The arresting visuals of iconic '80s and '90s children's show Mulligrubs may feel slightly unsettling to contemporary audiences. The series is perhaps best remembered for the disembodied 'Mulligrub face' – which appeared from time to time to introduce segments and guide the preschool-age audience.

Consisting of just eyebrows, thick lashes, eyes, nostrils and a mouth against a solid-colour screen, the character spoke in an unnaturally high-pitched register (the voice of actress Diana Kidd was fed through a modulator). But to the young Australian audience of the 1990s, she was a familiar daytime companion rather than an uncanny apparition.

The expanding scope of children's entertainment and multimedia experimentation during the decade is reflected in the show's bold design, from Kidd's face to the opening credits, which have a touch of the psychedelic. Physical paintings and computer graphics flash into a smorgasbord of abstract shapes and colours – an eye-catching attraction that's perfect for curious 3-4 year olds. The melty visuals are matched by a theme song that prioritises repetition, designed for singing along and memorisation.

Made in Adelaide, Mulligrubs was a successful children's staple of the decade, airing approximately 550 episodes on Network Ten between 3 October 1988 and 27 December 1996.