CBeebies TV Guide: Listings, Schedule & What’s On CBeebies Tonight

CBeebies is the BBC’s channel for children aged six and under, and it runs without adverts or sponsorship between shows. The licence fee pays for it instead, which is why nothing on the channel is trying to sell a three-year-old a toy. Today, Wednesday 12 August 2026, there are 74 programmes on the schedule, all of it streaming live on BBC iPlayer alongside the broadcast.

CBeebies Schedule: Wednesday 12 August 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete CBeebies schedule for Wednesday 12 August 2026, on Freeview 202.

What’s on CBeebies today

The morning is built the way CBeebies mornings usually are: once the half-hour “This Is CBeebies” ident clears at 6am, it’s five- and ten-minute blocks stacked one after another, so a child can drift off and come back without missing a plot. Bluey gets five outings today: Dirt pairs with Dunny at 7:20am and 7:30am, Shaun runs solo at 11:15am, then Dirt and Dunny repeat at 4:35pm and 4:45pm.

One episode is genuinely new: What’s in Your Plant Pot? at 10:45am, where farmer Alisha walks the Fact Pack through mushrooms, covering the fungi basics, mycelium growth and why the flavours vary so much. Everything else is a repeat, including two runs of Something Special at 9:45am and 1:45pm and four separate Hey Duggee slots. Zog appears twice today but it isn’t a repeat: Zog’s Taxi Service airs at 8:35am, and a different episode, The Draggles, follows at 4:50pm.

CBeebies tonight — the evening wind-down

There’s no primetime on CBeebies in the adult sense. What replaces it is a fixed, familiar run-down towards 7pm, the same shape night after night, ending in sign-off rather than a cliffhanger.

Clangers — CBeebies, 6pm

Major builds a two-seater rocket for a special trip, and he and Small spot a golden planet through the telescope (series 1, episode 46). Oliver Postgate’s mouse-organ soundtrack and the Clangers’ whistled dialogue have barely changed since the original 1969 run, which is presumably the point.

BeddyByes — CBeebies, 6:10pm

BaBa is desperate to get a race started and keeps forgetting to wait for Gramma Leeba’s signal, until MeMo talks her through why waiting matters (series 1, episode 32). It’s a gentle patience lesson dressed up as a bedtime cartoon, aimed squarely at the age group least inclined to sit still for one.

In the Night Garden — CBeebies, 6:20pm

Upsy Daisy’s bed takes on a life of its own, trailing her and Igglepiggle on a walk through the garden, before the closing Hushabye Lullabye brings the pace right down (series 2, episode 10). This is the slot built for winding a toddler towards sleep rather than entertaining them.

CBeebies Bedtime Stories — CBeebies, 6:50pm

Rick Astley reads Mr Scruff tonight, a picture book about a boy and his dog (series 2020, episode 10). The Bedtime Story has outlasted most of the channel’s other strands by leaning on exactly this format: one famous face, one book, camera close on the pages.

What kind of shows are on CBeebies

CBeebies’ own commissions

Most of the schedule is BBC-commissioned. Hey Duggee, from Studio AKA and BBC Studios, has taken multiple Children’s BAFTAs since 2015 and is one of the most-streamed titles the channel has ever had. Something Special, presented by Justin Fletcher since 2003, is the longest-running preschool series in Britain. Sarah & Duck, Numberblocks and Charlie and Lola have all been in rotation for years too.

Imported animated hits

Bluey, made by Ludo Studio in Australia and co-commissioned with the ABC, has been CBeebies’ most-watched show since 2024. It’s rare for a preschool cartoon to hold an adult’s attention as well as a child’s, but Bluey manages it. Puffin Rock and Zog, adapted from Julia Donaldson’s picture book, are the other imports you’ll see most often.

Inclusive and accessible programming

Accessibility isn’t parked in one corner of the schedule here. Something Special was built around Makaton signing from the outset, for children with delayed learning and communication needs, and presenters use Makaton in the links between programmes. The nightly Bedtime Story has run episodes signed in British Sign Language and read in Braille.

How to watch CBeebies

Channel numbers

Here’s where to find CBeebies across the main UK television platforms:

Virgin Media and Freesat numbers can vary slightly depending on your box and region, so check your on-screen guide if these don’t match.

Streaming online

CBeebies streams live and free on BBC iPlayer, either through a browser at bbc.co.uk/iplayer or via the iPlayer app on smart TVs, games consoles and phones. You’ll need a free BBC account, and the same TV Licence that covers the broadcast covers the stream. Full box sets of most CBeebies shows sit in the on-demand section as well, usually for weeks or months after they first air, which is how most parents actually use it.

CBeebies and CBBC

The two channels launched on the same day, 11 February 2002, and the split between them is purely about age. CBeebies is for six and under, and leans hard on gentle pacing, repetition and routine. CBBC takes over from six to twelve, runs much later into the evening, and moves at a considerably faster clip. If your child has started finding Bing and Hey Duggee babyish, our CBBC TV guide covers what’s next.

Frequently asked questions

What channel is CBeebies on Freeview?

Freeview channel 202, with an HD simulcast on 204. No subscription is needed on any Freeview device.

What channel is CBeebies on Sky, Virgin Media and Freesat?

Sky channel 608, Virgin Media channel 702, and Freesat channel 644, with Freesat HD on channel 608.

What time does CBeebies start and finish each day?

6am to 7pm, every day, with a short “This Is CBeebies” ident from around 5:30am. BBC Four has the same broadcast slot outside those hours.

When is the CBeebies Bedtime Hour and Bedtime Story?

It’s the last hour or so of the day, renamed simply Bedtime in 2023. It ends with the CBeebies Bedtime Story at 6:50pm, the final programme before sign-off.

Is CBeebies free to watch and does it carry adverts?

No advertising at all, which is unusual among children’s channels. A valid TV Licence is needed to watch it live or on iPlayer, as with any BBC service.

Can I watch CBeebies on BBC iPlayer?

Yes. There’s a live feed plus a dedicated CBeebies section, and a free BBC account is all you need to sign in.

Verdict

CBeebies doesn’t autoplay into the next episode or push in-app extras between shows. The channel just stops at 7pm and hands over to BBC Four for the night.

For a remit this narrow, the range holds up: decades-old homegrown commissions sit next to recent imports without looking out of place. Is it good for a toddler? Reliably, and that’s the only test worth applying. Nobody puts CBeebies on for appointment viewing. They put it on to get a small child calm and pointed at bed.

Related: What’s On TV Tonight | CBBC TV Guide | Films on TV This Week