They made many a weekday morning for children who had 'the English channels' back in the day but now Tiny Clanger and co are set to bring their own brand of magic to a whole new generation.

Clangers stars Major, Mother, Small, Tiny, Granny and The Soup Dragon haven't featured in any new episodes since the 1960s but now the lovable aliens and their dear friend are due a 21st Century reboot as they join the lineup on CBeebies. Don't worry though, we hear they'll be keeping things as true to the original as possible: Original creator Peter Firmin is involved with the new project and while his collaborator, Oliver Postgate, has sadly passed away since the show left the air his son, Daniel Postgate, will also be involved.

Word on the street is that many of the same animation techniques will be used to bring the characters back to life but, of course, they will differ ever so slightly.

"We hope to engage and entertain children of all ages and their families, just as Oliver and I did all those years ago" said Firmin. "The new series will include great story telling with lots of heart. It will also be technically improved. When you watch the original Clangers you have to make allowances for the limitations of the animation techniques when it was made. It was magical for its time, but this is a new Clangers for a new age."

Postgate is delighted to see the show, which was produced by his father's company Smallfilms, returning to TV. "I've always loved Clangers. It is my favourite Smallfilms show. In fact, it is my favourite children's show of all time. I was about five years old when it was made - just the right age. The new Clangers is not something we’ve rushed into. It has been carefully considered. For me, this is a labour of love. We are very fortunate to get the very best people collectively to work on it, and we are all very enthusiastic."

Well we certainly hope so lads. You can't be too careful with a cherished children's TV show like this one now, can you?

Here's one of our old favourite episodes to jog your memory...

Keep an eye out for the gang when they make their return to TV screens in 2015.