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Main Characters
The Teletubbies
Teletubbies
Eh-oh!
- Character Catchphrase:
- "Eh-oh!"
- "Uh-oh!"
- "Naughty Noo-Noo!"
- "Again, again!"
- Cheerful Child: They all act very happy children.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Though to be fair, they are meant to act like 1 or 2 year olds, so they don't have much of either a situational consciousness nor the ability to solve problems effectively at a glance.
- Colour-Coded Characters: Tinky Winky is purple, Dipsy is green, Laa-Laa is yellow and Po is red.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: Tinky-Winky (phlegmatic), Dipsy (melancholic), Laa-Laa (sanguine) and Po (choleric).
- Free-Range Children: They're supposed to be babies/toddlers (just like the Target Audience), yet they live on their own with no parental care or supervision. May be justified, as they seem to be some kind of aliens; whatever species they are apparently has very precocious offspring (and a lot of help from technology), therefore little to no need for parental involvement.
- Friend to All Living Things: Nothing that ever appeared in the series are not friends with them (except possibly the Scary Lion), from children, flowers, trees, rabbits, etc...
- Gender-Equal Ensemble: Two guys (Tinky Winky and Dipsy) and two girls (Laa-Laa and Po).
- Group Hug: They frequently share one.
- The Hero: All have a shared role.
- The Hyena: All four of them. They tend to get amused easily, and laugh and giggle for anything... including mishaps.
- There was an episode where the Teletubbies were amused over the sound of a cow.
- The phrase "How now, brown cow?" put them in a giggle fit.
- Laa-Laa heard a funny joke and she found it hilarious, and so did Po, and Tinky Winky.
- Tinky Winky found the skirt on his head hysterical.
- Taken to the extreme in an episode where Po keeps standing and sitting on the slide, and the others copy her, causing their laughter to get out of control.
- Not to mention the reboot, where they're more giggly than ever, especially Tinky Winky.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Tinky-Winky (Huge Guy) and Po (Tiny Girl). The two are frequently seen together and the former is the biggest and oldest, while the latter is the smallest and youngest.
- Iconic Item: Tinky-Winky has his infamous purse (which in the show is reffered to as a bag or "magic bag"), Dipsy has a cow-print hat, Laa-Laa has a big orange ball, and Po has her scooter.
- Kindhearted Simpleton: Tinky-Winky, Dipsy and Laa-Laa certainly have enough naivety and indifference to fit this trope, having the simple mind of a young child. Po, not so much, since she does have a bit of an intelligent side to her.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Po and Tinky-Winky. The former is an energetic, tomboyish Plucky Girl who rides a scooter, while the latter is a Gentle Giant who wouldn't harm a fly, carries a handbag and occasionally dances while wearing a skirt.
- Parrot Exposition: They usually repeat what the Narrator says.
- Perpetual Smiler: Everyone and everything always smiles.
- Pokémon Speak: All of them. They repeat their own names all the time.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni:
- Tinky-Winky and Po are Blue and Red, respectively, with Tinky-Winky's gentle and delicate nature contrasting with Po's more high-spirited and boisterous one. Tinky-Winky is also the Blue to Dipsy's sarcastic Red.
- Dipsy, however, is the Blue himself to Laa-Laa's Red, being a bit of a stubborn introvert when compared to Laa-Laa's cheerful people-orientedness.
- Laa-Laa's carefree Cloudcuckoolander nature usually makes her the Blue to Po's pluckier, more ambitious Red.
- Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Dipsy and Laa-Laa. The former is the most serious one of the group who will occasionally disagree with the others, while the latter is more outwardly cheerful and frequently plays with her enormous ball.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Tinky-Winky (Sensitive Guy) and Dipsy (Manly Man). Tinky-Winky displays many effeminate traits such as carrying his handbag and occasionally wearing the skirt while doing a dance, while Dipsy shows a mild dislike for such things and is the more Hot-Blooded, masculine one of the two.
