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The
Complete History of
Watch With Mother / See-Saw 1953 – 1988
Compiled by Malcy B.
from the pages of the Radio Times.
Verified at the BBC Written Archives Centre.
This 15-minute slot for pre-school children has featured some very popular series over the years broadcast during the day on BBC-1.
1 – Through The Years
Watch with Mother was the BBC’s umbrella title of individual programmes shown on television to compliment the popular radio programme Listen With Mother.
From 1946 programmes were under the umbrella title of For The Children which had made famous Muffin The Mule with Annette Mills.
In 1950 it was replaced with a few experimental transmissions of Andy Pandy under the banner For The Very Young.
From the summer of 1950 Tuesdays became a regular day for Andy Pandy and it was shown once a week at 3.45pm until the summer of 1952 when it was shown on Thursdays as well for a while.
In December 1952 The Flowerpot Men joined this new afternoon slot.
By 1953 the new umbrella title of Watch With Mother was born and Rag Tag & Bobtail joined the set in September of that year.
February 1955 saw Patricia Driscoll turning the very first pages of Picture Book.
The Woodentops arrived in December 1955 to complete the week with a different programme shown each day.
Watch With Mother was now showing programmes for pre-school children five days a week.
Monday - Picture Book.
Tuesday - Andy Pandy.
Wednesday - The Flowerpot Men. (Bill and Ben).
Thursday - Rag, Tag & Bobtail.
Friday - The Woodentops.
This line-up of programmes remained the same into the mid-1960’s. The 15-minute time slot however was moved back from 3.45pm to 2.30pm by 1959.
In 1962 the slot was moved three times, 2.00pm, 10.30am and back to 2.30pm again.
By the autumn of 1963 two slots a day had emerged with Watch With Mother now going out at 10.45am in the mornings and at 1.30pm lunchtimes.
As there were only the five programmes available they were shuffled around so that in the 1.30pm slot Rag Tag & Bobtail was on Monday. The Woodentops on Tuesday.
Picture Book on Wednesday. Andy Pandy on Thursday and The Flowerpot Men were on Friday.
By late 1963 Tales Of The Riverbank was put in as part of the next generation of Watch With Mother programmes. Soon to be followed by The Pogles, Bizzy Lizzy, Joe and
The Herbs.
By 1966 just the 1.30pm lunchtime slot remained and this continued until 1973 when it was moved forward to 1.45pm.
The arrival of Colour Television to BBC-1 in Oct/Nov 1969 meant more new series made in colour entering the fray. Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley. Not forgetting Mary Mungo & Midge of course. The black and white episodes of Andy Pandy were virtually worn out by now and so 13 new colour episodes were made and first shown from 5th January 1970. 13 new episodes of Joe were also made in colour and they were phased in from 23rd February 1971. Popular series Mr.Benn began in 1971 and Fingerbobs in 1972.
Up until now Watch With Mother had been purely a weekday programme. But from 1972 a 15-minute slot was allocated to 9.00am on Saturdays and a lunchtime early afternoon slot around 1.15pm or 1.55pm on Sundays.
During 1972 signs of the Watch With Mother banner in the Radio Times were becoming less and less until in 1973 the umbrella title had completely disappeared.
1974 saw the birth of the all-time classic Bagpuss, followed by Bod and The Mister Men in 1975 and The Flumps in 1977.
By 1978 the Saturday slot had gone and the Sunday slot was put back to 9.00am.
The Monday to Friday slot remained at 1.45pm with 1.30pm during the summer months.
In October 1980 the See-Saw banner appeared in the Radio Times for the first time for the programmes King Rollo and Bric-A-Brac.
Postman Pat made its debut in 1981.
The time slots remained as they were until 1985 when See Saw was dropped on Sundays.
Reverting back to being a Monday to Friday programme again with a 1.45pm or 1.50pm slot. There were a few See-Saw favourites featured in the extra afternoon slot at 3.55pm or 4.20pm under the banner of Children’s BBC. Programmes like Bertha, Pigeon Street and Pie In The Sky would be shown around 4pm along with a new generation of programmes not under the See-Saw banner like Caterpillar Trail, Jimbo & The Jet Set and Whizz.
Fireman Sam made it debut in 1987 after a few showings on the Welsh Channel S4C .
By 1986 the See-Saw banner was showing signs of diminishing.
In the Autumn of 1987 the See-Saw series was moved across to BBC-2 and took a 1.20pm or 1.25pm lunchtime slot only.
One of the last programmes to be shown with a See-Saw banner in the Radio Times of December 1988 was The Adventures Of Spot.
From 1989 the See-Saw banner had gone completely and although programmes such as Postman Pat, Mr. Benn, and Pie In The Sky were to continue in this lunchtime slot of 1.00pm (1989), 1.20pm (1990) etc and throughout the 1990’s on BBC-2, the slot was now placed under the Children’s BBC banner and hosted a new range of programmes like Greenclaws, Joshua Jones, The Brollys, Philomena’s Cat, PC Pinkerton, etc
not listed in detail here as they are out of the Golden Era of Watch With Mother and
See-Saw programming 1953 – 1988.
