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

Published: 4 September 2026

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, Saturday 5 September 2026, the schedule runs its usual shape from 6am sign-on to closedown shortly before 7pm, all of it streaming live on BBC iPlayer alongside the broadcast.

CBeebies Schedule: Saturday 5 September 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete CBeebies schedule for Saturday 5 September 2026, on Freeview 202.

Overnight

Breakfast

Morning

Afternoon

Early evening

What’s on CBeebies today

Saturday’s morning follows the shape CBeebies mornings always take: once the “This Is CBeebies” ident clears at 6am, short five- and ten-minute shows stack one after another so a young child can drift off and come back without losing the thread. Bing gets three outings today, at 6:05am, 6:45am and 9am, a different episode each time, and Hey Duggee runs in a back-to-back pair at 7:05am and 7:15am before a further slot at 11:20am. Bluey follows straight after Hey Duggee at 7:20am and 7:30am, two different episodes back to back. Something Special, still built around Makaton signing throughout, has two slots today, 9:45am and 1:45pm, with a different episode in each.

The afternoon works through the channel’s usual rotation, Octonauts, Zog, Go Jetters, Puffin Rock, Roots and Fruits, Love Monster, Piripenguins and Yukee among them, most getting a morning-or-lunchtime slot and a separate afternoon showing. Hey Duggee and Bluey both return in the late afternoon, at 3:45pm/3:50pm and 4:40pm/4:45pm — and the 4:40pm/4:45pm Bluey pair is a straight repeat of the 7:20am/7:30am pair rather than two new episodes, so the same two stories bookend the day. The one genuinely new arrival is at 4:25pm, when Do Not Watch This Show brings a new episode from its second series into the mid-afternoon slot. From 5:30pm the schedule narrows into the bedtime run proper, which is short and covered below.

CBeebies tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the CBeebies primetime line-up for tonight, Saturday 5 September 2026.

Bluey — CBeebies, 5:10pm

The bus game, in which Mum is too frightened to tell bus driver Dad something. Seven minutes, and funnier about parenting than most things made for adults.

JoJo & Gran Gran — CBeebies, 5:20pm

A trip to the aquarium. Still the only preschool show on British television built around a Black British family, and it wears that lightly.

Charlie and Lola — CBeebies, 5:40pm

Something very special and extremely ancient. Lauren Child’s cut-paper world has dated better than almost anything of its era.

In the Night Garden — CBeebies, 6:25pm ⭐

The ball bounces off where it should be and the evening winds down accordingly. Twenty-five minutes engineered to put a small child to sleep, and unmatched at it.

CBeebies Bedtime Stories — CBeebies, 6:50pm

Matt Berry reads Alphonse, That Is Not OK to Do! Berry’s voice against a picture book about a badly behaved sibling is an inspired bit of casting. The channel closes at 7pm.

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 JoJo & Gran Gran 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