- Ship Tease: Tinky-Winky has one with Po, and Dipsy has one with Laa-Laa. Seeing how frequently both male-female pairs are seen and how many older fans of a particular property tend to ship certain characters with one another, this could be justified. In one episode, a Voice Trumpet even indirectly refers to Laa-Laa as Dipsy's "favourite friend".
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Po (Tomboy) and Laa-Laa (Girly Girl). Po rides a scooter and is the more rambunctious one, while Laa-Laa is more gentle and has the stronger liking for things such as animals and nature.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Tubby Custard and Tubby Toast.
- The Unintelligible: Downplayed, as they do actually talk on occasion. Albeit in very simple sentences.
Tinky Winky
Tinky Winky
- Played by: Dave Thompson, Simon Shelton (Original series), Mark Heenahan (Voice, Original series), Jeremiah Krage (2015 series, Netflix series)"Pinkle winkle, Tinky Winky, pinkle winkle, Tinky Winky!"
Tinky Winky Bag!
The oldest and biggest Teletubby. Although he is big, he is also very gentle and kind. Has purple fur. His favorite thing is his red handbag. Is best friends with Po.
- Ambiguously Gay: Due his fur being purple - a 'girly' color, his effeminate behavior, and him carrying around a red handbag, people tend to think at first glance he is not much of a masculine guy. Which is not a wrong assumption.
- The Big Guy: Is the biggest and oldest of the team.
- Butt-Monkey: Often falls over and experiences bad luck at a few instances (such as being chased by the Noo-Noo in one episode, slipping on Tubby Custard, getting his bed hogged by Po, and so on).
- Character Catchphrase:
- "Tinky Winky bag!"
- "Pinkle winkle, Tinky Winky, pinkle winkle, Tinky Winky!"
- Effeminate Voice: In the original show, he has a deep and effeminate voice to match with his tomgirlish personality. This is inverted in the reboot, where his voice is more high pitched and slightly raspy.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: The Phlegmatic. He is the most gentle-natured of the Teletubbies and frequently shows a calm and blissful disposition.
- Gentle Giant: He is the largest of the group and he wouldn't even have the boldness to harm a fly.
- The Hyena: Like the other Teletubbies, he is this, but especially him. Do you hear a chuckle in his voice?
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: The Huge Guy to Po's Tiny Girl. He's the biggest and oldest.
- Iconic Item: The red handbag.
- In Touch with His Feminine Side: He is very gentle, is purple, and doesn't mind wearing a skirt.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: The gentle Feminine Boy to Po's tomboy Masculine Girl.
- Mistaken for Gay: A controversy began in 1999 which revolved around him and the way he carried his bag like a woman's handbag. Jerry Falwell, in particular, made the allegation that he was a "gay role model", if things couldn't get any more bizarre.
- Nice Guy: He is a lovable Teletubby who wants Big Hugs.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Dipsy and Po's Red.
- Rhyming Names: Tinky Winky.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Sensitive Guy to Dipsy's Manly Man.
- Ship Tease: With Po.
- Vocal Dissonance: Tinky Winky has a very deep voice (courtesy of Mark Heenehan, and later by the late Simon Shelton). But have you ever heard a baby/toddler sound like him? Downplayed in the reboot where his voice is higher than ever (courtesy of Jeremiah Krage).
- Yellow/Purple Contrast: Tinky Winky's Purple with Laa-Laa's Yellow.
Dipsy
Dipsy
- Played by: John Simmit (Original series), Nick Chee Ping Kellington (2015 series, Netflix series)"Bup-a-tum, Bup-a-tum, Bup-a-tum!"
Dipsy Hat!
The second oldest and second biggest Teletubby. He is stubborn, sarcastic and sometimes prefers to be alone but mostly still plays with the other Teletubbies. Has green fur. His favorite thing is his cow-spotted hat. Is best friends with Laa-Laa.
