Oliver Postgate 1925 – 2008
Oliver Postgate, the creator and narrator of TV classics Bagpuss, The Clangers, Noggin the Nog and Ivor the Engine has died at the age of 83 – the Guardian relates the tale of his honorary MA in 1987. BBC CultTV have an short interview with the man himself and a short online video clip. Apparently The Clangers were “swearing their little heads off”. The Guardian’s OrganGrinder has a great collection of YouTube clips of which I’ve picked out the first colour episode of Ivor the Engine as a tribute [Dewi will love that - Ed]. And, below the fold, part one of a 2005 BBC4 documentary. Adds “Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a little girl and her name was Emily. And she had a shop.” And thanks to Alan in Belfast “Vote for Froglet!”
Ivor the Engine and the story of Smallfilms
I was thinking when I saw all those you tube clips, you could download them and put them on a cd for the kiddies, that stuff is much better than whats on now. The other day, I watched an episode of top cat, with officer devil and the gang pitted against each other. That stuff was brilliant too.
Maybe I’m getting old, but they really don’t make them like that anymore.
Kathleen
Someone already has – put them on a DVD, that is. ;o)
Kathleen;
Its Officer DIBBLE. “The Dibble” is Mancunian slang for the Police. Top Cat really was the dogs….. If you follow my drift
I’m from the Noggin the Nog generation and watched Bagpuss with my own children.
One of the great voices of my childhood.
Oliver Postgate and his collaborators created wonderful children’s television. We have a CD of the songs from Bagpuss by Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner. Everytime I hear it, which is less frequent as the kids get older, I am reminded of the pure quality of that programme and the others of the Postgate stable. Some children’s television is better now than it was 30 or 40 years ago and some of it isn’t but the layers of genius which made Bagpuss have yet to be surpassed.
Ivor the Engine just an allegory for English domination. “The signal was just against them” just meant that we have been oppressed since 1283.
“We’ve only got coal Mr Jones” means we’ve been oppressed since 1283.
It’s obvious.
Too be honest it’s the Clangers I loved.
Loved Bagpuss and Ivor the Engine. Only got into the clangers in a big way at Uni.Channel 4 showed them for a while. Can we petition tv executives to start showing them again? Mind you, heard a rumour that Bagpuss and Ivor were to be redone.
I wondered if you’d link to the BBC News item about the political comment by the Clangers.
Alan
I’ve just seen the reference on Newsnight, and I’ve added your link to the original post.
Cheers.
[play the ball - edited moderator]
Noggin the Nog is the main man !
Postgate was abit of a commie in his day.