Teletubbies. [China Daily]

Teletubbies: A pre-school children's television program by the BBC, Teletubbies features four toddlers of different colors that belong to a mythological species. It was broadcast in the hope that children could develop their confidence and self-esteem through fun and laughter. With television screens implanted in their abdomens and antenna protruding from their heads, the characters received immediate popularity in the UK and soon were introduced across the world. As early as 2002, Teletubbies could be seen in 113 countries and had been translated into 45 languages. China Central Television, the most-watched state-owned television broadcaster in the country, imported the program in 2002 and has since made it a household name in China. Merchandise sales based on the characters have covered a wide range of things, ranging from soft toys to Tubby Toast.

Shaun the Sheep. [Photo/China Daily]

Shaun the Sheep is a British stop-motion animated television series about Shaun the Sheep's madcap adventures around a small farm as the leader of his flock, a spin-off of the Wallace and Gromit franchise. What makes this series quite special is that there is no spoken dialogue at all, even from the human characters. Simple grunts, bleats, pointing, sighs, mutterings, words, and similar wordless inflections are all used to indicate each character's moods and motives. Having first aired in the UK on CBBC in March 2007 and broadcast in 180 countries globally, the series consists of 150 seven-minute episodes up to now.A feature-length film, titled Shaun the Sheep Movie, was released in 2015. A 30-minute film, titled Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas, was aired as a 2015 Christmas TV special. The first and second season were bought by China Central Television Children's Channel in 2012 and the following two seasons by online media.

Peter Rabbit. [Photo/China Daily]

Peter Rabbit is a cuddly children's story character created by Beatrix Potter. Wearing a jacket and shoes, he first appeared in the book The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902 and in the sequential five books between 1904 and 1912. In the book, the mischievous and disobedient young rabbit goes against his mother's wishes and sneaks into Mr. McGregor's garden, eating too many vegetables. Finally, Peter is spotted and chased out by Mr. McGregor. Over the years, the Peter Rabbit series has sold more than 151 million copies in 35 languages. In December 2012, Peter Rabbit, the adapted children's TV animation, was premiered on Nickelodeon and CBeebies. In 2018, it will be made into a hybrid of live-action and CG animation by Sony with James Corden and Rose Byrne.

Paddington Bear. [Photo/China Daily]

Paddington Bear, one of Britain's favorite children's fictional characters, is a friendly bear from deepest, darkest Peru with his old hat, battered suitcase, duffle coat and love of marmalade.He first appeared on 13 October, 1958, and has featured in more than 20 books written by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum and other artists. From his humble origins as a homeless immigrant at a London railway station, Paddington has gone on to sell more than 30 million books in 30 different languages. In 2014, the film adaption of Paddington Bear was produced and first released in the UK, featuring a computer-animated Paddington Bear interacting with a live-action environment. It received the Outstanding British Film award at the 68th British Academy Film Awards. The film was introduced to China on March 5, 2015.

Wallace and Gromit. [Photo/China Daily]

Wallace and Gromit is a British clay-model animation comedy series created by Nick Park of Aardman Animations. The multi-Oscar-winning show consists of six short films and a feature-length film so far, which are adored by all ages- A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave, Cracking Contraptions, A Matter of Loaf and Death, World of Invention and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The series center on Wallace, a good-natured, eccentric, cheese-loving inventor, along with his companion Gromit, a silent yet loyal and intelligent anthropomorphic dog. With their unique British humor and inventive approach to life, they are now among the best-loved characters, appealing to children and adults alike.Because of their widespread popularity, the characters have been described as positive international icons of both modern British culture in particular and British people in general. BBC News has called them "some of the best-known and best-loved stars to come out of the UK".