Deep underwater, hiding in a colourful coral reef, school is about to start.
Chips the pufferfish, Ray the stingray, Ginger and Stripes the clownfish twins and Shrimpie the shrimp have arrived to learn everything they need to know from their turtle teacher Mr Flip… and there’s a lot in their lessons.
Told through computer-animated real-world footage of creatures on an Australian reef, Reef School is a lot of fun, narrator Emma Watkins says, with stories, songs and cool lessons along the way.
”The show is so clever, particularly now when the conversation is all about how we can be kinder to the environment,” Emma, 33, tells TV WEEK.
”The footage from an actual reef is great to show the beauty of our marine life.”
Reef School is a welcome return to our screens (even though it’s in voice only) for Emma, best known to young Australians as the Yellow Wiggle for more than a decade. The star says she fell into children’s entertainment by accident.
”I had a background in teaching children dance,” Emma explains.
”And when I joined The Wiggles, I was just going in as a ballet-dancing fairy. I never thought the past 10 years would happen.
”But now that I’m here, I love the children’s audience – and not just through The Wiggles. Through my own research projects, I’ve realised there’s so much more we can be sharing and doing in the children’s performance space.”
Emma’s isn’t the only famous voice in Reef School.
Joining her for the 20-episode series are the late Australian icon Jack Charles (in one of his final roles), drag performer Courtney Act and TV WEEK Logie Award winner Tony Armstrong as Mr Flip.
“Tony is so great!” Emma says of the AFL player-turned-presenter. “He’s a joy to work with; his energy is so warm and infectious. I feel honoured to be working with him.”
