Millions of millenials grew up watching Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa  and Po.

The four humanoid characters, standing at 10 foot tall with screen on their stomachs, were designed to resemble astronauts and speak like toddlers – in a panglish gibberish that appealed to young children across the world.

Popular with babies and toddlers thanks to their bright colours and irreverent humour, the Teletubbies first launched on the BBC before taking over the world with the astronaut-inspired creatures becoming cult figures and generating more than £1 billion in merchandise sales.

It was filmed in Wimpstone, Warwickshire, which doubled as Teletubby land, d: an area of rolling grassland which housed the home of the anthropomorphic creatures.

Now, 27 years after first airing the Teletubbies is making a grown up comeback on social media.

Videos on the Teletubbies official social media pages show Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po DJing at raves, doing TikTok dances to sexually charged lyrics – and even collaborating with underwear brands. 

Recent clips show the foursome dancing with K-pop stars, raving and taking part in various racy brand collaborations.

The Teletubbies have had a grown-up makeover, collaborating with rave brands with underwear models

Clips posted to Instagram and TikTok show Po dancing at raves and encouraging people to join them

Clips show the characters DJing and partying – a far cry from their previous interation

Models have also showed off Teletubby merch, posing with Tinky Winky bags

Tinky Winky is shown raving behind a DJ at a Dolls Kill store

One photo shows a model posing in red platforms, white stockings, a black bra and a Po hoodie, showing of the TV shows collaboration with rave band Dolls Kill.

Another shows all four Telerubbies raving – completed with headsets  and flowerchains.

Melissa Goodrich, brand lead for Teletubbies at Canadian franchise management company WildBrain who now own the brand told FEMAIL that the new technique has seen the brand engage with a now adult Gen Z audience.

‘Teletubbies premiered in 1997, making Gen Z and younger millennials the original audience, growing up alongside Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. 

‘As adults now, they still love the Teletubbies, and TikTok has become a wonderful avenue for them to reengage with their favourite childhood programme. 

‘WildBrain launched the official verified Teletubbies’ account on TikTok in January 2022 to strengthen the brand’s connection to these “kidults”—our affectionate term for adult audiences with a strong sense of nostalgia for kids’ shows they loved.

Photos show the Teletubbies joining a rave in Los Angeles

Teletubbies has also collaborated with Dolls Kill in a series of racy Instagram posts

WildBrain’s aim was to build connection to the community, which can be seen with the brands doing their own take on pop culture memes and trends. Recently the brand posted a photoshopped picture of Laa-Laa in a cowboy hat and sash, ‘Laa-Laa listening to Ya Ya on repeat’ it said in reference to Beyonce’s album Cowboy Carter.

Another appeared to mark Taylor Swift’s album, a black and white shot of Po lying on the bed reading the ‘The Tortured Po-ets Department’ to mark the megastar’s double record

There’s also been Polene, showing Po photoshopped onto Dolly Parton for the country star’s birthday

They also poke fun at popular culture – Tinky Winky is seen performing Sabrina Carpenter’s viral hit Espresso

The posts use Gen Z slang and internet trends,

The Teletubbies also use suggestive posts, Po and Laa-Laa are seen ‘when the Tubby Toast hits’

WildBrain’s aim was to build connection to the community, which can be seen with the brands doing their own take on pop culture memes and trends.

Recently the brand posted a photoshopped picture of Laa-Laa in a cowboy hat and sash, ‘Laa-Laa listening to Ya Ya on repeat’ it said in reference to Beyonce’s album Cowboy Carter.

Another appeared to mark Taylor Swift’s album, a black and white shot of Po lying on the bed reading the ‘The Tortured Po-ets Department’ to mark the megastar’s double record.

There’s also been Polene, showing Po photoshopped onto Dolly Parton for the country star’s birthday.

The Teletubbies have also danced to sexually charged dances to Chappell Roan’s Hot To Go and amilla Cabello and Playboi Carti’s I Love It.      

‘Building connection and community—and interacting directly and authentically with our audience—is key for us, whether it be at live character appearances or on social media,’ Melissa says.

Videos also show the creatures eating ‘Tubby Toast’

Clips show the creatures in various TikTok trends, Po is seen pretending to go underwater

‘That has given the Teletubbies a surge of popularity on TikTok. We’ve stayed true to the brand DNA of unapologetic fun, chaotic humour, and inclusivity, which hasn’t changed over the course of the franchise’s 27 years. We lean into playfulness and joy to bring in new fans and remind others why they fell in love with the Teletubbies in the first place’ she added.

‘TikTok has been a stand-out platform for us in terms of building up community—as of today the Teletubbies have 1.3 million followers, 23.2 million likes and 193 million video views! 

‘TikTok’s format of quick clips and trending sounds has been such a perfect fit for the brand. It’s a great platform for community building, which has been key to engaging directly with our fandom and other brands,’.

One of the brands recent collabs is with Dolls Kill, an San Francisco based Fast Fashion retailer known for its ravewear and street style.

Clips show the brand Dolls Kill showing off Teletubbies merch

Po is seen riding a Segway fro National Scooter Day

Clips also show the Teletubbies showing raves on their stomach

The brand also shared festival goers at Coachella in Teletubby-inspired fashion

The Teletubbies, aired by the BBC, became a smash hit when it first aired in 1997, running until 2001. Pictured from left, characters Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po

 Netflix  rebooted of the classic noughties show. The new series will be narrated by The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Tituss Burgess 

They’ve also worked with Instagram-famous Kensington bakery The Knot Churros and Primark.

‘We have so many amazing brand partners for Teletubbies and more and more we’re seeing brands approach us because of their powerful social presence and connection to Gen Z audiences,’ Melissa says.

‘Brands want to bring the Teletubbies’ playfulness and pop culture appeal to their own fans, especially on platforms like TikTok. 

‘Duolingo invited us to their offices for a content day alongside Scrub Daddy back in September—working with those social powerhouses was a dream. 

‘And just a few weeks ago, Marc Jacobs approached us to be a part of their recent social campaign, where we created content of the Teletubbies modelling the iconic Tote Bag which they then used on their platform,’.

While the original Teletubbies finished airing in 2001, the repeats as well as spin-offs and redubbed versions have continued on the air more than 120 countries continuously since 1997. 

Teletubbies narrated by Tituss Burgess is currently airing on Netflix.