1950s British Children's Television Series Codexery

The Woodentops (TV series)

Pre-school puppet series about a farm family.

The Woodentops is a British children's television series that first aired on the BBC in 1955. The programme focused on a family living on a farm and aimed to teach pre-school children about family life.

Quick Facts

Genre
Children's television series; Puppet show
Runtime
15 minutes
Creator
Freda Lingstrom; Maria Bird
Voices
  • Maria Bird
  • Eileen Browne
  • Josephina Ray
  • Peter Hawkins
Narrator
Maria Bird
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Network
BBC Television

Facts from the source article.

Production

The Woodentops was filmed in a tin shed at the BBC's Lime Grove Studios. Maria Bird narrated all episodes and also provided the dialogue for Mummy Woodentop, speaking with Received Pronunciation. Daddy Woodentop, a farmer, spoke with a noticeable West Country accent. Each episode began with the family introduced sitting before a tall curtain, as if on a stage, and closed with them in the same pose and the word "GOODBYE" superimposed above. The opening and closing music came from the 22nd piece of Edvard Grieg's 25 Norwegian folk songs and dances for piano, Opus 17, titled "Kulokk" ("Cattle-Call"). The first section played for the introduction, the second for the end; Mummy Woodentop occasionally hummed it as a leitmotif.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes of The Woodentops (TV series) are there?

The Woodentops has 26 episodes.

When did The Woodentops (TV series) first air?

The Woodentops first aired on 9 September 1955.

When did The Woodentops (TV series) end?

The Woodentops last aired on 2 March 1956.

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