I have to say... I think this was my least favourite of the series. Maybe it's a generational thing - he's over ten years older than me, and so "his" kids TV wasn't mine... but there was no nostalgia in the back bits for me (including the tribute to Mr. Postgate - if he made any stuff that was broadcast in my childhood, it's not been mentioned in the various tributes, including this one), the current bits seemed a bit shallow (I was expecting something on the relentless decline of UK-produced kids' telly), and the US stuff was just scary.
I'm pretty surprised that many people haven't seen any Oliver Postgate works. I'm (only) 23 and the likes of Bagpuss and the Clangers were still a part of the kids TV staple diet when I was younger.
My nephew also absolutely adores these programmes, which just shows how well thought out they were. Even if by today's standards, don't look so well made.
I'm pretty surprised that many people haven't seen any Oliver Postgate works. I'm (only) 23 and the likes of Bagpuss and the Clangers were still a part of the kids TV staple diet when I was younger.
My nephew also absolutely adores these programmes, which just shows how well thought out they were. Even if by today's standards, don't look so well made.
See it's strange I'm 23 as well and I don't remember Bagpuss being on at all - the Clangers and Ivor the Engine were on very early morning on C4, but for me they weren't part of the staple tv diet - probably because they weren't on the BBC, or as frequently as they were 10 years previously. Strange how people remember things differenty.
Plus there was the fact that as a kid they shows just didn't appeal to me at all, so if they were on I'd tend to avoid them. Must be one of the only kids who didn't like Postgate's work, just something about it that didn't connect with me. That said Charlie's tribute was very moving, which shows his power as a commentator.
I think Bagpuss means much more if you're in your 30's like Charlie Brooker and myself are. This was one of several shows on in the 70's that you would stumble across on the BBC along with Clangers, Ivor The Engine, Trumpton, Camberwick Green etc.
As the years moved on these shows were scattered all over other channels like Nickelodeon, Channel 4 etc, so not everybody got to see them.
Yep - the interesting thing is how much more kids shows in the 70s were repeated than they are now. Back then shows like Paddington, Bagpuss, Ivor the Engine, Captain Pugwash etc. were shown quite frequently, so loads of us saw them - but not always the same showings!
Yep - the interesting thing is how much more kids shows in the 70s were repeated than they are now. Back then shows like Paddington, Bagpuss, Ivor the Engine, Captain Pugwash etc. were shown quite frequently, so loads of us saw them - but not always the same showings!
Exactly and it felt like they were shown every year of the 70's so the next generation of kids that became TV watchers so them. For example they only made 13 episodes of Mr Benn and were shown first in 1971, but I remember them vividly from my childhood even though my TV memories start from 1975 when I was 3.
The other thing about those kids shows is that they had such great voices for the narration. Several voices from that era really stick in my memory, Oliver Postgate, Eric Thompson (The Magic Roundabout), Brian Cant (Camberwick Green/Chigley/Trumpton), Arthur Lowe (Mr Men) and John Le Mesurier (Bod).
It's difficult to believe that the shows that made up my childhood - the likes of Bertha, Postman Pat, Pigeon Street, Charlie Chalk etc. only had 13 episodes made at the time. I'm sure I remember them being on week in, week out, and don't particularly remember them being repeated ad nausiem.
Yes it always seemed like there were more episodes. With Postman Pat there are but I didn't realise that after the first series was made in 1981 they didn't make new episodes until 1991. And they are making it now.
As a child growing up in the early 90's, (just turned 20 this year), I can remember watching Mr Benn, Paddington, Ivor The Engine, Magic Roundabout, Trumpton and the Clangers as part of my childhood growing up. Never realising they were from the 70's until the last few years. Most of these shows formed the "Take 5" strand lunchtimes on Channel 4 (along with other classic shows like Lizzie and Joggy Bear!)
Exactly and it felt like they were shown every year of the 70's so the next generation of kids that became TV watchers so them. For example they only made 13 episodes of Mr Benn and were shown first in 1971, but I remember them vividly from my childhood even though my TV memories start from 1975 when I was 3.
Yep - I think sometimes commissioners forget how quickly children grow out of shows, but that doesn't stop the shows being good. There is nothing wrong with repeating good shows for many years - though obviously society changes and they need to be replaced after a while.
Mr Ben, Trumpton, Chigley, Camberwick Green, Mary Mungo and Midge, Bagpuss, Captain Pugwash - and of course Bod - are all part of my childhood memories.
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The other thing about those kids shows is that they had such great voices for the narration. Several voices from that era really stick in my memory, Oliver Postgate, Eric Thompson (The Magic Roundabout), Brian Cant (Camberwick Green/Chigley/Trumpton), Arthur Lowe (Mr Men) and John Le Mesurier (Bod).
Yep - absolutely - and Maggie Henderson on Bod.
The great thing about Brian Cant and Derek Griffiths was that they did LOADS of kids shows in the 70s. Their voices really were the voices of my childhood - and hearing them now ("Heads and Tails", "P L A Y" etc.) transports me back to sitting on the carpet in front of our Decca set waiting for the childrens programmes to start.
(For those of born in the 70s - does anyone else remember watching OU or Schools programmes before Playschool in the morning?)
