Binka
Encyclopedia
Binka was an animated children's cartoon about the adventures of a fat tomcat
named Binka who frequently travels to three houses for three meals a day. The show was produced and screened in 2001, running for 26 five minute long episodes on weekday mornings. It can still be frequently seen as repeats on CBBC
. Binka was thrust into the media spotlight after it was flagged by the Daily Mail
for its supposed socialist undertones.
In 2009 there was much speculation surrounding a potential Binka motion picture after the voice of Binka confirmed a future film on his Twitter account. However, BBC
executives have since denied it as unsubstantiated rumours.
ran an article on Binka in which it claimed the show demonstrated socialist leanings. The paper highlighted the fact that Binka does not have a single owner, instead 3 families, as promoting ideas of common ownership
.
under the name Binkina. The narrator was replaced by Lech Walesa, who quit after the seventeenth episode due to trade union commitments.
Tomcat
Tomcat may refer to:* A male cat, known as a tom or tommiecat* Tomcats , a 2001 comedy film* Apache Tomcat, an open-source Java Servlet Container developed by the Apache Software Foundation* Beretta Tomcat, a small .32 caliber pistol...
named Binka who frequently travels to three houses for three meals a day. The show was produced and screened in 2001, running for 26 five minute long episodes on weekday mornings. It can still be frequently seen as repeats on CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
. Binka was thrust into the media spotlight after it was flagged by the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
for its supposed socialist undertones.
Binka
The star of the cartoon. This blue and white tomcat travels to three houses every day for three meals. Binka also likes Suki, another cat, a lot. Binka is friends with Tango the puppy, but enemy of Spit the Cat.Suki
Suki is friendly to Binka, who is always trying to impress her. She loves to play with Binka, but doesn't like Spit.Later Releases and Speculation
A DVD of the series was released in October 2005, comprising a two-disc boxset featuring all 26 episodes plus 10 minutes of deleted scenes. A further 30 minutes behind-the-scenes special was added which meets cast and crew members of Binka and details how the show was created.In 2009 there was much speculation surrounding a potential Binka motion picture after the voice of Binka confirmed a future film on his Twitter account. However, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
executives have since denied it as unsubstantiated rumours.
Socialist Accusations
In September 2001, the Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
ran an article on Binka in which it claimed the show demonstrated socialist leanings. The paper highlighted the fact that Binka does not have a single owner, instead 3 families, as promoting ideas of common ownership
Common ownership
Common ownership is a principle according to which the assets of an enterprise or other organization are held indivisibly rather than in the names of the individual members or by a public institution such as a governmental body. It is therefore in contrast to public ownership...
.
Foreign Broadcasting
Binka has been translated into Welsh. It is shown on S4C under the name of Binca. It was also translated to Polish, shown on CBeebiesCBeebies
CBeebies is the brand used by the BBC for programming aimed at children 6 years and under. It is used as a themed strand in the UK on terrestrial television, as a separate free-to-air domestic British channel and used for international varients supported by advertising, subscription or both...
under the name Binkina. The narrator was replaced by Lech Walesa, who quit after the seventeenth episode due to trade union commitments.