Milkshake!


Milkshake! is a British children's television programming block on Channel 5. Originally launched in 1997, it is currently aimed at children aged 2 to 7 and typically broadcasts from early morning till late morning.
The block features a mix of original UK series and imported shows, primarily from Australia, Canada, and the United States. Over the years, Milkshake! has included popular programmes such as Peppa Pig, Thomas & Friends, and Fireman Sam.
It has been produced by various entities, including Channel 5 and, formerly, the BBC and Fremantle. The block continues to be a key part of Channel 5’s children’s programming.

History

The block debuted on Channel 5 on 31st March 1997 and is currently broadcast on weekdays from 05:40 to 09:15 and weekends from 5:40am to 9:55am. The block has a number of presenters and features a range of children's programming.
Programmes for older children also aired from 1997 to 2002 and again from 2007 to 2016 on spin-off block Shake!, which, in its time, ran on weekends after Milkshake!.
Following Viacom's acquisition of Channel 5 in 2014 the block began airing Nick Jr. programmes including Paw Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines, ''Shimmer and Shine.
On 6 July 2017, Channel 5 announced a rebranding of Milkshake!'' that launched on 24 July, including updated branding, a new studio, and the launch of a YouTube channel that would feature digital content related to the block.

TV channel

In November 2008, Channel 5 had been set to launch a new children's channel based on its pre-school programming block. This was a response to the BBC launching the CBBC channel and CBeebies in 2002 and ITV launching the CITV channel in 2006, but plans to launch a standalone preschool channel were put on hold indefinitely while the broadcaster awaited a buyer.

''Milkshake!'' on 5Star

When Five Life launched in 2006, Milkshake! was shown on the channel between 9am and 1pm each day. By April 2011, the channel had reduced its broadcast hours and the block was replaced by teleshopping. On 21 August 2017, Milkshake! relaunched on 5Star, where it aired from 9:15am to 11am, before a 2nd removal in 2018.

FAST Channel

A Milkshake! branded FAST channel is available on the 5 streaming service.

Programming

Current programming

  • The Adventures of Paddington
  • Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom
  • Brave Bunnies
  • Cooking with the Gills
  • Daisy and Ollie
  • Fireman Sam
  • Go Green With The Grimwades
  • Kangaroo Beach
  • Meet the Experts
  • Meet the Hedgehogs
  • Milkshake! Monkey
  • Milkshake! Story Den
  • Milkshake! Summer Fun
  • Mimi's World
  • MixMups
  • Odo
  • Oggy Oggy
  • Peppa Pig
  • Pip and Posy
  • Pop Paper City
  • Reu and Harper's Wonder World
  • Show Me How
  • Sunny Bunnies
  • The World According to Grandpa
  • Thomas & Friends
  • Tim Rex in Space
  • ''Tweedy and Fluff''

    Programming from Nick Jr. (U.S.)

  • Abby Hatcher
  • Baby Shark's Big Show!
  • Blaze and the Monster Machines
  • Blue's Clues & You!
  • Bubble Guppies
  • Dora the Explorer
  • Dora
  • Paw Patrol
  • Rubble & Crew
  • Santiago of the Seas
  • Rusty Rivets
  • Ryan's Mystery Playdate
  • Shimmer and Shine
  • The Smurfs
  • Sunny Day
  • ''Top Wing''

    Other acquired programming

  • Chip and Potato
  • Mecha Builders
  • Milo
  • Noddy, Toyland Detective
  • Ricky Zoom
  • ''Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go''

