiments which children can participate in.[13] (Episode info from Subtitles Portal's "Nina and the Neurons" Microsite)

Series 8 - Earth Explorers (23 September 2013 - 29 November 2013 )

This series looks at various geographical and geological features such as lakes, caves, volcanoes, etc.[14]

  • 1. Space Rockets (featuring "Russ the Rocketman")
  • 2. Grand Canyon
  • 3. Sand Dunes
  • 4. Living in Space
  • 5. Mountains
  • 6. Volcanoes
  • 7. Giant's Causeway
  • 8. Solar System
  • 9. Rivers
  • 10. Exploring Space
  • 11. Cliffs
  • 12. Night and Day
  • 13. Dinosaurs
  • 14. Living on Earth
  • 15. Stripy Rocks
  • 16. Geysers
  • 17. Loch Ness
  • 18. Moon Shape
  • 19. Caves
  • 20. Shooting Stars
  • 21. Coal
  • 22. Earth is Round
  • 23. Deserts
  • 24. Gravity
  • 25. Waterfalls

Series 9 Get Sporty (21 July 2014 - 25 August 2014 )

  • 1. Cycling
  • 2. Curling
  • 3. Football
  • 4. Trampolining
  • 5. Climbing
  • 6. Rugby
  • 7. Marathon
  • 8. Sprinting
  • 9. Swimming
  • 10. Long Jump
  • 11. Snooker
  • 12. Gymnastics
  • 13. Diving
  • 14. Cricket
  • 15. Basketball

Series 10 Go Digital (2014)

  • 1. Coding
  • 2. Internet
  • 3. Driverless Cars
  • 4. 3D Printing
  • 5. Animation

Series 11 Get Building (7 September 2015 - 2 October 2015)

  • 1. Triangles
  • 2. Pointy Roofs
  • 3. Piers
  • 4. Nests
  • 5. Houses
  • 6. Windmills
  • 7. Beaver Dams
  • 8. Skyscrapers
  • 9. Bridges
  • 10. Demolition
  • 11. Floating Houses
  • 12. Rollercoasters
  • 13. Arches
  • 14. Lighthouses
  • 15. Living Underwater
  • 16. Living Underground
  • 17. Igloos
  • 18. Spiders' Webs
  • 19. Domes
  • 20. Amphitheatres

References

  1. ↑ BBC Scotland Press Release
  2. ↑ Lucille McLaughlin on IMDb
  3. ↑ Cbbeebies Grownups Archived 2 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine. at the BBC
  4. ↑ "The Lloyds TSB BAFTA Scotland Awards 2007". BAFTA Scotland. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  5. ↑ "Last King rules at Scots Baftas". BBC News. 19 November 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  6. ↑ "The Lloyds TSB BAFTA Scotland Awards 2008". BAFTA Scotland. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  7. ↑ "Nina and The Neurons Episode Guide". Digiguide. 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  8. ↑ "Nina and The Neurons Go Eco! Episode Guide". Digiguide. 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  9. ↑ "Nina and The Neurons Go Inventing Episode Guide". Digiguide. 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  10. ↑ "Nina and The Neurons In The Lab - Episodes from 2010". BBC. 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  11. ↑ "Nina and The Neurons Brilliant Bodies - Episodes from 2011". BBC. 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  12. ↑ Young Engineers Archived 13 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine. series announcement
  13. ↑ CBeebies Grown-ups Blog at the BBC.
  14. ↑ CBeebies Grown-ups Blog at the BBC
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