- Character Catchphrase:
- "Dipsy hat!"
- "Bup-a-tum, Bup-a-tum, Bup-a-tum!"
- Comically Serious: The most serious one and losing his hat is freaking Serious Business.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: The Melancholic. Out of all the Teletubbies, he spends the most time on his own and on occasions shows reluctance to join in what the others are taking part in.
- Hot-Blooded: In a similar vein to Po, he is one of the feistier and more physically active members of the group.
- Iconic Item: His cow-spotted hat.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He can sometimes be stubborn and impatient, but he still does care about the other Teletubbies and wants to be as happy as they are.
- Like Brother and Sister: Has this relationship with Po. In "Feeding My Baby Sister", he grows frustrated over Po forgetting the Tubby Custard she made was for him by drinking it, which is similar to an older brother being impatient with his forgetful younger sister. In "Clay", Po wears his hat and he chases her for it, which is similar to an annoying little sister running away from her big brother with one of his possessions.
- Meaningful Name: Dipsy gets his name from the antenna on his head - it resembles a dipstick.
- Nice Guy: Even though he can sometimes be stubborn and impatient, he is also kind and caring.
- Not So Above It All: He will give something a try if the others convince him enough (though sometimes he doesn't do it very willingly).
- Red/Green Contrast: Dipsy's Green to Po's Red.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni:
- The Red to Tinky-Winky's Blue.
- The Blue to Laa-Laa's Red.
- Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: The sarcastic Savvy Guy to Laa-Laa's bubbly Energetic Girl.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Manly Man to Tinky Winky's Sensitive Guy.
- Ship Tease: With Laa-Laa. In one episode, a Voice Trumpet even indirectly refers to Laa-Laa as his "favourite friend".
- The Lancer: To Tinky-Winky. While Tinky is a gentle, calm, effeminate fellow, Dipsy is opposite to him in every aspect from being Hot-Blooded to openly averts dancing in a dress - which Tinky likes to do.
- Vocal Dissonance: During Season 1 of the reboot, Dipsy's voice is more high pitched and soft-spoken than in the original, even though his voice soon becomes less soft in Season 2.
Laa-Laa
Laa-Laa
- Played by: Nikky Smedley (Original series), Rebecca Hyland (2015 series, Netflix series)"Laa-laa-li-laa-laa-li-laa-li-laa!"
Laa-Laa Ball!
The second youngest and second smallest Teletubby. She is bubbly, very kind and caring, dramatic, and motherly. Has yellow fur. Her favorite thing is her big orange ball. Is best friends with Dipsy.
- Aerith and Bob: Her name is patterned with Nala from The Lion King.
- Character Catchphrase:
- "Laa-Laa ball!"
- "Bibbaly cheese!"
- "Laa-laa-li-laa-laa-li-laa-li-laa!"
- Drama Queen: She is very dramatic.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: The Sanguine. She's easily the most people-oriented of the four and is frequently the one to show happiness at its fullest extent.
- Genki Girl: Has quite an outgoing nature and is very cheerful.
- Girly Girl: A kind, motherly animal lover, and loves dancing in a skirt the most out of them all.
- Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: She loves flowers, cute things, and dressing up in tutus, but she doesn’t mind jumping in puddles sometimes.
- Fur Of Gold, Heart Of Gold: The yellow fur goes well with her kindness to others.
- Iconic Item: Her big orange ball.
- Nice Girl: Laa-Laa is an extremely dramatic, energetic, bubbly, and lovable Teletubby.
- Pink Means Feminine: When she wears a skirt in specific episodes in both the original show and the reboot. Also, in Strictly Come Dancing, Laa-Laa wears a pink and blue outfit while she is dancing with Tinky Winky.
- Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: The bubbly Energetic Girl to Dipsy's sarcastic Savvy Guy.
- Ship Tease: With Dipsy. In one episode, a Voice Trumpet even indirectly refers to her as Dipsy's "favourite friend".
