Opening Shots

Before each segment of Teletubbies, there are usually scenes that introduced the setting of where the segment (or dance) is going to be. These are called **Opening Shots**.

## Purpose

Opening Shots are used to introduce the setting of a Teletubbies segment. For example, if the setting is inside or outside the Home Hill, then usually an Opening Shot of Teletubbyland moves so that you can see the Home Hill. This isn't always true, as some episodes feature Home Hill Opening shots despite the segments taking place in the field.

There are also background music for the Opening Shots. A common tune would be bells chiming the Teletubbies tune and a piano piece playing with a woodwind instrument ending the tune.

Occasionally, Opening Shots can also act as Closing Shots, where they end a segment, or Transition Shots, where it transitions from one segment to another (or simply a different location in the same segment).

## Opening Shot list

There are a total of twenty Opening Shots in the series (not counting alternate versions), and they are divided into four different categories: ***Home Hill***, ***Field***, ***Right Path*** and ***Christmas***.

### Home Hill

In *Home Hill* opening shots, the camera would either be staying still while showing the Tubbytronic Superdome or zoom towards it. These shots usually indicate that the segment will take place inside the house or in its surroundings, although sometimes they make an exception and are used for segments taking place in the field too. If that happens, the shot will fade or cut to stock footage of the fields. A total of five shots fall into this category.

* **Home Hill 1:** The very first Opening Shot used in Teletubbies. Obviously used in the very first episode of the show, Ned's Bicycle. The camera starts down low and scrolls past two trees as the Tubbytronic Superdome and the Magic Windmill are visible in the background. Many rabbits can be seen as the camera scrolls around Teletubbyland. As the camera scrolls slightly to the right, the camera stops as we see the Tubbytronic Superdome and the Magic Windmill up close. Most of the time, the E Major tune with the bells chiming in the beginning will play. But in some cases, like in Photo Faces, Rockpool and Tropical Fish, the tune with an extended opening with the bells chiming in a different key plays during this Opening Shot. In the episode Rockpool, the shot cuts to ***Right Path 1*** Opening Shot, and the extended theme ends with bells chiming, but the second shot is shortened and the normal E major tune replaces the extended tune also occurs in Bird Bath (South Africa). In Hickory Dickory Dock, control panel noises is heard during the shot. This is one of three shots that was used more than once in the same episode (Hanging Out the Washing), the others being ***Field 2*** and ***Christmas 1***. This is one of the most used Opening Shots in the show.
* **Home Hill 2:** The second opening shot used in the show, first used in Ned's Bicycle after the TV Event. The camera is still. We see two rabbits on a hill and the right side of the Tubbytronic Superdome with the Magic Windmill spinning normally in the background. The same footage is used for the *Bird's eye view* Windmill animation, where the windmill is surrounded with sparkles and gradually speeds up. For this reason, this shot is also known as ''Bird's eye view with 1.0 no sparkles'. In its first use in Ned's Bicycle, we hear the ditty that was used later in the Opening Shot ***Field 2*** in the episode The Grand Old Duke of York, and in its second use in *Swimming with Stephanie*, the rabbit song (preceded by footage of rabbits all over Teletubbyland, also used in Paddling Pool) plays with the bells chiming at the end. You can see this opening shot in Ned's Bicycle, Swimming with Stephanie, Favourite Things (VHS/DVD), and the VHS Uh-Oh! Messes and Muddles. This a rare Opening Shot.
* **Home Hill 3:** This Opening Shot is similar to ***Home Hill 1***, with differences. In this Opening Shot, the camera starts high up, then moves down, slightly zooms and scrolls past three trees, with the first being larger. The camera scrolls past the trees in a slightly different way than it does in ***Home Hill 1***. Then the camera moves to the right until the flowers are visible on a hill. The camera stops as we see the Tubbytronic Superdome and the Magic Windmill up close, though the Tubbytronic Superdome is shot from a different angle. There are not many rabbits in this version. This shot was first used in the episode The Beach. The E major tune with the bells chiming in the beginning plays, occasionally using the extended theme (like in Making Music). Just like ***Home Hill 1***, it's one of the most common shots in the series.
* **Home Hill 4:** The seventh Opening Shot used in the series, first used in the episode Painting with Hands and Feet. It was also used as the last opening shot in the original series finale, Jigsaw: Dog. The shot starts with the camera very high up, and we can see the Tubbytronic Superdome and the Magic Windmill. Then the camera moves down towards the house and stops once it reaches the ground. We can see the Tubbytronic Superdome and the Magic Windmill up close, but it is slightly zoomed compared to the other Home Hill shots. The tune with the bells chiming in the beginning plays. In Gymnastics, the shot is shortened/extended meaning: the part where it moves towards the house and then stops is cut out, but it adds a small extended section never seen in the shot, as suggested by a couple of rabbits being in a slightly different position than in the main shot.
* **Home Hill 5:** The sixth Opening Shot used in Teletubbies, first used in the episode Naughty Sock. The camera is still and doesn't move. We can see the house and the Magic Windmill spinning normally. The tune with the bells chiming in the beginning plays during this Opening shot. This Opening Shot can also act as Closing Shot or Transition Shot. An alternate version of the shot features a less cloudy sky and brighter sunlight, first appearing in Larette Tap Dancing and mostly acts as Closing Shot (like in Washing the Elephant) or Transition Shot (like in Towers), the other being almost identical but with less sunlight, and was first used in Jumping. The second version is among the most common and iconic shots in the series, while the first version appears mostly in episodes from 1997. The third version, on the other hand, is rarer.

