Flowerpot Men to blossom again

The Flowerpot Men and Weed will receive a makeover

Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men, a series which captivated generations of children, is making a TV comeback after a break of almost 30 years.

The pair have been given a makeover in a bid to compete with modern children's favourites like The Teletubbies and The Tweenies.

The newly commissioned 26 part series, which will include Bill and Ben's floral mentor Little Weed, is to be shown next year on the BBC.

Although the two characters have kept their "flobbalobbalob" language, a narrator will translate their gibberish so viewers can understand them.

Computer animation

Bill and Ben, who were last seen on the nation's TV screens in 1971, are to be given larger faces and will wear lime green bow ties with green gloves.

There will be no strings attached to this pair

There will be no strings attached to the pair, as the characters will now be created using computer animation.

Little Weed has also changed her image, sporting sunglasses and taking on a role as "earth mother".

Known only for her trademark "weeeeeeeed" catchphrase, she will now have a more expanded vocabulary

New characters

A host of new characters will also join the series, including a hedgehog, a worm and a tortoise.

The Flowerpot Men first appeared on BBC radio in 1952 and switched to television with the hugely popular Watch with Mother series.

The enduring appeal of the series ensured that A Watch With Mother video released 17 years after the original series made £4m in 1988.

Comedian Jon Thompson of the BBC's Fast Show has been drafted in to give a contemporary feel.

The series is being made by the Manchester-based Cosgrove Hall films, responsible for Dangermouse and Noddy.

A 30-strong team has been working on the series for the last year.