- Team Mom: She is the mother figure out of the whole group.
- Vocal Dissonance: In the original series, Laa-Laa's voice is giggly and high pitched, but her voice is slightly low pitched in the reboot.
- Yellow/Purple Contrast: Laa-Laa's Yellow to Tinky Winky's Purple.
Po
Po
- Played by: Pui Fan Lee (Original series), Rachelle Beinart (2015 series, Netflix series)"Fi-dit, fi-dit, fi-dit, fi-dit!"
Po Cootah!
The youngest and smallest of the Teletubbies. She is cute, loves having attention, shy, quiet, mischievous, and can speak Cantonese. Has red fur. Her favorite thing is her blue and pink scooter. Is best friends with Tinky Winky.
- Badass Adorable: She maybe cute-looking, but that doesn't stop her from being an impressively feisty little thing.
- Bilingual Bonus: Po is able to speak Cantonese, thanks to original actor Pui Fan Lee.
- Character Catchphrase:
- "Po cootah!"
- "Fi-dit, fi-dit, fi-dit, fi-dit!"
- Fiery Redhead: Has red fur and is very boisterous.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: The Choleric. She appears to be the most strong-willed Teletubby, and often comes up with practical decisions to get the others out of a problem. Oh, and let's not forget that tomboyish nature of hers.
- Dreadful Musician: In the episode "Honky Tonk Piano", Po could not play the piano properly until she practiced with Tinky Winky's help.
- Hot-Blooded: She's extremely energetic and feisty, often approaching things in a rough and quick way.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: The Tiny Girl to Tinky-Winky's Huge Guy. She's the smallest and youngest.
- There were some episodes where she gets laughed at by Tinky Winky, Dipsy, and Laa-Laa for this reason alone.
- Iconic Item: Her blue and pink scooter.
- Like Brother and Sister: Has this relationship with Dipsy. In "Feeding My Baby Sister", he grows frustrated over Po forgetting the Tubby Custard she made was for him by drinking it, which is similar to an older brother being impatient with his forgetful younger sister. In "Clay", Po wears his hat and he chases her for it, which is similar to an annoying little sister running away from her big brother with one of his possessions.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: The tomboy Masculine Girl to Tinky-Winky's gentle Feminine Boy.
- Nice Girl: Po is a sweet and lovable Teletubby.
- Plucky Girl: She never gives up on doing something and usually is the one to solve a problem that seems tough, such as getting Laa-Laa's ball out of a tree by using Tinky Winky's bag.
- Pink Means Feminine: Despite her tomboyish nature, she has a girly side for wearing a ballet skirt in specific episodes, both in the original and the reboot. Also, in Strictly Come Dancing, she is wearing a pink and purple outfit while dancing with Dipsy.
- Red/Green Contrast: Po's Red to Dipsy's Green.
- Red Index, Blue Index: Po's Red to Noo-Noo's Blue.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Red to Tinky-Winky and Laa-Laa's Blue.
- Ship Tease: With Tinky Winky.
- Tomboy: Po's favorite thing is to ride on her scooter instead of dancing like Laa-Laa. She also was able to scare off a spider once while the others ran away when it came.
- Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Although she's a tomboy, she has a strong liking for girly things, cute things and animals, and likes to dance in a skirt sometimes.
- Tomboyish Name: Her name is Po, which is usually a pretty masculine name.
- The Cutie: Many fans think she's very cute.
- The Determinator: Whenever the others run into a problem, whatever she does will often get them out of it.
- Vocal Dissonance: In the original Teletubbies, Po's voice is very soft, and in the reboot, her voice is still soft but more high pitched during Season 1, despite that she sounds less soft during Season 2.
- The Smart Girl: She seems to be smarter than the other Teletubbies to an extent.
The Tiddlytubbies
The Tiddlytubbies
- Played by Teresa Gallagher
Hee Hee!