PLEASE COME AND JOIN OUR
MESSAGEBOARD AND ASK QUESTIONS, REMINISCE, OR DISCUSS ANY OF THESE
PROGRAMMES at: -
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/watchwithmother
2 – The Programmes. A - Z by title
Please note: the date given is the first screening date on BBC-1 in this slot, not the production date.
THE ADVENTURES OF SPOT
From Thursday 9th
April 1987. 13 original episodes.
(Still listed as a See-Saw programme in December 1988).
(Two 25-minutes Specials were also made and a second series
of 13 were made in 1992).
Cartoon series following the adventures of a loveable
mischievous puppy and his family.
Created by Eric Hill.
Narrated by Paul Nicholas, Jane Horrocks later.
Animation by Leo Beltoff.
Music by Duncan Lamont.
Script Editor David McKee.
Produced by Clive Juster for King Rollo Films Ltd.
ALONG THE RIVER
From Friday 10th
April 1970. 5 programmes. Repeated in October 1970.
Wild creatures in
their natural surroundings.
Devised and Produced by Dave Ellison and Roy Billings.
ALONG THE SEASHORE
From Friday 15th May 1970. 2 programmes. Repeated in May 1971.
Some of the interesting things to be found by the edge of the sea and even under the sea.
Narrated by Tony Soper.
Produced by Dave Ellison and Roy Billings.
ALONG THE TRAIL
From Tuesday 16th May 1972. 6 programmes.
A look at Canadian wildlife.
Narrated by Rick Jones.
Devised and Produced by Dave Ellison and Roy Billings.
ANDY PANDY
From Tuesday 11th July
1950. 26 black-and-white episodes were shown repeatedly.
From Monday 5th January 1970. a new colour series of 13 episodes were shown.
Andy
Pandy’s coming to play, la-la-la la-la-la,
Andy Pandy’s here today la la-la-la laaa
The puppet adventures of Andy Pandy, Teddy and Looby Loo.
Narrated by Vera McKechnie.
Created,
written and music by Maria Bird.
Songs
sung by Gladys Whitred.
Puppeteers
Audrey Atterbury and Molly Gibson.
Produced by Freda Lingstrom.
ANIMAL FAIR
From Wednesday
22nd October 1986. 8 programmes.
From Wednesday
2nd March 1988. 5 programmes.
A look at various animals with Don Spencer.
Musical Director Jonathan Cohen.
Directed by Sheila Fraser.
Produced by Barbara Roddam.
Executive Producer Cynthia Felgate.
BAGPUSS
From Tuesday 12th February 1974. Only 13 episodes ever made.
This puppet animation series was voted best BBC children’s
show ever in 1998.
The stories of a pink and white striped cloth cat Bagpuss who
lives in a shop with his various friends including The Toy Mice, Gabriel the
Toad, Woodpecker Professor Yaffle and Madeline the Doll…
"Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was
a little girl and her name was Emily and she had a shop. It was rather an
unusual shop, because it didn't sell anything. You see, everything in that shop
window was a thing that somebody had once lost and Emily had found and brought
home to Bagpuss. Emily's cat Bagpuss, the most important, the most beautiful,
the most magical, saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world…”
…and that’s how each episode started.
1)
Ship In A Bottle.
2) The Owls Of Athens. 3) The
Frog Princess. 4) The Ballet Shoe.
5) The Hamish. 6) The Wise
Man. 7) The Elephant. 8) The Mouse Mill.
9) The Giant. 10) The Old Man’s
Beard. 11) The Fiddle. 12)
Flying.
13) Uncle Feedle.
Music by John Faulkner and Sandra Kerr.
Written by Oliver Postgate.
Directed by Peter Firmin.
Created and Produced by Peter Firmin and Oliver
Postgate.
Smallfilms.
BARNABY
From Wednesday 4th April 1973. 13 episodes.
Barnaby the bear and his adventures in the woods where the
birds teach him to sing.
He then joins Mr. Pimoulu’s Circus where he makes lots of
friends and becomes a great success as Barnaby the Singing Bear.
Voices of Colin Jeavons, Charles Collingwood and Gwendoline
Owen.
Series created by Albert Nahille.
BERTHA
From Monday 1st April 1985. 13 episodes.
Woodland
Animations created this series about Bertha, a special machine that could make
anything as long as she was programmed correctly. Bertha lived at Spottiswood
Factory, a small engineering plant and although old looking in appearance she
had been upgraded and made fully computerised. As Bertha was a little
tempremental you could expect a crisis breaking out in every episode.
Voices of Roy Kinnear and Sheila Walker.
Written by Eric Charles.
Music by Bryan Daly. Title song sung by Guy Fletcher.
Edited by Martin Bohan.
Director of Animation: Derek Mogford.
Designed and Produced by Ivor Wood.
BIZZY LIZZY
From Tuesday 4th April 1967. 13 black-and-white episodes.
Originally part of “Picture Book”, then made into a separate
series of 13 episodes.
Bizzy Lizzy was a little girl who wore a blue dress with a
magic flower attached.
She could have three wishes by touching her magic flower.
Her first wish was to have Little Mo her Eskimo doll come to
life.
Music by Maria Bird.
Produced by Ursula Eason.
Westerham Arts Films.
BOD
From Tuesday 23rd December 1975. 13 episodes.
Bod is joined by his trusty friends, Frank the Postman,
Farmer Barley Mow, Aunt Flo and PC Copper. Also featuring Alberta Frog and
his Amazing Animal Band.
