Andy Pandy waves hello

Looby Loo, Andy Pandy and Teddy enchanted children

Children's classic Andy Pandy is set for a TV comeback more than 30 years after he left our screens.

The playful puppet first graced television screens in 1950 and was last seen in 1970.

Now the BBC is remaking the popular series telling the tales of a young "boy" who wore stripy pyjamas and his friends Teddy and the rag doll Looby Loo.

Bill and Ben made their comeback in 2001

The children's television market has proved a lucrative business with the likes of Teletubbies and the Tweenies proving merchandise successes.

Watch With Mother

Andy Pandy was created by Freda Lingstrom, who was head of the children's television department of the BBC between 1951 and 1956.

The show went out in the Tuesday afternoon Watch with Mother slot.

The original programmes were narrated by Vera McKechnie and the songs were sung by Gladys Whitred.

Andy signed off each show by waving goodbye to everyone with a song.

The revival follows in the footsteps of Bill and Ben who made their TV comeback at the start of 2001 after a multi-million pound make-over.

Andy Pandy is currently in the pre-production stage with Cosgrove Hall providing the stop-frame animation.

The new show will be aimed at children between the ages of one and three years.

A BBC spokesman said the new format would have a modern feel to it.

No transmission date has yet been set for the first episode to air.