The baby offspring of the original Teletubbies that appear in the 2015 reboot. Their names are Mi-Mi, Daa Daa, Baa, Ping, RuRu, Nin, Duggle Dee, and Umby Pumby.
- Ambiguously Brown: Baa and Duggle Dee have slightly darker skin tones than the other Tiddlytubbies; however, it's hardly noticeable unless they're seen with other Tiddlytubbies.
- Colour-Coded Characters: Each Tiddlytubby has a rainbow-themed colour, as follows:
- Red - Duggle Dee
- Orange - Ru Ru
- Yellow - Umby Pumby
- Green - Daa-Daa
- Blue - Mi-Mi
- Indigo - Baa
- Violet - Nin
- Pink - Ping
- Gender-Equal Ensemble: Four males (Daa-Daa, Ru Ru, Duggle Dee and Baa) and four females (Umby Pumby, Ping, Mi-Mi and Nin).
- Iconic Item: Daa Daa's Tiddlynoo, Ping's xylophone, and Umby Pumby's teddy bear.
- The Leader: Mi-Mi, to the other Tiddlytubbies. note
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Played straight with Ping and Baa, but inverted with Mi-Mi and Duggle Dee, who are light blue and pinkish-red respectivly.
- Pokémon Speak: Due to their young age, almost all of the Tiddlytubbies can only say their name. Daa Daa is the exception, as he can say "Vroom-vroom!" in addition to his name. Nin and Duggle Dee also say the word "Party!" several times in the episode "Tiddlytubby Party".
- Rainbow Motif: They are all coloured according to the rainbow.
- Sleepyhead: Umby Pumby.
- Still the Leader: Mi-Mi, like RuRu, Nin, and Duggle Dee, wasn't officially introduced until the episode "Tallest Shortest", and was just seen sleeping in the background until then. Daa Daa, Baa, Ping, and Umby Pumby were introduced earlier, in the episode "Babies".
- Super-Speed: Downplayed with Daa Daa, whose the fastest Tiddlytubby solely because he rides the Tiddlynoo. Though, the Teletubbies website mentions that Daa Daa "loves revving back and forth extremely quickly on the Tiddlynoo", which—if taken at face value—would both be absurd and play this trope straight.
- Theme Song: The Tiddlytubbies have one.
- The Twindividual: Nin and Duggle Dee. As the Teletubbies website points out: "The two are inseparable – always holding hands and playing with balls."
Others
Noo-Noo
Noo-Noo
- Operated by: Mark Dean (Original series), Victoria Jane (2015 series, Season 1), Olly Taylor (2015 series, Season 2-present)"Suck, slurp, suck, slurp!"
Suck, slurp, suck, slurp!
The vacuum of the Teletubbies, he is small and blue. He is sometimes naughty and sucks up the Teletubbies' things but gives them back in the end. He also helps out the Teletubbies by cleaning up their messes and cleaning up the house.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: He was repainted orange for the reboot. Most likely done to making Chroma Keying him easier.
- Character Catchphrase: "Suck, slurp, suck, slurp!"
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: At times, Noo-Noo will suck up the Teletubbies' favorite things and run away with them, but he always gives them back in the end.
- Phrase Catcher: "Naughty Noo-Noo!"
- Red Index, Blue Index: Noo-Noo's Blue to Po's Red.
- Robot Buddy: He lives with the Teletubbies.
- Robot Maid: He always cleans up a mess that the Teletubbies make.
- Silent Snarker: He never speaks - only making sucking and slurping sounds, and tends to make snarky gestures in terms of body language.
- Team Pet: He could possibly be the pet for the Teletubbies.
- The Speechless: Noo-Noo does not speak, but he does make noises like a vacuum cleaner.
Baby Sun
Baby Sun
- Played by Jessica Smith (Original series), Berry (2015 series), Various babies (Netflix series)
*Giggle*
The baby-faced sun girl of Teletubbyland. She appears at the beginning and end of each episode, and also pops up randomly to react to whatever is going on.
