Lift Off!

What if your school bag could talk? Or an elevator loved word games? Lift Off (1992-95) was a children’s TV show full of surprises. Mixing live action, puppetry, animation and music, it followed a group of kids from different backgrounds as they learned, played and explored the world.

Producer Patricia Edgar gathered philosophers, musicians, mathematicians, illustrators and child specialists to ask: what do kids need to know? Their ideas shaped the show’s characters and stories, blending everyday life with fantasy. EC, a doll, came to life through imagination. Beverley, a one-eyed plant, taught nature facts. Lotis, the talking lift, loved puns. Even their school bags had something to say! Lift Off hoped to develop kids’ intelligence across the board, to redress the shortage of pre-school places at the time.

Through stories, songs, and science, Lift Off sparked curiosity and made learning an adventure.

Every Child’s friend

Every child’s friend

Saved from the garbage in Lift Off’s first episode, EC is more than just a doll. Neither boy nor girl, EC stands for Every Child – always there to listen, comfort and share in adventures. Usually with Nipper, EC reflects the emotions of those around them, sometimes quiet, sometimes full of life. Seeing magic in everything, EC helps the children navigate their world with curiosity, empathy and wonder.

The world of Lift Off!

Lift Off doesn’t get its name from a rocket ship. It’s actually LOTIS, the literal lift that is run by AI and loves word games. When the kids board this elevator, you never know where they might turn up. LOTIS has the ability to take them to anywhere in the world or anywhere their – or its – imagination chooses.