Tinky Winky is one of the four main characters from Teletubbies, the British children's television series created for the BBC that first aired in 1997. Played as the gentle, purple eldest Teletubby, the character was not known for horror, which is why clips of his scream were later lifted by fans and reposted on video sharing and soundboard sites. The out of context shriek became a reusable reaction sound in meme edits, where its innocent source makes sudden fear, surprise and fake terror feel funnier.