- Audience Surrogate: According to
Word of God, Baby Sun was meant to give the viewers someone to laugh along with. - The Face of the Sun: One of the most famous examples on children's television of a sun with the face of a baby girl.
- The Hyena: She laughs in almost every scene she appears in.
- The Nth Doctor: Interestingly, in the Netflix version of the reboot, each episode has a different baby play the role of Baby Sun. This may be why there's no longer a yellow filter placed over them, as to make it more apparent.
- Perpetual Smiler: Just like the Teletubbies themselves, she never stops smiling. In fact, she is seldom sad.
- The Unintelligible: Being a baby girl and all, she never makes any noises other than squeals and giggles.
The Lion
The Lion
The big scary lion is an animatronic who entertains the Teletubbies and enjoys giving them a good scare. His performance involves hunting and chasing an equally creepy-looking bear.
- Badass Boast: Claims to have big scary teeth, and be scary around the front, back, top, and underneath.
- Bowdlerise: Due to the original sketch being too scary, the sketch ended up being edited to be less scary... if you're not in the US.
- Cool Board: Because he is a slap of cardboard shaped like a lion, he is unable to walk but can travel amazingly fast on a board with weels on it.
- Evil Sounds Deep: He had this in the original cut, but later releases changed it to a campier voice.
- Informed Attribute: His "big scary teeth" ain't that big.
- Harmless Villain: Zig-zagged For all his creepiness, he ultimately is just about theatrics, really.
- Nightmare Face: At least for children watching this show. To us adults, he isn't that scary.
- Offscreen Teleportation: He is naturally fast on his wheeled board, but in many scenes he leaves the screen and reappears in a different position, suggesting he can turn around supernaturally fast.
- Oop North: He originally spoke in a Cockney accent, but in some dubs, he has a Lancashire accent.
- Supernatural Gold Eyes: Has a very uncanny pair of yellow luminous peepers and his pupils often dilate to the extent they turn completely Black in some frames.
- Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: Not actually a villain, but his creepy appearance and the way he is introduced definitely makes him very intimidating, especially given the nature of the show he is in. In fact, it was so scary that the original sketch with him and the bear was effectively banned in the US!
- Villainous Breakdown: Is increasingly frustrated as he searches for the bear as his speech is increasingly interrupted with angry growls and when he finally spots her he stops speaking coherently and his vocabulary is reduced to incoherent snarling and maniacal laughter.
- Villain Decay: In the original airing, there was a suspensful build-up to his appearance, and he spoke in a gravely, threatening voice. Serious music would play when he was on the screen, as he stalked the bear. In later dubs he spoke in a softer tone of voice, would meow, silly sound effects would play and the music sounded more derranged but light-hearted.
The Bear
The Bear
I'm the bear, I'm the bear, and I'm COMING!!!!
A wooden bear who enjoys playing hide-and-seek with the big scary lion. She is a friend to the Teletubbies and enjoys performing for them. She has a rather cheeky and playful personality.
- Artistic License – Biology: Bears are not prey to lions. In fact, they are pretty capable of overpowering the lion.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Tells the audience that she'll tell a joke, her "joke" involving her rolling her each eye independantly and sticking her tongue out.
- Cool Board: Her primary mode of transportation, given that she is a plank of wood shaped like a bear.
- Fragile Speedster: She's fast, but apparently much weaker than a normal bear. A REAL bear wouldn't flee a lion.
- Informed Attribute: Her brown fuzzy hair. It isn't really there.
- Jump Scare: She uses her "joke" to jumpscare the big scary lion.
- Offscreen Teleportation: She can travel lighteningly fast on her board, but what's weird is there is no clear way she can turn around offscreen as fast as she seems to, and she appears to be able to crouch and stoop despite being a lump of stiff wood.
- Troll: She is this for the lion.
- Vocal Dissonance: Speaks in an upper-class London accent despite being a hulking bear.
