Milkshake! Story Den

"1, 2, 3 Do The Robot" is a short episode from the CBBC anthology Kiera’s Book Club, where teenage presenter Kiera reads a freshly illustrated picture‑book for the camera. The story follows Layla and her new neighbour, a lanky kid called Milo, as they cobble together a tinny robot to join their Saturday‑morning robot‑dance. The cast is tiny – just the two kids, Kiera’s voice‑over and a few squeaky‑toy extras – but the premise feels proper whimsical, a bit like a junior “Wallace & Gromit” meets “The Magic School Bus”. In the tale, Layla and Milo start with a single clunky bot that mimics their moves, then upgrade to a second, shinier model that actually learns the steps. Encouraged, they decide to build a third, “super‑robot”, but the moment they flip the switch everything goes sideways: the new machine starts copying everyone’s gestures at the wrong time, causing a chaotic chain reaction that ends up flooding the kitchen and tripping the neighbour’s cat. The episode keeps the tension light, with plenty of slap‑stick mishaps, and the climax resolves with a tidy moral about teamwork and not over‑engineering. Honestly, it’s a mixed bag. The animation is charmingly hand‑drawn, but by today’s standards the colours look a bit washed out and the robot’s clanking sound effects are unmistakably ropy. The pacing does drag in the middle – you’ll find yourself wishing the dance sequence was a touch shorter – yet the humour lands well for the intended 6‑10‑year‑old crowd. If you’re after a nostalgic, low‑key kids’ story that isn’t trying to be groundbreaking, it’s surprisingly good; if you expect slick CGI, you’ll be disappointed. Rated U, with mild slap‑stick chaos and a few noisy mechanical whirs that could spook the very youngest viewers. This is the first terrestrial broadcast of the episode, originally released on the streaming platform in 2022, and it serves as a gentle introduction to the series’ format. Grab a cuppa and let Kiera’s reading style carry you through – it’s a proper little treat for a rainy afternoon.