1 9 8 6 ▁to ▁ 1 2 ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁on ▁I TV . ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁common ▁with ▁many ▁of ▁I TV ' s ▁educational ▁children ' s ▁program mes ▁of ▁the ▁era , ▁All sort s ▁- ▁first ▁screen ed ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁- ▁was ▁originally ▁intended ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁only ▁one ▁series ▁while ▁I TV ' s ▁flags hip ▁children ' s ▁series , ▁Rain bow , ▁was ▁off ▁air ▁that ▁year . ▁The ▁first ▁series ▁ran ▁until ▁July , ▁but ▁despite ▁moder ate ▁popular ity ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁run , ▁Gran ada ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁renew ▁the ▁series ▁and , ▁instead , ▁initially ▁opt ed ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁All sort s ▁prede cess or , ▁the ▁pre - school ▁orient ated ▁series ▁Our ▁Back yard ▁( which ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁on ▁air ▁since ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 4 ), ▁largely ▁because ▁the ▁latter ▁could ▁be ▁made ▁more ▁quickly ▁and ▁cheap ly . ▁But , ▁after ▁failing ▁to ▁attract ▁enough ▁view ers ▁in ▁its ▁third ▁run ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁Our ▁Back yard ▁was ▁cancel led ▁and ▁All sort s ▁was ▁brought ▁back ▁for ▁a ▁second ▁series ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁and ▁proved ▁so ▁popular ▁with ▁both ▁pre - school ers ▁and ▁older ▁children ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁subsequently ▁recomm ission ed ▁for ▁a ▁further ▁seven ▁series , ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁eventually ▁dropped ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁series ▁was ▁character