Classic Children's TV Shows From A Bygone Era
A list that is guaranteed to make you feel old. Programmes listed mostly appeared sometime after TV started realising that children watched TV too and sometime before the toy companies started realising that children watched TV too. You just can't get quality like this anymore.
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- CreatorOliver PostgatePeter FirminStarsOliver PostgateSandra KerrJohn FaulknerBagpuss and his friends are toys in a turn of the century shop for 'found things'. When young Emily brings them a new object, the toys come to life to work out what the strange new thing could possibly be.Voted as the best BBC Kids programme of all time. Starred a pink cloth cat. Starred Gabriel the banjo wielding Toad, Madeleine the rag-doll, a woodpecker called Professor Yaffle who was a talking book-end and lots of mice who lived in the marvellous, mechanical, mouse-organ. The mice were normally on acid; hell-bent on heaving everything. Strange how the bigger characters never moved anything! Each episode started with Emily, the very young shop owner, bringing a sad *beep* item for Bagpuss to look at.
- StarsRobin ParkinsonIan AllenJohn ThirtleMr Spoon and his family live on Junk Planet. He travels in his baked bean tin spaceship across blanket sky to Button Moon. There he meets many strange characters and watches stories unfold on other planets using his telescope.Mr and Mrs Spoon, Eggbert and the spoon's daughter, Tina T-Spoon. It's amazing how much he could see through the telescope back to Earth.
- CreatorJohn RyanStarsPeter HawkinsNoel ColemanThe adventures of Captain Pugwash and his crew aboard the pirate ship - the Black Pig.Starred Roger the Cabin Boy, Master Bates and Seamen Staines. Excellent mushroom induced fun!
- CreatorBrian CosgroveMark HallStarsDavid JasonTerry ScottEdward KelseyDanger Mouse, the greatest secret agent in the world, must follow Colonel K's orders (and try not to break Professor Squawkencluck's inventions) to foil Baron Greenback's and his henchman Stiletto's plans.Colonel K would give Danger Mouse and Penfold (now confirmed as being a mole), who said "Ooh Crickey" a lot, a mission against the evil Barren Greenback - an asthmatic frog with heavy shopping. DM lived in a pillar box and had a cool yellow car that could turn into a plane. Class.
- StarsGerry CowanFour garishly-coloured, music-loving animals - Rory the lion, Bongo the dog, Boots the tiger and Twang the monkey - visit Planet Earth in their flying saucer from the mysterious planet of 'Popland'.The Kwackers were Bongo, Rory, Twang and Boots. Utter madness.
- CreatorJohn GeeringStarsGraeme GardenBill OddieTim Brooke-TaylorBananaman, a young boy named Eric, transforms into a super-strong hero by eating bananas. His crow friend provides bananas. As Bananaman, he battles villains while keeping his alter-ego secret from others.There once was an ordinary young boy called Eric but when Eric bit into a banana, an amazing transformation occurred. Eric is Bananaman! Cool eh!
- StarsJames MacDonaldThe Krofft PuppetsFrank AletterA pop group consisting of four anthropomorphic animals host a variety of cartoons, songs, and skits.Bingo, Fleegle, Drooper and Snorky. One of the most memorable theme tunes and a genuinly funny programme. I always enjoyed the car chase at the end with someone always falling for the "My cars broken down" joke.
- CreatorPatrick DowlingStarsChristopher LeaverCharmian GradwellAnne PalmerTwo celebrities and a member of the public take a trip to the planet Arg - sometimes willingly, sometimes not - and attempt to work their way through a series of puzzles set by the alien Argonds.Bizarre celebrity quiz programme on BBC2. Four travellers would go around a maze of puzzles trying to win green cheese rolls before ending up at "The Vortex" a grid where you had to get from one end to the other without being captured by an invisible beam. Sheer bliss.
- StarsAlan YoungKeye LukeRonnie SchellA five-member superhero team called G-Force fights to defend Earth and its space colonies from the threat of the planet Spectra.Possibly the greatest show ever, Stirring theme tune, great stories, loathsome enemies. Ah yesterday!
7 Zark 7 - Looked after the undersea base
1 Rover 1 - Gave 7 Zark 7 a hand.
Chief Anderson - Their boss
Mark - Flew a plane.
