So, welcome to the world, Woo-be-do and Moo-be-do. You might well have been introduced to the world as Wenlock and Mandeville. But, for now, my six-year-old has rechristened you.

Strange names. Over-excited children. And adults talking seriously about made-up characters with a mythical back story. It can be only one of two things: the latest kids’ TV series or Olympic mascot time.

And, of course, with their own primetime TV appearance, last night the London 2012 mascots managed both.

The history of such mascots is littered with Games organisers who got it wrong. Atlanta’s “blue slug” , for example. And even Sydney, so memorable in almost every way, fell flat with Olly, Syd and Millie.

The most successful mascots have tended to take an animal chosen for its iconic national status – and added a dollop of surreal creativity. Think Waldi, the striped, fluorescent dachshund. Or Cobi, the Cubist sheepdog. You can see both, and some of their less illustrious friends, here.

Most recently, we had Vancouver’s enormously successful Quatchi and friends  – a very cuddly sasquatch who was a big, big hit. Which means millions of dollars in licensing revenue for the Games organisers.

And that’s one of the reasons I was a little surprised by Wenlock and Mandeville. They might be fun, in a Gogos-way. They might be on Facebook and Twitter . But they’re not very cuddly and warm.

But what do I know? The verdict from my own focus group was as positive as you’ll get. My nine-year-old said: “Yeah, they’re cool. I like them.” And the six-year-old: “Awesome. What are their names again?”