The BBCi Pandas

Published on 6 December 2005 in BBC red button, BBC, BBC red button, interactive television, work

So I arrived back at work yesterday after my lazy week off, to find some new occupants at my old desk. Unlike Martin, I hadn’t been turfed out to make way for a new colleague, but my desk now has to be shared.

No, it’s not BBC cutbacks meaning we have to double up. It’s because whilst I was away, it was decided my desk would be the new home for the BBCi pandas.

The history of the pandas is pretty vague. A colleague of mine came in not long after starting at BBCi to find one of our developers kicking the large one around the office like a football, and she promptly gave it a new, secure home. No one knows anything about it bar that, and it had been on her desk in one building or other, ever since. She later bought the small panda in to keep the large one company. As for the developer caught kicking Big Panda round Bush House, well he has been rehabilitated back into society.

Well my colleague left last week – off to adventures elsewhere – and a home for the pandas was needed. Which is why they were on my desk on Monday morning.

And what a home they have. They were very excited about it, and Lil’ BBCi Panda was so excited, that she jumped up on Big BBCi Panda’s back so that they could explore their new home together.

After that, Lil’ BBCi Panda couldn’t wait to get stuck in and press that red button!

Meanwhile Big BBCi Panda was busy exploring his exciting new home and discovered a flat cap. He thought it suited him.

And after all that fun and excitement, the BBCi Pandas went to sleep so that Andrew could check his emails, and try and work out why some of the channel numbers on the TV listings pages weren’t correct…

So there you go. I’m sure the pandas will enjoy their new surroundings, even if it is giving me strange ideas, like doing a website which features pandas telling bad jokes…