CHILDREN'S television sparks fond memories in most people.

From The Clangers to the Teletubbies everyone has their favourites and they are talked about from playground to pub.

One woman from Coedpoeth has already made her mark on kids' TV and is now hoping to make another.

Nia Ceidiog wrote Fireman Sam, and now she is preparing to launch the Baaas, a series about a family of multi-racial sheep.

'I am really excited about this series,' said Nia. 'I came up with the idea two years ago when S4C were looking for a family-based kids show.

'I originally wanted it to be a family of rabbits but in discussion we realised that there are sheep all over the world, all with unusual names, and we could use that within the story.'

The Baaas are Costas, a Greek sheep who is married to black Welsh mountain sheep Baalwen. They live with their daughter Meegan and her twins Jaason and Meedea, together with Meegan's partner Meelvyn.

And the extended family live in an extended home, Acropolis Cottage, high on a Welsh hillside.

'I wanted them to reflect a modern family,' said Nia. 'Not everyone is married these days and a lot of people live with their parents after they have children and find a partner.

'Young children who are not fully versed in the technicalities of grown-up life should still recognise what they see as a family unit.'

Costas is a recycling agent who makes gadgets from what he finds, including a satellite link to sheep around the world.

'The show basically tries to get the message across that arguments happen in families but they can always be resolved,' said Nia. 'The Baaas are about belonging. Our aim is to introduce pre-school children to family values, connection and interaction and the importance of communication.

'We made Costas Greek because the Greeks love children and family and it seemed to work best.'

Nia, 50, got into children's TV almost by accident. After completing her A-levels at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, she went on to do a degree in French with a view to becoming a teacher.

'There was no career ladder as such,' she said. 'I changed my mind in the middle of my course at Aberystwyth University.

'I decided to do a drama course instead, as I loved acting. So I went to Cardiff to study that.

'While I was there I was offered a job making a curry on a children's magazine show on TV.

'Following that I was offered a slot on a similar show for HTV, before S4C was created. I was moved to a job as continuity announcer for five years before landing a job in light entertainment as a performer.'

To this day she performs on-screen, with roles in programmes like teen soap Rownd a Rownd.

But her big break came when she started writing scripts for Fireman Sam, or Sam T n, in 1987.

'That was important for me,' recalled Nia. 'I moved into production and we started to make an animated TV show that really took off.

'It also taught me to write a tight script because every line had to be a gem.'

Nia drew inspiration for her characters and stories from everywhere, especially home.

'Dan, my eldest son, is now 23,' she said. 'When I created Fireman Sam he was six and I used him as my inspiration for the Naughty Norman character.

'My youngest, Ben, is 12 now but I hope he can still enjoy the Baaas like Dan enjoyed Fireman Sam.

'That series really took off and was translated into more than 25 languages, including Mandarin.

'It is still shown today and that is a wonderful thing to achieve, the creation of a successful show that people love.'

But with the Baaas Nia wanted to do something different. Recent years have seen the success of live action shows like the Teletubbies and the Tweenies so she enlisted some experienced help to develop her idea.

Her company, Cynhyrchiadau Ceidiog Creations brought in Sally Preisig, who designed the Tweenies, and Helen Sheppard, who directed the Fimbles.

'The characters in shows recently have been extra-terrestrial creatures,' said Nia. 'Fluorescent beings that do not resemble anything a child may see.

'I wanted the Baaas to be lifelike as much as possible and I didn't want to animate it.

'Animation is fun but working with actors is more productive because they bring their own ideas to the part and give better feedback.'

The Baaas are all-singing and all-dancing, as Costas is a former opera singer and the show parodies all sorts of music, from pop to opera to rap.

The series will be shot in February and broadcast in June. At a recent television festival in Cannes, the Baaas' pilot show was a hit with broadcasters from as far afield as Australia and Scandinavia.

'The secret of a series like this is that you can enjoy it on a number of different levels,' said Nia.

'It's important that there are a lot of references hidden in the story and it's only when you're watching it for the sixth time that the penny drops.

'We are trying to do this through dialogue and jokes - and a lot of the references will be aimed at adults.

'I'm hoping there will be some adults sitting on the sofa at 6am with their two-year-old child watching an episode for the tenth time who will suddenly spot a joke aimed at them.

'We're hoping to create something that is brilliant and heart-stopping. I want this series to be made with a lot of love because I think that will shine through.'