Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Still Hope?

This doesn't often happen. I saw something on television that made me feel happier. BBC4 had devoted a swathe of programming to children's TV of the 1960s, concentrating - as is only right - on the genius that is Oliver Postgate, who, with Peter Firmin, has probably done more for the happiness and imginative wellbeing of the nation than any man alive. It's tempting to say that we shan't see the like of this duo again - but wait, we have Nick Park, exactly the same kind of inspired shedman, with a similarly uncorrupted, wholly English imagination. There is still hope for us. Cracking.

6 comments:

  1. golden years boop boop boop, ooo-wee ha ha ha. yes, we are losing the art of story-telling. keep it simple.

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  2. what about that 80s classic Transformers? that did more than anything to inculcate in my younger self notions of honour, comradeship, violence and the essential mutability of all things.

    For years i wanted to be an articulated lorry.

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  3. That's just slightly worrying, Elberry, but never mind - I think we should all consult this.

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  4. Ah..hh.h - Ivor the Engine! You don't hear trains with voices like that on TV any more.

    My husband was in BBC Children's in the Sixties, and knew all those people. We used to stay in Oliver Postgate's cottage in deepest mid-Wales. Ivor voices and associations everywhere there...

    I saw your interview with (forget her name) on Clive James's site by the way. Splendid piece - and you were evidently rather smitten by FHN! It put me in mind of Clive's own imcomparable post-Diana piece...

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  5. Wonderful. I went straight to Amazon and ordered Bagpuss and The Clangers for my boys. I can't wait.

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  6. ooh, thanks for that Beatrice. I'd not long ago lost all my favourites and I'd forgotten Clive James had his bit of web!

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