### Field

*Field* shots would have the camera either zoom towards the fields or simply pan in one direction until the fields are visible. These shots indicate that the segment will likely take place in the fields, with occasional exceptions. This is the Opening Shot category with the most shots, with a total of ten.

* **Field 1:** This is the third Opening Shot used in Teletubbies. First used in the episode Our Pig Winnie. In this shot, we see two blue flowers and the left part of the Tubbytronic Superdome. The camera zooms straight towards the fields of Teletubbyland. It doesn't stop zooming until we can see the fields closely. The tune with an extended, but beautiful opening before the bells chime plays, starting in E major, and changing to G major when the bells start chiming. This Opening Shot was reversed in an episode, Picking and Sorting, where it also accompanies ***Field 6***. Also, in Collecting Stones and Bird Bath, the extended music plays in a lower key. On very rare occasions, like the episodes Painting with our Hands and Feet or Jigsaw - Elephant it just plays the abridged E Major tune with the bells chiming in the beginning. In the episode Irish Dancing, it plays the D major version of the tune with the bells chiming in the beginning. In the episode Rockpool, the shot is immediately followed by ***Right Path 1*** Opening Shot.
* **Field 2:**  The fifth Opening Shot used in the series, first used in the episode, The Grand Old Duke of York. We see two rabbits relaxing, with one eating grass and one looking at the horizon. The camera scrolls up left until it stops. We see a field, a path, and part of the circular border encircling the Tubbytronic Superdome. The tune with the bells chiming in the beginning plays during this shot. But in its first use in The Grand Old Duke of York, a small Teletubbyland ditty plays, with bells chiming in a different key and a woodwind instrument playing for the remainder of the tune. Some episodes like Harp, Dentist and Rangoli use the extended opening instead. In Mark and Topus, the shot is mirrored. In Tabla (India) the shot is used twice in the same episode, making it one of three shots to do that, the others being **Home Hill 1 and Christmas 1**. Just like the previous one, this in one of the most used shots.
* **Field 3:** We see a window of the Tubbytronic Superdome up close, with some of the Superdome's interior being visible as well. The camera moves up the windows and zooms straight to the fields. This motion is similar to Field 1, where the camera simply zooms straight to the fields. The tune plays with the bells chiming in the beginning. It was first used in the episode Making Flowers and was re-used in the episode Haymaking, in reverse. This shot also appears in the VHS/DVD Here Come the Teletubbies. Along with ***Home Hill 2***, this is a rare Opening Shot, used twice in the main series (Making Flowers and Haymaking) and once in home media releases (Here Come the Teletubbies).
* **Field 4:** We can see the house with the Magic Windmill behind until the camera moves to the left. The field will be seen. The tune plays where the opening is extended and the bells chiming further in the tune with a different key, occasionally using the normal. The sky is cloudy in this shot. It first appeared in Cuddles Get Lost. This shot has two alternate versions. One is almost identical but the right side of the house is offscreen and the camera stops as soon as some flowers are visible on the bottom left corner of the screen. The other one is similar to the first alternate version, but with the camera positioned differently and the Magic Windmill being offscreen too, just like ***Right Path 2***. You can see the first version in Cat's Night Out, the first alternate version in Fancy Dress, and the second alternate version in Jabadao. This Opening Shot is occasionally used further in the show, from Series 7 onwards, making it less common than previous ones.