Jason - Drove a racing car.
Tiny - Flew the Phoenix and was fat (that's why his name was Tiny!)
Princess - Rode a motorbike.
Keyop - Drove a egg-shaped car thing and spoke funny.
The loathsome enemy was Zoltar (who reported to "The Emperor" which was a bird face on a computer screen) - CreatorGordon MurrayStarsBrian CantIconic British children's animated series set in the fictional, picturesque village of the title. Each episode opens with a character emerging from a music box and they will be the central character of the forthcoming story.Camberwick green was the posh bit of Trumptonshire. Old fashioned fun.
- CreatorJoe RubyKen SpearsStarsMel BlancGary OwensLaurel PageThe adventures of a superhero caveman and a trio of female amateur detectives.The world's first super hero. Looking like a rather crap wookie, whenever anything was needed, Cavey always found it amongst his body hair, including, on odd occasions, rather large dinosaurs. Whenever his hair was shaved (for whatever reason) he'd always be wearing a pair of red-spotted boxer shorts. "Unga Munga. Bad time for a power failure."
- StarsChampionBarry CurtisJim BannonThe exploits of Champion, a wild stallion who befriends twelve year-old Ricky North in the American Southwest in the 1880's. Although Ricky, who lived on his Uncle Sandy's ranch, had a magnetic attraction for trouble, he was always rescued by the Wonder Horse, aided by the boy's other bosom companion, German shepherd dog, Rebel.*beep* Awful.
- CreatorJohn WyndhamStarsJames HazeldineCarol DrinkwaterAndrew EllamsA story centered on a young schoolboy and his strange relationship with an extraterrestrial entity.A big green floating thing in the middle of the room talking to children with a strange voice. Followed up by Chocky's Children which was just as bizarre. Theme tune was chilling to say the least - a screaming child followed by some soft *beep*
- StarsJoe LynchA wonderfully eccentric series about Chorlton, a happy-go-lucky dragon (named after a suburb of Manchester) who unintentionally foils the evil schemes of a mad Welsh 'Kettle Witch' who tries to stop wheelie people having fun.Certainly in the top 5 of the greatest ever kids shows ever. Chorlton was a bit of a stupid git really but as he was the biggest person around it didn't matter. If there is one programme people remember from their childhood then this is it!
- StarsOliver PostgateThe series chronicled the melancholically funny lives of the Clangers, a flutey-voiced family of woolen, knitted aliens living below the surface of a knobbly little planet far out in space. Their misadventures brought them into contact with such unlikely creatures as the Soup Dragon, the Froglets, the Iron Chicken and the Glow Buzzers.Wee pink creatures who ate blue string and lived in space with the Soup Dragon and the Iron Chicken. Seriously - you can't make this stuff up!!
- StarsEduardo JoverGloria CámaraManuel PeiróIn 17th century France, young Dogtanian travels to Paris to fulfill his ambition to become one of the King's Musketeers. He befriends Athos, Porthos and Aramis and falls in love with Juliette. A doggy version of the tale.ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
IT'S A PRETTY STORY
SHARING EVERYTHING WITH FUN
THAT'S THE WAY TO BE
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
MUSKEHOUNDS ARE ALWAYS STEADY
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
HELPING EVERYBODY
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
CAN SOUND PRETTY CORNY
IF YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM CHUM
THINK HOW IT COULD BE
(LALALA LALALA)
THEY CROSS THEIR HEARTS AND PRAY
(LALALA LALALA)
THEY CROSS THEIR SWORDS NIGHT AND DAY
(LALALA LALALA)
THEY DRINK A BEER AND SWEAR
THEY'RE FAITHFUL TO THEIR KING
(LALALA LALALA)
NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY
(LALALA LALALA)
THEY'RE NEVER FAR AWAY
(LALALA LALALA)
THEY'RE ALWAYS READY TO FIGHT OR TO SING
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
MUSKEHOUNDS ARE ALWAYS READY
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
HELPING EVERYBODY
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
IT'S A PRETTY STORY
SHARING EVERYTHING WITH FUN
THAT'S THE WAY TO BE
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
MUSKEHOUNDS ARE ALWAYS STEADY
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
HELPING EVERYBODY
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
CAN SOUND PRETTY CORNY
IF YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM CHUM
THINK HOW IT COULD BE - CreatorRoy SimpsonStarsPeter FirthBrinsley FordeGillian BaileyThe adventures of a gang of seven kids whose clubhouse is an abandoned double decker bus in a London junkyard. Usually involves a bit of singing, a bit of dancing and general fun times.A red London Bus which was made into a kids camp/den. One of the kids was really fat and called doughnut and I think one of the lead girls was called Billy. The young girl "Tiger" owned a tiger! At the end of the theme tune at the end of the show they would all sing "See you next week" and all wave!!