Created by Joanne and Michael Cole.
Narated by John Le Mesurier and Maggie Henderson.
Music by Derek Griffiths.
Animation by Denise Sherwell, Alan Rogers.
Produced by David Yates.
BRIC-A-BRAC
From Wednesday 1st October 1980. 12 original programmes.
Presented by
Brian Cant, roaming around the curiosities in his junk shop.
Designer Mary
Penley-Edwards.
Written and Produced by Nick Wilson.
CAMBERWICK GREEN
From Monday 3rd January 1966. 13 episodes.
"Here
is a box, a musical box, wound up and ready to play. But this box can hide a
secret inside. Can you guess what is in it today ?"
Those words from
Brian Cant and the Freddie Phillips sound from the musical box heralded the
start of each programme focusing on the animated characters in the village
of Camberwick Green, county of
Trumptonshire. This was the first series in the Trumpton trilogy, see also
Trumpton and Chigley.
Here are the characters in chronological episode order: -
1) Peter Hazel, the postman. 2) Windy Miller. 3)
Mr.Crockett, the garage man. 4) Dr.Mopp.
5) Farmer Jonathan Bell. 6) Captain Snort. 7) Paddy Murphy.
8) Roger Varley, the sweep. 9)
PC McGarry (Number 452). 10) Mr.Dagenham, the salesman. 11) Mr.Carraway, the
fishmonger. 12) Mickey Murphy, the baker. 13) Mrs.Honeyman and her baby.
Narrated by Brian Cant.
Music by Freddie Phillips.
Animations by Bob Bura and John Hardwick.
Designs by Andrew and Margaret Brownfoot.
Created by Gordon Murray.
Written by Gordon Murray and Alison Prince.
CHIGLEY
From Monday 6th October 1969. 13 episodes.
Brian Cant would ask one of the characters at the beginning
of each episode where they were going to? And if we can go with them? Hence we
would end up at Chigley, the third village and third series in the Trumpton
trilogy. See also Camberwick Green and Trumpton. This series was set around a biscuit factory, a pottery, Treddles
Wharf and Winkstead Hall. The main characters were Lord Belborough who owned
Winkstead Hall. Bessie, his steam engine and his staff Brackett the butler and
Mr.Bilton the gardener. Then there was Mr.Cresswell, the biscuit factory
manager. Harry Farthing and Winnie at the pottery and Mr.Swallow at Treddles
Wharf. Mr.Rumpling, the barge owner. Mr.Clutterbuck, the builder. Mr.Gubbins
and Mr.Sneed, the corporations dustmen.
At the end of each episode the workers from the biscuit
factory would head-off to Lord Belborough’s grounds to enjoy the Dutch barrel
organ music of the “six o’clock dance”.
Narrated by Brian Cant.
Music by Freddie Phillips.
Animations by Bob Bura and John Hardwick.
Designs by Andrew and Margaret Brownfoot.
Created by Gordon Murray.
Written by Gordon Murray and Alison Prince.
CHOCK-A-BLOCK
From Thursday
21st May 1981. 13 original episodes.
Alternating each
week between Chock-a-bloke (Fred Harris) and Chock-a-girl (Carol Leader) They
would arrive on the set in a small electric car. Fred or Carol would then choose a large
coloured cartridge to slot into Chock-a-block, the big yellow computer,
to activate
various songs and stories to be shown on Chock-a-block's TV screen.
Directed by Nick
Wilson.
Produced by
Michael Cole.
FINGERBOBS
From Monday 14th February 1972. 13 episodes.
"Yoffy
lifts a finger and a mouse is there
Puts his hands together and a seagull takes the air
Yoffy lifts a finger and a scampi darts about
Puts his hands together and a tortoise head peeps out
His hands were made for making
And making they must do!
I am a mouse called
Fingermouse,
A mouse with guts and verve.
I get past cats so easily with my famous bodyswerve..."
The song which introduced the adventures of paper puppets
Fingermouse, Scampi, Gulliver the Seagull and Flush the Tortoise. Created by
“Yoffy” (Rick Jones) who sat at a
wooden table in front of a blue background and talked with the various
characters he created from gloves and pieces of card, ping-pong balls, etc.
Story and Design by Joanne and Michael Cole.
Music by Michael Jessett.
Directed by Michael Grafton-Robinson.
FINGERMOUSE
From Wednesday 25th September 1985. 13 episodes.
Presented by Iain Lauchlan who played various musical
instruments, with Jane Hardy.
Music by Richard Brown.
Puppets by Joanne Cole.
Designed by Richard Brackenberry.
Written and Produced by Michael Cole.
FIREMAN SAM
From Tuesday 17th
November 1987. 32 episodes.
A few episodes
were originally shown on the Welsh Channel S4C in 1986.
Animated series
in the style of Postman Pat with the Fireman from the fictional village of
Pontypandy in Wales who is always ready to help and share his adventures.
Other characters included Trevor Evans, a minibus driver.
Bella, an Italian who ran a restaurant. Norman Price, a naughty boy with a
skateboard. James and Sarah and Cridlington a fellow fireman who was a good
cook.
Narrated by John
Alderton.
From an original idea by Dave Gingell and Dave Jones.