    Former programming

  • The Adventures of Sinbad
  • The Adventures of the Bush Patrol
  • Angels of Jarm
  • Anytime Tales
  • Atlantis High
  • Audrey and Friends
  • Aussie Antics
  • Batman: The Brave and the Bold
  • Beachcomber Bay
  • The Beeps
  • The Beginner's Bible
  • Beyblade
  • Big School
  • Bird Bath
  • Blue Water High
  • Bob the Builder
  • Boyz and Girlz
  • Braceface
  • Butterbean's Café
  • Castle Farm
  • Circle Square
  • City of Friends
  • Collecting Things
  • Cowboyz and Cowgirlz
  • Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future
  • Dappledown Farm
  • The Day Henry Met…
  • Deepwater Black
  • Demolition Dad
  • Dig & Dug with Daisy
  • Don't Blame the Koalas
  • Dora and Friends: Into the City!
  • Dragon Booster
  • Duel Masters
  • Enchanted Tales
  • The Enid Blyton Adventure Series
  • Eric Carle Stories
  • Family!
  • Fat Dog Mendoza
  • Floogals
  • Funky Town
  • Funky Valley
  • Gadget & the Gadgetinis
  • Gerald McBoing-Boing
  • Gigglebug
  • Groundling Marsh
  • Hana's Helpline
  • Havakazoo
  • Igam Ogam
  • Insect Antics
  • James the Cat
  • KaBlam!
  • Kid-E-Cats
  • Klootz
  • Land of the Lost
  • Lassie
  • Lily's Driftwood Bay
  • The Littl' Bits
  • Little Antics
  • Little Lodgers
  • Little Princess
  • Loggerheads
  • Looney Tunes
  • Luo Bao Bei
  • Max Steel
  • MechaNick
  • Mega Babies
  • The Milky and Shake Show
  • Milkshake! Bop Box
  • Milkshake! Bopping About
  • A Milkshake! Christmas
  • Milkshake! Festive Fun
  • Milkshake! Music Box
  • Milkshake! Bop Box Boogie
  • The Milkshake! Show
  • Milkshake! Show Songs
  • A Milkshake! Summer
  • Mirror, Mirror
  • Mist: Sheepdog Tales
  • Monkey Makes
  • Mofy
  • Mya Go
  • Nella the Princess Knight
  • Olivia
  • Oswald
  • Pirata and Capitano
  • The Secret Life of Kittens
  • Slugterra
  • Snobs
  • Softies
  • Shane the Chef
  • Stickin' Around
  • Strange Dawn
  • ThunderCats
  • TREX
  • The Tribe
  • True Jackson, VP
  • USA High
  • Wanda and the Alien
  • What-a-Mess
  • What Makes Me Happy
  • When I Grow Up
  • Why!
  • Wil Cwac Cwac
  • The Wind in the Willows
  • Wissper
  • Wizards of Waverly Place
  • The Wonder Years
  • Woolamaloo
  • ''The WotWots''

    Programming from Cartoon Network (U.S.)

  • ''The Powerpuff Girls''

    Programming from Playhouse Disney (U.S.)

  • Bear in the Big Blue House
  • ''The Book of Pooh''

    Other acquired programming

  • A House That's Just Like Yours
  • Abby's Flying Fairy School
  • Adventures from the Book of Virtues
  • The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks
  • Animal Antics
  • Animal Express
  • Animal Families
  • Animal Xtremes
  • Babar
  • Bananas in Pyjamas
  • Beast Wars: Transformers
  • Becca's Bunch
  • Chloe's Closet
  • Chiro and Friends
  • Digby Dragon
  • Ebb and Flo
  • Fifi and the Flowertots
  • Franklin
  • Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs
  • Havakazoo
  • Hi-5
  • James the Cat
  • Jane and the Dragon
  • Jelly Jamm
  • LazyTown
  • Maple Town
  • Mio Mao
  • Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends
  • The Mr. Men Show
  • Mr. Men and Little Miss
  • Muppet Babies
  • Noddy in Toyland
  • Nosey
  • Number Adventures
  • Old Bear Stories
  • Olive the Ostrich
  • Olly the Little White Van
  • PB Bear and Friends
  • Pets!
  • Pip Ahoy!
  • Pingu
  • Play!
  • Plonsters
  • Pocoyo
  • Poko
  • Poppy Cat
  • Postman Pat
  • Popular
  • Power Rangers
  • Power Rangers Megaforce
  • Power Rangers Samurai
  • Puffin Rock
  • Roary the Racing Car
  • Rolie Polie Olie
  • Roobarb/Roobarb and Custard Too
  • Rupert Bear, Follow the Magic...
  • Sailor Sid
  • Sandy and Mr. Flapper
  • The Save-Ums!
  • Say it with Noddy
  • Seaside Antics
  • Secret Life of Toys
  • The Secret of Eel Island
  • The Shoe People
  • Simon
  • The Singing Kettle
  • Singled Out
  • Sister Said
  • Tickety Toc
  • Tickle, Patch and Friends
  • Tiger, Tiger
  • Titch
  • Toby's Travelling Circus
  • Toot the Tiny Tugboat
  • The Treacle People
  • The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends
  • ''Zack and Quack''

    Programming originally produced for or aired on PBS Kids

  • Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps
  • Barney & Friends
  • Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures
  • Elmo's World
  • Franny's Feet
  • George Shrinks
  • Jay Jay the Jet Plane
  • Make Way for Noddy
  • ''Wimzie's House''

    Notable presenters

In-vision continuity presenters have been utilised by Milkshake! since the show began on 31 March 1997. The original presenters were Lucy Alexander and Konnie Huq. Huq was replaced by former Nickelodeon presenter Eddie Mathews when she left the show to join the BBC as a Blue Peter presenter. The longest-serving presenter is Kemi Majeks, who has presented the block for over 26 years. Relief and freelance presenters have also anchored Milkshake! continuity links, including presenter Ellie Harrison and deaf presenter Gary Evans. After Beth Evans & Naomi Wilkinson left in 2010, they continued to do British Sign Language interpretation for the other hosts until August 2011. Evans made 1 more appearance in a pre-recorded "Handshake" segment on the Milkshake! website in 2012.