The Daily Mail explores the turbulent backstage reality behind Rainbow, the beloved British children's television programme that ran for over 20 years and was known for its gentle, wholesome charm. Despite its innocent on-screen image featuring puppets Zippy, George and Bungle, the article claims the production was beset by tensions including heavy drinking among cast and crew, sexist attitudes, innuendo-laden humour, and rivalries stemming from jealousy over which puppet characters received the most attention or screen time.

The piece draws on recollections from those involved with the show to paint a picture at odds with its family-friendly reputation, suggesting that the pressures of a long-running children's series created friction away from the cameras. While specific incidents and named contributors are referenced in the fuller account, the overarching narrative contrasts Rainbow's cheerful, educational image with a more fraught working environment for those who made it, reflecting a familiar trope of "wholesome show, messy reality" often explored in retrospectives of classic television.