Developed by Mike Young.
Illustrated and created by Rob Lee.
THE FLOWERPOT MEN (BILL AND BEN)
From Thursday 18th December 1952. 26 black-and-white episodes shown repeatedly.
A new 13 episode colour series was made in 2000.
Puppet series with a regular format which proved so popular
with children even though the language of Bill and Ben left a little to be
desired... "Flobba-dobba-flobba-lob".
The man who worked in the garden went home for his lunch and
in the potting shed at the bottom of the garden lived a little weed who sat
between two big flowerpots. In the flowerpots lived the flowerpot men Bill
& Ben and when it was safe to come out to play they would pop-up from their
flowerpots, say hello to the little weed and proceed to have fun and get up to
mischief with their friends, including Slowcoach the tortoise.
Towards the end of each programme a question was asked…
“Was it Bill or was
it Ben ?
Did that
mischievious act just then
Which of those two
flowerpot men
Was it Bill or was it Ben ?”
…the viewer
guesses the answer. The culprit owns up, then the little weed hears the
footsteps of the man coming back from lunch down the garden path. So the pair
hurry back into their flowerpots, saying goodbye to the little weed and to each
other.
Silence returns
to the shed and everyone sleeps in the afternoon sun as if nothing had happened
at all!
“Nobody knew about the flowerpot men.
Only YOU saw them playing.
The little weed knew about them
and we think the little house may have known something too!!!”
Creators Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird.
Music by Maria Bird.
Puppeteers Audrey Atterbury and Molly
Gibson.
Voices by Peter Hawkins, Gladys Whitred and Julia Williams.
THE FLUMPS
From Monday 14th
February 1977. 13 episodes.
Animated
adventure tales of a family of six strange furry people called Flumps,
consisting of Grandfather Flump, Father
Flump, Mother Flump, Perkin, Posie and Baby Pootle.
Father Flump
usually spent most of his time doing DIY and digging in the allotment.
Mother Flump was always in the kitchen baking, cooking and cleaning.
Grandfather Flump spent most of his time asleep! The three children who had
most of the adventures were Perkin, the eldest boy, a girl called Posie and
baby Pootle who was just growing up and asking daft questions!
Theme tune by
Paul Reade.
Made by David
Yates Productions.
GRAN
From Thursday 17 February 1983. 13 episodes.
Animated
series featuring the mis-adventures of an elderly Gran.
Narrated by Patricia Hayes.
By Joanne and Michael Cole.
Designed and Directed by Ivor Wood.
HEADS AND TAILS
From Wednesday
16th February 1977. First 13
episodes.
From Friday 6th
April 1979. Second 13 episodes.
Short animal
films.
Voices and Music
by Derek Griffiths.
Film Editor David Pygram.
Written and Produced by Michael Cole.
THE HERBS
From Monday 12th February 1968. 13 episodes.
The magic word “Herbidacious” would start another adventure
in this animated series of animals
living in the walled English country garden of Sir Basil and Lady Rosemary.
The characters were Parsley the Lion, Dill the Dog, Sage the Owl, Bayleaf the
Gardener, Constable Knapweed, Mr and Mrs Onion and The Chives, Aunt Mint, Miss
Jessop the neat herb, Good King Henry, Signor Solidago, Tarragon the Dragon,
Belladonna, the evil witch and deadly nightshade flower, and Pashana Bedhi, the Snake Charmer.
One of the characters, Parsley the Lion, went on to have his
own spin-off series called “The Adventures Of Parsley”, this began in 1970 and
32 5-minute episodes were made.
Narrated by Gordon Rollings.
Created by Michael Bond.
Music by Tony Russell.
Lyrics by Brenda Johnson.
Directed by Ivor Wood.
Executive Producer Graham Clutterbuck.
A Filmfair Production.
HOKEY-COKEY
From Wednesday
5th October 1983. 26 episodes.
Balloons,
kangaroos and jumping frogs all bounce in and out of the programme.
With Carol Chell and
Don Spencer, later Chloe Ashcroft.
Musical Director Richard Brown.
Associate Producer Robin Haldane.
Designer John Asbridge.
Directed and Produced by Christine Hewitt.
HOW DO YOU DO !
From
Tuesday 4th October 1977. 13
programmes.
Carmen
Munro with rhymes, stories and counting games.
Illustrations
by Joan Hickson.
Designer
John Holland.
Written and Directed by Carole Ward.
IN THE TOWN
From Wednesday
14th February 1973. 7
programmes.
Meet the people
working in various industries around towns in Britain.
Fish in Conway, Wood in High Wycombe, The Bakery in Cupar,
Milk in Stoke-on-Trent, The New Town of Killingworth, Canterbury and Preston.
Narrated by Gordon Rollings.
Camera Eddie Best.
Directed by Peter Wiltshire.
JOE
From Monday 3rd October 1966. 13 black-and-white episodes.
From Tuesday 23rd February 1971. 13 colour episodes.
Animated series about the adventures of a young boy called
Joe whose Dad runs a transport cafe.
Narrated by Colin Jeavons.
Music by Laurie Steele.
Created by Alison Prince.
Illustrations by Joan Hickson.
Produced by Q3 London.
KING ROLLO
From Wednesday 1st October 1980. 13 episodes.