* **Field 5:** One rabbit is seen eating grass on the bottom of a hill. The camera turns in a clockwise direction and we can see a field, with many hills surrounding it. This Opening Shot first appeared in Fancy Dress and is occassionally used for outside segments and activities. An alternate version of the shot has the rabbit relax instead of eating the grass. The tune plays the bells chiming in the beginning. However, in My Pretend Friend, the tune plays a cut short version of the extended opening with the bells chiming in a different key, and starts in the G major key, and as a result, the extended opening of the tune is truncated. Like ***Field 4***, this shot is used occasionally in the late episodes of the show from Series 7 onwards, and is not really common.
* **Field 6:** One rabbit is seen on a hill, until the camera moves to the right and we see a beautiful field. In Picking and Sorting, ***Field 1*** accompanies this Opening Shot right after its over. The tune that plays during this shot is a brief synth, then the extended opening with the bells chiming further in the tune. Interestingly, a beautiful piano ditty plays at the end of the tune, though this melody only appears in ***Field 1*** . Another rare Opening Shot, you can see it in Picking and Sorting, Monkey Safari, Favourite Things (VHS/DVD) and Busy Day, making it one of the rarest Opening Shots. This Opening Shot can also be seen in the Teletubbies Say "Eh-Oh" music video.
* **Field 7:** We see a rabbit in front of the Tubbytronic Superdome until the camera moves up and zooms towards the fields. The normal tune with the bells chiming in the beginning plays during this shot. This opening shot is first used in the episode Playing in the Rain. This is a rare shot, as it appears four times in the main series (Playing in the Rain, Dandelion Clocks, Our Calf Treacle and Ned's Geraniums) and once in Home Media releases (Here Come the Teletubbies).
* **Field 8:** We see a window of the house with a rabbit relaxing on the sill, and a bit of the interior of the house is visible as well. The camera moves to the left, then moves up and zooms towards the fields of Teletubbyland. This opening shot is similar to ***Field 3*** and ***Field 7***. It was first used in Emily and Jester. The E major tune accompanies this shot. This Opening Shot also acted as Transition Shot in the episode Throwing at the end of the Exercises segment, with the music from the voice trumpet (which was instructing the Tubbies during the exercises segment) still playing in the background. The shot then fades into footage of the Teletubbies running, before them being stopped by the Windmill spinning for the TV event. This shot is one of the rarest ones, used only three times in the main series (Emily and Jester, Throwing and Hanukkah) and none in Home Media releases, making it one of three shots that were never released in VHS or DVD, along with ***Field 9*** and the alternate shot for ***Christmas 2***.
* **Field 9:** This opening shot is similar to the two previous shots. The camera is pointing upwards directly at one of the house windows. Then the camera slowly moves up the window and stops when the fields are visible. The tune with the bells chiming in the beginning plays in the background. Out of all shots, this is the rarest one, appearing only twice in the main series (Twirlers, Clay and Little Boy Blue) and was never released on VHS/DVD, like ***Field 8*** and ***Christmas 2 (alternate shot)***.
* **Field 10:** We see the front door of the house with some rabbits, the camera moves to the top of the door arch and turns around until we can see the fields. The tune with the bells chiming plays during this shot. Another rare opening shot, it appears in Numbers: 3 (both versions), Indian Dancing and the DVD Again-Again!.

### Right Path

These shots either have the camera move upwards or sideways to show a green pathway leading to the Tubbytronic Superdome. In reality, the pathway leads to the backstage sheds of the Teletubbyland filming set, which is why we never see its other side in the series. Unlike *Home Hill* and *Field* shots, which introduce segments taking place in their respective locations (with exceptions), *Right Path* shots introduce segments taking place in either or both of them. This is the category having the least shots, with only two.

