If you have children of a certain age, then I am certain you may have come into contact with a TV programme called “In the Night Garden”. At the beginning, I used to just let it wash over me but then the deeper meaning and tragedy of the lead protagonist struck me.
The show begins at night time with a small child (different for every show) about to go to sleep. Their parent strokes their hand and so the show begins. They are told to imagine a boat the size of their hand and it cuts to Iggle Piggle alone at sea:
The boat sails off into the distance and Iggle Piggle joins his friends “In the Night Garden”.
Now this seems all harmless, but when you think about the narrative construct of the show there is a dark sadness running through it. Firstly, Iggle Piggle doesn’t actually exist in this programme for he is a dream in the child’s imagination and so therefore one can deduce that Iggle Piggle’s adventures in the garden are his dream. So you have a dream within a dream.
In the first dream, Iggle Piggle is happy and having all sorts of adventures in his dream world, The Night Garden, but in reality (or the first layer of dream reality) he is in fact alone, abandoned on the sea at night. At the end of every show, all the characters go to sleep except Iggle Piggle, because he’s already asleep, alone on the dark sea. Now what I find upsetting is that the baby at the beginning of the show continually dreams of poor old Iggle Piggle being alone on the sea. He is destined to be alone in the imagination forever until his dreams bring him the friends and company of which he desires.
So it is a programme about the dream world, the nature of desire and isolation.
Whoudathunkit, eh?
Here’s a link to more of my thoughts on “In the Night Garden”
The Tragedy of Iggle Piggle
Supposedly-grandfatherly Derek Jacobi does keep telling Master Piggle not to worry though, although in reality he should be giving Ig Pig a right thorough rollicking for not going to bed as he has been instructed.
But you’re right. I remember thinking when I first saw ITNG how there was a certain pathos, especially in the music. Consider also how the subservient Makka Pakka can only find solace in hugging rocks and waiting on the other Gardeners whims, desperately searching for approbation and comfort in the meagrest of places.
Now tell me: why does DJ say “oh no!” when the Ninky Nonk first appears? Everyone loves to ride in the Ninky Nonk.
This is a kids program i think you read to much into it.i would suggest you find more constructive things to do with your time.
Maybe Iggle Piggle’s loneliness on the sea symbolises how we are alone when asleep. In the beginning the baby is with his/her gentle parent just like iggle piggle is with his kind friends. And then iggle piggle goes off into the sleepy ocean alone, just like our babies’s conciousness leaves our awake world and goes off to sleep alone. I agree there is a sad feeling in it… maybe this helps babies want to be comforted to sleep by mummy. My 11 month old and I love watching this program together before her nap.
The show is very relaxing and calming.
It’s almost Zen-like in it’s tranquility, and each person has a role to play.
The whimsical nature of the characters is joyous in its simplicity.
To describe any of its themes as abandonment and subserviance is really ignoring the primal archetypes at work.
I believe that Iggle Piggle is still real no matter what anyone says, he is soo cool. Don’t anyone doubtthis please
x
As i am writing this comment i am watching the night garden the narrater is saying to Iggle Piggle its time to go and that sounds like hes going to die. Maybe Iggle piggle is already dead and is sorting out issues so he can find a place and maybe the dark sea is the place were dead soles go and the only thing they have is their dreams.I cant bilive i’m interested im 11! any way its carly and lola time now.
ITNG is by far the finest and gentlest programme for this age group I have seen. Your analysis is insightful but perhaps you are projecting your own fears onto a simple programme. Myself I just thought it was about IG PIGs unsuccesful attempts to go out with Upsy Daisy – hence the bed which has to be chased throughout and MakkaPakka’s wistful need for love as he has obviously had a previous relationship with UD only to be usurped by Ig Pig. And lets not even get into the Tombliboos drug filled career as avant garde rock stars which led to their hair falling out and losing the power of speech. Or am I projecting now!
when i read that coment from miecoa anna , it hit me just how tragek iggle pigle was and i under stand your point but realy its a kids program!
In the night garden is amazing. so much thought has been put into this show and children love it no matter thier age. The story it self may have a sadness to it, but it also shows the happier aspects of life such as the relationships each of the charactors have with each other. My son adores the programme and so do i. There is no harm in a piece of magical imagination xx
its a childs program why do people constantly annilize and critizise kids programs my kids love it and most of the kids in this country love it . this is the biggest load of rubbish i have heard children do not think that way my child comes up to me and wants her hand stroked when the program comes on she does all the dances. my view to this website is that it shouldent even be here who thought of this rubbish ????????
Awesome post and commentary!
We are isolated and wrapped in darkness as we “drift” off to sleep, maybe the dark sea enveloping iggle piggle is the same as the darkness enveloping our mind and body as we go to sleep, and being adrift at sea represents the drifiting into sleep/dreams.
Children themselves console themselves with meagre items, most young children would rather play with the wrapping paper and boxes xmas day not the toy, so if makka pakka hugs rocks so be it, not forgetting iggle piggle is the dreamer and he represents childrens unevolved minds.
It’s a nice calming show the kids seem to like, that what it is there for, the children.. so we really dont need to psycho-analyse the programme.. if it keeps the kids entertained and calm before bed.. then it’s good enough for me.
ITNG is the best thing, since Bill and Ben.. I know, cos being 59, `I have seen them all` What I do find amazing, is, how do they make `awesome`progs like ITNG, I know its done by computer`s, but I`ve been computing for 20 years and I`m still baffled.!! 🙂 < let`s hope IgglePiggle gets the `woman` (UpsyDaisy)in the end.!!!