The adventures of
the bearded, yet childlike, castle dwelling King Rollo as he experienced the problems and joys of
childhood. Helped by his friends, Queen Gwen, the girl from the palace
next door. King Frank and his spotted
dog. Hamlet, King Rollo's loveable cat.
By David McKee.
Told by Ray
Brooks.
Music by Duncan
Lamont.
Animation by Leo
Beltoft.
Produced by Clive
Juster.
LITTLE MISSES
From Monday 14th
February 1983. 13 characters. Often coupled with The Mister Men.
1) Little Miss Tiny. 2) Little Miss Shy. 3) Little Miss Splendid.
4) Little Miss Magic. 5) Little Miss Neat. 6) Little Miss Naughty.
7) Little Miss Bossy. 8) Little Miss Scatterbrain . 9) Little Miss Helpful.
10) Little Miss
Sunshine. 11) Little Miss Plump. 12) Little Miss Late.
13)
Little Miss Trouble.
By Roger Hargreaves.
Told by Pauline Collins and John Alderton.
Produced and Directed by Terry Ward and Trevor Bond.
MARY, MUNGO AND MIDGE
From Tuesday 7th October 1969. 13 episodes.
A
town is full of buildings, some tall, some short, some wide and some narrow.
The buildings are flats, and houses, and factories, and shops.
They're built in streets.
The streets have cars, and buses and lorries driving along them.
The cars and the buses and the streets are full of people,
in fact there are a lot of people in a town.
Do you live in a town?
Mary, Mungo and Midge live in this town.
They live with Mary's Mother and Father in this tall block of flats.
They live right at the top. There are eight flats built on top of each other.
Mary, Mungo and Midge live in the flat with the flowers growing in the window
box.
There's Mary, there's Mungo and there's Midge.
Mary, Mungo and Midge have a large sunny room to play in,
a room full of games, picture books and toys.
Animated series telling the adventures of Mary, a young
girl, Mungo, her dog and Midge, her pet mouse living in a high rise tower block
of flats.
Narrated by Richard Baker with Isobel Ryan.
Written by Daphne Jones.
Music by Johnny Pearson.
Filmed by Bura and Hardwick.
A John Ryan Production.
MOP AND SMIFF
From Thursday 4th
April 1985. 13 episodes.
The adventures of
a cat and dog.
Written and Presented by Mike Amatt.
Animation Simon and Sara Bor.
Directed by Sid Waddell.
Produced by David
Brown.
MR. BENN
From Thursday 25th February 1971. Only 13 episodes ever made and repeated often.
Animated series. Meet the bowler hatted Mr Benn, resident of 52. Festive Road, London, whose adventures start when he visits a special 'fancy dress' shop. After trying on an outfit Mr Benn is transported to magical and fantastic worlds.
Told by Ray Brooks.
Music by Don Warren.
Created by David McKee.
THE MR. MEN
From Tuesday 31st
December 1974. 28 separate
characters.
1)
Mr.Happy. 2)
Mr.Topsy-Turvy. 3) Mr.Bump. 4) Mr.Tickle.
5)
Mr.Silly. 6)
Mr.Sneeze. 7)
Mr.Uppity. 8) Mr.Nosey.
9)
Mr.Snow. 10)
Mr.Daydream. 11) Mr.Messy. 12) Mr.Small.
13) Mr.Greedy. 14) Mr.Strong. 15) Mr.Chatterbox 16) Mr.Lazy.
17) Mr.Mean. 18) Mr.Bounce. 19) Mr.Noisy. 20) Mr.Forgetful.
21) Mr.Jelly. 22) Mr.Fussy. 23) Mr.Muddle. 24) Mr.Funny.
25) Mr.Impossible. 26) Mr.Dizzy. 27) Mr. Worry. 28) Mr.Grumpy
By Roger
Hargreaves.
Told by Arthur
Lowe.
Animation by Terry Ward.
Flicks Films.
ON THE FARM
From Wednesday
8th July 1970. 6 programmes.
Lucy and Robert’s
adventures on the farm.
Story told by
Keith Barron.
Produced by
Daphne Jones.
OVER THE MOON
From Wednesday
4th October 1978. 13 programmes.
Presented by Sam
Dale.
Stories sung by
Don Spencer.
Animation by Trevor Bond.
Written and Produced by Michael Cole.
PICTURE BOOK
From Monday 14th February 1955. black-and-white.
Pre-school entertainment. A mixture of stories and puppet
fun as the pages of the Picture Book were turned and each page came to life to
tell a new story.
Within the book was Bizzy Lizzy, a little girl who wore a
blue dress with a magic flower.
She could have three wishes by touching her magic flower.
Then there were The Jolly Jack Tars, a group of sailors sailing to exotic
places of adventure. The presenter would play games between the stories aided
and abetted by Sausage the marionette dachshund.
Presented by Patricia Driscoll and later Vera McKechnie.
Edited by Maria Bird.
Produced by Freda Lingstrom.
PIE IN THE SKY
From Monday 15th
September 1986. 13 episodes.
Devised by Chloe Ashcroft and Peter Gosling.
David Hargreaves as the Pie Man, Chloe Ashcroft as the Pie
Wife and Ben Thomas as the Pie Pilot.
Music by Peter Gosling.
Production by Sharon Miller and Michael Cole.
