Underground Ernie is a CGI children’s television series produced by Joella Productions in the UK and shown on CBeebies between 2006 and 2009.
It is a very easy watch and great for children between the ages of about 2-7. Ernie is voiced by Gary Lineker. It has been compared to Thomas the Tank Engine, however apart from talking trains that is where the similarities end.
It is set in a fictional underground network called “International Underground”, and focuses on the everyday adventures of Ernie and his trains.
The trains all have characters of their own. Named Bakerloo, Victoria, Circle, Jubilee and the twins, Hammersmith & City. There are also ‘guests/friends’ from across the world including: Paris, Brooklyn, Moscow, Sydney and Osaka.
While it is a “fictional underground network”, the overall design is inspired by the real London Underground, and Transport for London has allowed the series to use design elements directly taken from their brand, in particular the use of their distinctive Underground logo, or ’roundel’.