Author
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Topic: British Childrens Programmes from the past
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Keith Ashfield
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 997
From: U.K.
Registered: Dec 2006
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posted October 28, 2009 10:49 AM
I have just been reading Osi’s post “My Wife has never heard of Captain Kangaroo” and I thought how “surreal” this post must seem to us Brits, not knowing about American T.V. children’s programmes and presenters etc. I then started thinking that if we discussed our childhood T.V. programmes, from a Brit point of view, how surreal will that be to our American cousins?
The trouble is – where do we begin? We had - “Muffin the Mule” (no jokes please, gentlemen!), Presented by the esteemed actor Sir John Mills sister – Annette.
“Watch with Mother” – which was a compendium of children’s characters including -“Bill and Ben – The Flowerpot Men” not forgetting their friend “Little Weed”. These characters spoke with a unintelligible language “ Slobber, Dobber, Flobber, Dobberlot – Little Weed”. That could mean anything from “Einstein’s Theory of Relativity” to “Good Morning, Little Weed”, it all depended on the narrator.
“Andy Pandy” who shared a toy basket with “Looby Loo” and “Teddy” (how politically incorrect would that be deemed today?).
“Rag, Tag and Bobtail” – A hedgehog, a mouse and a rabbit.
“Picture Book” – a talking story book with “Bizzy Lizzie”.
“The Woodentops” A family of wooden dolls on a farm.
Then we had – “Torchy the Battery Boy”, “Four Feather Falls” starring “Tex Tucker” (mind the jokes again, please) and “Supercar” with “Mike Mercury”, (these were early Gerry Anderson productions).
"Sooty and Sweep" -
"Lenny the Lion" - "Archie Andrews"
Moving onto “real life presenters” – “The Five O’Clock Club” with “Olly Beak” and “Fred Barker” (an owl and a dog puppet respectively),
“Blue Peter”, (Still being shown today!) “Magpie” “Crackerjack”
The list, as with the memories, is endless.
Are there any “memorable British Childrens Progs/Presenters other members may know? [ October 28, 2009, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: Keith Ashfield ]
-------------------- "We'll find 'em in the end, I promise you. We'll find 'em. Just as sure as a turnin' of the earth".
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Paul Tivy
Film Handler
Posts: 79
From: Colchester, England
Registered: May 2007
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posted October 28, 2009 06:37 PM
Aha! At last my favourite subject. I have examples of ALL the programmes mentioned in this thread (and even a Mr Pastry film) on VHS, Laserdisc, Super 8, 16mm and DVD. To clear up the Captain Pugwash question, this is in fact an urban myth and has been the subject of litigation. Guardian Newspapers amongst many others were forced to offer an apology to John Ryan for repeating such foolishness. For the record, the crew of The Black Pig were Captain Pugwash, Pirate Barnabus, Pirate Willy, Master Mate and Tom the cabin boy. And no others. Stand on me. I have the tapes!
Tiv
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