PIGEON STREET
From Tuesday 10th February 1981. 13 episodes.
Animated adventures of a group of pigeons.
Voices by George Layton and John Telfer.
Music by Benni Lees,
played by Soulyard.
Animation by Peter Lang.
Produced by David Yates and Alan Rogers.
PINNY’S HOUSE
From Wednesday 22nd October 1986. 13 episodes.
Pinny the doll no bigger than a pin but made of wood that
can float!
Story and Pictures by Peter Firmin.
Read by Matilda Thorpe.
Music by Ar Log.
Directed and Animation by Oliver Postgate.
Smallfilms.
PLAYBOARD
From Sunday 3rd October 1976. 13 programmes.
Set in a fairground, the programme featured a colourful
collection of characters including Mo and Hedge, Arabella, Bill and Kathy
Bright, Max the Magician, Winnie Wilson, Lily Kettle the owner of the ghost
train, Jo the clown and Shahid the snake charmer!
Introduced by Christopher Lillicrap.
Stories and Designs by Ian Allen.
Puppets and settings by John Thirtle.
Written and Directed by Judy Whitfield.
Produced by Michael Cole.
THE POGLES
From Thursday
29th July 1965. 6 black-and-white
episodes.
(Incorporated
within the Clapperboard Children’s Film Programme 5.05-5.55pm).
1) The Magic Bean.
2) A Silver Crown. 3) Pogle Go
Home!
4) A Flower For Wishes.
5) The Singing Bird. 6) King Of
The Fairies.
This original black-and-white series from Smallfilms was
only shown once as it was deemed to scary for young children.
Music by Vernon Elliott.
Written by Oliver Postgate.
Puppets and pictures by Peter Firmin.
Told by Olwen Griffiths, Steve Woodman and Oliver Postgate.
Created Produced and Directed by Oliver Postgate and Peter
Firmin.
Smallfilms.
POGLES WOOD
From Monday 4th July 1966. 26 black-and-white episodes.
The Pogle family were woodland folk , Mr and Mrs Pogle,
their adopted son Pippin and his rabbit friend Tog. They lived in a tree and
had a magic bean plant which would conjour up all sorts of adventures for the
family.
Music by Vernon Elliott.
Written by Oliver Postgate.
Puppets and pictures by Peter Firmin.
Told by Olwen Griffiths, Steve Woodman and Oliver Postgate.
Created Produced and Directed by Oliver Postgate and Peter
Firmin.
Smallfilms.
POSTMAN PAT
From Wednesday 16th September 1981. 13 original 1980’s episodes.
Animated series following the adventures of rural postman
Pat and his black and white cat Jess as he delivers his letters around
Greendale.
Narrated by Ken Barrie who also sang the theme tune.
Music by Bryan Daly.
Created by John Cunliffe.
Produced by Ivor Wood.
RAG, TAG AND BOBTAIL
From Thursday 10th September 1953. 26 black-and-white episodes.
The adventures of Rag the hedgehog, Tag the little mouse and
Bobtail the big rabbit.
Narrated by Charles E. Stidwell, David Enders and James Urquhart.
Puppeteers Sam and Elizabeth Williams.
Written by Louise Cochrane
Produced by Freda Lingstrom and David Boisseau.
RAGTIME
From Wednesday 3rd October 1973. 13 original programmes,
From Sunday 22nd December 1974. 13 more programmes.
Maggie Henderson and Fred Harris play words with the puppets
Bubble, Humbug and Dachs the dog and have fun with a whole range of Spoons
called Mr.Porridge, Mr.Curry, Mr.Jelly, Miss Sponge, Mrs.Custard and Mrs.Ragamuffin.
Music by Peter Gosling and Dave Moses.
Written and Produced by Michael Cole.
RING-A-DING
From Friday 5th
January 1973. 13 programmes. 7 minute duration.
(Coupled with
Teddy Edward)
With Derek Griffiths. Illustrated by Lawrence Henry.
Written and Directed by Peter Charlton.
RUBOVIA
From Friday 20th February 1976. 6 episodes.
A remake in Colour of six of the Original 1950’s series.
Narrated by Gordon Murray.
Voiced by Roy Skelton.
Music by Freddie Phillips.
Puppets and Production by Gordon Murray.
Animated by Bob Bura and John Hardwick.
STOP – GO !
From Thursday
24th December 1981. 13 programmes.
Motion, speed,
transport, movement.
Voice of Lola Young and Ben Thomas.
Music by Michael Omer.
Film Edited by Michael Williamson.
Produced by Michael Cole.
TALES OF THE RIVERBANK
First shown from Friday 23rd November 1962
as part of the Children’s Television 5.00 - 5.15pm slot.
Then incorporated into Watch With Mother from Monday 30th
December 1963.
26 black-and-white episodes.
The stories of Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig and their assorted animal friends along a Canadian River. The show used footage of real animals filmed doing humanised things such as driving a car. No animation or puppetry was involved.
Stories told by Johnny Morris.
Presented by Peggy Miller.
Written, Produced and Directed by Dave Ellison, Paul
Sutherland and Roy Billings.
TEDDY EDWARD
From Friday 5th
January 1973. 13 episodes. 5-minute duration.
(Coupled with
Ring-A-Ding)
By Patrick and Mollie Matthews.