* **Right Path 1:** The fourth Opening Shot used in the series, first appearing in Our Pig Winnie after the TV event. We see some rabbits in the grass and the green pathway. The camera moves forward until both the Tubbytronic Superdome and the fields are visible. The tune plays where the bells chime in the beginning, but some episodes like Rolling, Digging in the Sand for Worms and Tropical Fish use the extended opening instead. In Dirty Dog, the tune with the bells chiming at the beginning plays in a lower key. In Rockpool, the shot follows another Opening Shot (***Home Hill 1***) and in Paddling Pool the shot ends the clip compilation for the rabbit song (same version from Swimming with Stephanie). A second version of this shot, first used in Naughty Sock, features the twin flowers facing the camera and the big rabbit going behind the yellow flowers instead of eating the grass and the farthest rabbit is closer to the red flowers. The first version is one of the most common and iconic shots in the series, while the second version is pretty rare, appearing every once in a while.
* **Right Path 2:** We see some rabbits in the field when the camera moves to the point where we can see the green pathway and the side of the house. The Magic Windmill is also visible on the right side of the screen. It was first used in Making Salad. There are two alternate versions of this shot, one being almost identical to the first one but it's slightly less zoomed in and the rabbits move differently. This version was first used in Café Eggs appears as closing shot in a shortened/extended version (similar to ***Home Hill 4***) in Ready Steady Go!. The second one, first appearing in Amy's Pasta (even before the previous ones), features more rabbits at the beginning and the Magic Windmill is offscreen. The main shot and the first alternate shot both appear in Making Salad. The tune plays where the bells chime in the beginning, occasionally using the extended theme, like in Milking the Cows. In Peacocks, we hear a slightly slower version of the extended opening, and only part of it (this ditty is re-used in Puppies and Geometry Fun are later, two different, softer and calmer versions are used in Dog Kennel, Dragonflies and Jigsaw: Dog). There are no bells chiming. In Stick Insect, we hear the beginning of The Bumping Dance (Bumps a Daisy). All versions are among the most common shots in the series, despite not being introduced until Series 4.

### Christmas

These are special Opening Shots that are occasionally used in Christmas-themed episodes, and are mostly based off the previous shots. There are three in total.

* **Christmas 1:** We see a beautiful Christmas tree with very bright lights and ornaments, with the Tubbytronic Superdome and the Magic Windmill spinning normally in the background. When the key changes, the camera zooms straight to the Tubbytronic Superdome. This opening shot was first introduced in Making Christmas Cards and appears in Christmas-themed episodes from 1997 where one Teletubby gets a present. The tune with the extended opening and the bells chiming in a different key is used in this shot, and is accompanied with Christmas bells chiming in the background. This Opening Shot is based off all ***Home Hill*** shots combined and is the last of three shots (along with ***Home Hill 1*** and ***Field 2***) to be used more than once in the same episode. A similar version, with the camera in the same position but staying still, appears as a Closing Shot in the episode Making Christmas Cards.
* **Christmas 2:** Snowflakes are falling and a rabbit is sitting on the snow. As the camera moves to the right, we see another rabbit in the snow and the Tubbytronic Superdome. The tune with a quiet, mellow piano and bell Christmas tune is heard. This shot is based off ***Right Path 2***, as the camera moves in a similar way from a similar location. This shot is used in winter-themed episodes from 1998.
* **Christmas 3:** The camera is still, snowflakes are falling, and the Tubbytronic Superdome with the Magic Windmill spinning normally in the background is seen. The snow then stops falling. The tune with a quiet, mellow, piano and bell Christmas tune is heard. This shot is based off ***Home Hill 5*** and, like ***Christmas 2***, it appears in winter-themed episodes from 1998.

## Trivia

* In ***Home Hill 4***, on the right in the background, when the camera is at a high view, the Tots TV cottage can be seen, even though there are many trees and bushes surrounding it.
	+ This shot was also used for the funding bumpers when it aired on PBS Kids.
* Field 6 appears in the Teletubbies Say "Eh-Oh" music video.

## Goofs

* In some uses of ***Home Hill 5 (Main shot)***, the house doors can be seen opening and sometimes a person can be spotted inside the house. This occurs in episodes such as Loretta Tap Dancing and Haymaking.
* In ***Field 3***, when the camera reaches the top of the window, what seems to be the shadow of some mechanical arm holding the camera disappears.