- CreatorMark EvanierStarsWillie AamesDon MostAdam RichA group of kids are thrown into a fantasy world where they must search for a way home, armed with magic weapons that an evil tyrant wants.Six kids from Earth are transported to a strange land where they meet a unicorn and the dungeon master. Little dungeon master would leave them a message and then bugger off sharpish before the bad guys, Venga, Tianat and the shadow demon arrived. He never told them the way home. Once, they did make it back, only for Venga to follow them, forcing them back into the D&D universe. Eventually they did make it back, time had not moved on in their absence and they just finished the Dungeons and Dragons ride as though nothing had happened. All quite mad.
- CreatorJulie HolderStarsGay SoperThe adventures of a family of cute, furry creatures - The Flumps. Grandpa Flump, Ma and Pa Flump, their eldest son Perkin, daughter Posie and youngest son Pootle. Each episode contains fun songs and a story from the 'Big Book'.Grandfather Flump and his Flumpet were the stars of this programme about small lumps of brown fur with legs. Pootle was the youngest and would never be seen without his bobble had, he also had a habit of rolling down hills all day. Pootle was joined by Possie and Perkin. Seriously?
- CreatorJim HensonStarsKaren PrellGerard ParkesKathryn MullenThe adventures of the various inhabitants of an underground civilization.Story of The Fraggles who lived in a rock underneath a lighthouse. The Doozers built things and the large monsters who lived outside would try and catch the Fraggles. "Hey ma, I caught me a Fraggle". Sprocket was the lighthouse keepers dog. Superb.
- StarsDennis WeaverClint HowardBeth BrickellThe adventures in the Florida Everglades of game warden Tom Wedloe, his wife Ellen, their son Mark, and Mark's tame bear Ben.Utterly ridiculous show about a big bear, swamp and a little kid shouting BIN, BIN. The bear fell out of favour with holiday after an alcohol fueled sex scandal with Ben in the late 80s.
http://www.trembirth.demon.co.uk/sounds/ben.wav - CreatorDuane PooleDick RobbinsStarsTed CassidyDon MessickHilly HicksThe crew of a research vessel, the Calico, investigate strange phenomena and menaces that force them to summon the mighty Godzilla, whose clumsy relative Godzooky is also in their care.A boat of 4 scientist who could press a big fat red button to call on Godzilla who could always stand knee high in the water and then swim underneath it. (no matter where they were in the world). In return the people looked after Godzookie the inept son of the green giant.
http://www.trembirth.demon.co.uk/sounds/godzilla.wav - StarsClive DunnGeoffrey RussellJames MarcusChildren's comedy serial. Clive Dunn plays a caretaker in a community hall and has a large (unseen) dog called Nero.The story was about an old caretaker called Charlie Quick. Clive Dunn's single "Grandad" reached number 1 in 1970! Truly awful cac.
- CreatorStan HaywardStarsBob GodfreyHenry's Cat is a whimsical cartoon series that follows the adventures of a small yellow feline and his friends. Henry's Cat is the typical cat, loving nothing better than to eat and to sleep. He has recently developed a cult following in student circles, possibly due to the similarities in lifestyles led!An English Garfield. Terribly animated, awful voices, bloody brilliant. Who was Henry?
- CreatorJoseph BarberaWilliam HannaStarsScatman CrothersJoe E. RossKathy GoriA kung-fu-fighting pup and his snickering cat sidekick battle crime.Inspired.
http://www.trembirth.demon.co.uk/sounds/phooey.wav