Told by Richard Baker.
Directed by Howard Kennett.
THOMAS
From Tuesday 6th
May 1975. 7 episodes.
The adventures of
Thomas and his friend Sarah.
Told by Ann
Morrish.
TRUMPTON
From Tuesday 3rd January 1967. 13 episodes.
"Here is the clock,
the Trumpton clock. Telling the time steadily, sensibly, never too quickly,
never too slowly. Telling the time for Trumpton."
Those words from
Brian Cant and music from Freddie Phillips heralded the start of each programme
focusing on the animated characters in the village of Trumpton, county of
Trumptonshire. This was the second series in the Trumpton trilogy, see also
Camberwick Green and Chigley.
Each episode of this series featured the fire service “Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, and Grub” was the chant echoed by Captain Flack each week. Other characters to appear were Chippy Minton, the carpenter. The Mayor of Trumpton. Mr.Antonio, the ice-cream man. Mr.Bolt, the borough engineer. Mr.Clamp, the greengrocer and his cat Aggee. Mr.Craddock, the park keeper. Mr.Munnings, the printer. Mr.Platt, the clock maker. Mr.Robinson, the window cleaner. Mr.Troop, the town clerk. Mr.Wantage and Fred, the telephone engineers. Mr.Wilkins, the plumber. Miss Lovelace, the hat maker. Mrs.Cobbit, the flower seller. Nick Fisher, the bill sticker. Philby, the Mayor’s driver. Policeman Potter. Raggy Dan, the rag and bone man. Walter Harkin, the painter and decorator.
Narrated by Brian Cant.
Music by Freddie Phillips.
Animations by Bob Bura and John Hardwick.
Designs by Andrew and Margaret Brownfoot.
Created by Gordon Murray.
Written by Gordon Murray and Alison Prince.
THE WOODENTOPS
From Friday 9th September 1955. 26 black-and-white episodes.
Puppet drama series featuring the adventures of The
Woodentop Family who lived in the country.
There
were Mummy Woodentop, Daddy Woodentop, Baby Woodentop and the twins Willie and
Jenny. Mrs Scrubbit, who came to help Mummy Woodentop and Sam the Farmhand, who
came to help Daddy Woodentop. Buttercup
the Cow and last of all the very biggest Spotty Dog you ever did see!
Created by Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird.
Scripts and Music by Maria Bird.
Puppeteers Audrey Atterbury and Molly Gibson.
Voices
by Eileen Brown,
Josephina Ray, and Peter Hawkins.
PLEASE COME AND JOIN OUR
MESSAGEBOARD AND ASK QUESTIONS, REMINISCE, OR DISCUSS ANY OF THESE
PROGRAMMES at: -
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/watchwithmother
WATCH WITH MOTHER AFTER SEE-SAW
Non See-Saw Programmes from 1985 shown on BBC-1 at 3.50pm
or 4.10pm
and programmes transferred to the CBBC lunchtime slot on BBC-2 from 1989.
The
Programmes
THE ANTICS ROAD SHOW
From Monday 4th
January 1988. 13 episodes.
"A clown's
eye view of Merseyside".
Featuring Paul
Goddard as Albert Antics,
Mark Reader & Stephen Lloyd as the AA.
Written by Paul
Goddard & Peter Charlton.
Producer Peter Charlton..
BATTY ADVENTURES
From Thursday 24th September 1987.
By Chris Alen,
Batty (and other voices) played by C.J. Allen.
OB cameraman
Trevor Wimlett.
Producer Angela
Beeching.
Director Marilyn
Fox.
A BEAR BEHIND
From Monday 17th
October 1988. Three series of
10-episodes each.
Liz and her puppet
bear Boz travel round the country in their horse drawn
wagon having adventures.
With Lindsey Coulson and Bill Wallis as Boz.
Executive producer
Angela Beeching.
Producer Margie
Barbour.
Director Nel
Romano.
THE BROLLY’S
From Thursday 13th September 1990.
By Shirley Isherwood.
Harry has a
wooden weather house on his bedroom wall. When it is dry Mrs Brolly swings out
of a door. When it is wet Mr Brolly emerges. Harry "magics" himself
into his weather house encounters stormy adventures with its occupants.
Storyteller David Shaw-Parker.
Produced by Trevor Bond.
CATERPILLAR TRAIL
From Tuesday 2nd
April 1985.
A look at the creatures around us.
With Stuart Bradley.
Film Director Anne Denery.
Producer Barbara
Roddam.
Executive Producer Cynthia Felgate.
CHARLIE CHALK
From 20th October
1988. 13 episodes
A circus clown is shipwrecked on an island and makes friends
with its strange inhabitants.
Voices Michael Williams, John Wells and Barbara Leigh-Hunt.
Written by Jocelyn Stevenson.
Music and Lyrics by Mike Redway.
Song Vocals by Ken Barrie.
Director of Animation Derek Mogford.
Film Editor Martin Bohan.
Created, Designed and Produced by Ivor Wood.
THE CHUCKLEHOUNDS
From
Wednesday 19th February 1986.
13-episodes.
Paul and Barry Harman, the Chuckle Brothers, dress-up as two
loveable dogs.
Music by Dave Cooke.
Editor David Brown. Produced and
Directed by Martin Hughes.
