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My top 5 seventies kids shows - part 2

It's been great fun choosing this top five, as it has given me the excuse to reconnect with some of the television of my childhood. They have mainly been happy memories, but I have to report that I also remembered a show that used to terrify me when I was young. Judging from my reaction to watching the opening credits from that show, it still does as a fifty-year-old!

So, before we get to my top three shows, let's briefly touch on what would have been the only ITV show to make the list if it wasn't quite so nightmare-inducing. According to Wikipedia, only 40 episodes of this show were made, and they ran between 1976 and 1978. I may have seen them when they first went out, or I might have caught repeats, but the show was called 'Chorlton and the Wheelies'. It was another stop-motion show, as was extremely popular in the seventies, and it revolved around a happiness dragon called Chorlton who inadvertently aided characters called Wheelies in their battle against Fenella the Welsh Kettle Witch. My memories are mostly of Fenella; even typing her name now still gives me chills!

Anyway, that is enough of that. Let's get back to our countdown. At number three we have a show called 'The Flumps'. It has another incredibly evocative theme tune that will instantly transport any child of the seventies back to primary school, and the show itself is another stop-motion extravaganza. A female voiceover differentiates this show from the others on my list, giving it a very different vibe. The 'flumps' in question are a family of creatures that resemble a cross between the tribbles from Star Trek and the California Raisins. For a show that made such an impact on me as a child, surprisingly, only 14 episodes were ever made. It wasn't explicitly said, and the accents were all over the place, but it definitely had a northern, working-class feel about it. The Flumps had a simpler structure than the other shows on my list. There were songs and a hint of something educational, but one story ran through each episode.

Episode watched: Balloons 

https://youtu.be/M2LUz-xt9GU

Moving on to the runners-up spot, we have another accent-heavy show. This one is set in Wales but predates Fireman Sam by decades. The narrator is not Welsh, but his accent is pretty good, and it is also worth noting that this is the second time he appears on this list. His name was Oliver Postgate, and he was the creator of both shows, not just the narrator. Ivor's stories are told through simple cut-out animation, the sort you could easily do with an iPad now, and nothing particularly exciting happens. Still, it is their simple charm that makes them memorable. That and Ivor's noises - he communicates with the humans in the story by peeping his whistle and makes a lovely steam-train noise as he powers through the valleys. The show effectively captures a bygone age, and even watching it now as an adult, it has plenty to offer.

Episode watched: Bluebell

https://youtu.be/WkeNd8Kh61s

Before we get to the number one show on my list, it is time for some honourable mentions.

  • Camberwick Green, with its most memorable character 'Windy Miller', who would probably be popular now with his green credentials.
  • The Wombles, who I think have made a bit of a comeback now, also with an eco-focus.
  • Jamie and his magic Torch - an ITV show with an incredible rock theme.

So that leaves us with the number one show of my childhood, Mr Benn. I am convinced it would make a great TV show in 2025, as it has serious Quantum Leap vibes. It had a simple premise that could be repeated ad infinitum, but remarkably, only 13 episodes were made in the seventies. It did have a mini-revival much later on, but that didn't last. The story of each episode was 

  • Man walks into costume shop
  • Man chooses a costume
  • Man leaves shop by 'the other door'
  • Man has adventure in costume
  • As if by magic, the shopkeeper appears, and Mr Benn goes through a doorway back into the shop.
  • Mr Benn goes back to his normal life.

Episode watched: The Spaceman

https://youtu.be/R3XVJ17uysM?si=HUShths54fzyGHGB

It was set in a very ordinary town, one that most children would recognise, but it allowed the protagonist to escape from everyday life and have the most amazing adventures. It is definitely the most exciting show on this list. The make-believe fantasy charm was designed to appeal to even the least creative child, and it certainly had me hooked. They really don't make them like this anymore, and they definitely should!



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