CORNERS
Preview Programme
Wednesday 21st January 1987
Series 1 of 16
from Friday 27th February 1987. Presented by Tracy Brabin & Simon Davies.
Series 2 from Friday 25th Sept.1987. Presented by Sophie Aldred & Simon
Davies.
Directed by Alison
Stewart.
Series Producer
Anne Gohey.
Executive Producer
Cynthia Felgate.
COUNT ME IN
From Friday 15th
November 1985. 12 programmes.
With Antony
Johns. Musical Director Allan Rogers.
Designer Michael
Trevor. Director Sharon Miller.
Producer Pippa
Dyson.
DOODLE
From Tuesday
1st March 1988. 16 programmes.
Watch doodling from young artists and enjoy the antics of
cartoon characters.
This was just a framing series for repeats of imported cartoons
like Touché Turtle
and Rocky & Bullwinkle.
Executive producer Theresa Plummer-Andrews.
Producer Roy Milani.
THE FAMILY-NESS
From Wednesday 5th
October 1984. 25 episodes.
Animated fantasy
comedy.
The adventures of
a whole family of Loch Ness monsters and their two human children friends.
Voices of Peter
Hawkins and Susan Sheridan.
Music by Roger and
Gavin Greenaway.
Directed by Keith
Learner.
Created Written
and Produced by Peter Maddocks.
GREENCLAWS
From 3rd January
1989. 13 episodes – Series One.
From 7th November 1989. 13 episodes – Series Two.
Adventure tales
of Green Claws, a large greenhouse dwelling monster and his friends. Nick
Mercer as Green Claws and Stella Goodier as Iris.
Script by Ursula Jones.
Illustrations by Jane Gedye.
Music Directors Jonathan Cohen and Simon Mayer.
Directed by Adrian Mills.
Produced by Christine Hewitt.
HENRY’S CAT
From 12th
September 1983. 50 original
episodes.
Narrated and Directed by Bob Godfrey.
Music by John Hyde.
Script by Stan Hayward.
Produced by Mike Hayes.
JIMBO AND THE JET SET
From Monday 6th
January 1986. 25 episodes.
The adventures of
Jimbo, a small jet plane.
Voices of Peter
Hawkins and Susan Sheridan.
Music by Roger and
Gavin Greenaway.
Directed by Keith
Learner.
Created Written
and Produced by Peter Maddocks.
JOSHUA JONES
From Tuesday 7th
January 1992.
Adventures of a
barge owner.
Animated by John Walker.
Bumper Films.
JUST SO STORIES
From Monday 9th
September 1985. 10-stories.
Michael Horden tells Just So Stories
By Rudyard Kipling
Animated by Sheila Graber.
From Tuesday 7th April 1992. 12-stories.
Geoffrey Matthews tells Just So Stories
By Rudyard Kipling.
LAY ON FIVE
From Wednesday 3rd
April 1985. 12-episodes.
From Thursday 17th
April 1986. 9-episodes.
With Floella
Benjamin and Robin Stevens.
Musical Director
Peter Gosling.
Director Alison
Stewart.
Produced by
Christine Hewitt.
Executive Producer
Cynthia Felgate.
MIKE MOP & THE MOKE
From 22nd July
1985. 7-episodes.
Songs, Jokes and
Stories at the seaside with Mike Amatt.
Written by Mike
Amatt.
Director Sid
Waddell
Producer Diane
Campbell.
P.C. PINKERTON
From 13th September
1988. 13 episodes.
Stories of a local bobby on the beat in the fictional town of Cleybourne.
Voices Ian Lavender, Jessica Martin, Sam Kelly, David Shw Parker.
Devised and written by Geoffrey Bourne-Taylor and John Murphy Edwards.
Music by John Kelham.
Produced and Directed by Trevor Bond.
PHILOMENA
From Friday 14th November 1986. 11 episodes.
With Johnny Ball.
English Adaptation Robin Haldane.
Produced by Greg Childs.
RATMAN
From Monday 14th
September 1987.
A superhero
adventures thing starring Roland Rat, with Bob Todd,
Phillip
Schofield, Lorraine Chase, Pamela Stephenson and Alexei Sayle.
Created by David
Claridge. Written By Colin Bostock-Smith and David Claridge.
Produced by
Oliver MacFarlane.
Directed by Peter
Leslie.
Executive
Producer Christopher Pilkington.
RUPERT
From Monday 12th
September 1988. 13 episodes.
From Thursday 5th
April 1990. 13 episodes.
Based on the stories by Alfred Bestall MBE.
Storyteller Ray Brooks.
SCRAGTAG & HIS TEA-TIME TELLY
From Thursday 18th
September 1986. 15 episodes
Hear a Scragtag
Story from the Scragbook.
With Marcus Kimber
and Rosella Longinetti.
Music by Michael
Omer.
Production Roy
Milani.
Director Alison
Stewart.
Executive Producer
Cynthia Felgate.
SEBASTIAN, THE INCREDIBLE DRAWING DOG
From Thursday 11th
September 1986. 13 episodes.
With Michael
Barrymore, Sebastian assisted by Richard Robinson & Ricky Greene.
Music by Mike
McNaught.
Designer Janet
Budden.
Devised &
Illustrated by David Myers.
Produced by
Christopher Pilkington.