Tales of the Riverbank
Live animals voiced to act out riverside adventures.
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The series features live animals whose actions are synchronized with human voices to suggest they are performing activities.[1] Techniques such as smearing jam on objects were used to encourage the animals to handle them.[1]
Making and release
The original black-and-white series was first shown by the BBC on 3 July 1960 at 4:50 pm.[2] For the BBC showings, all voices were provided by Johnny Morris because the BBC did not want Canadian accents.[2] A later color series of 26 episodes, retitled Hammy Hamster, launched in 1972.[3] After CBC rejected the pilot, Ellison took it to the BBC in London for a screening.[4]
The last installment, Further Tales of the Riverbank, was created between 1991 and 1992 for WTTV and Channel 4, totaling 26 episodes.[2]
What the cited sources add
The Independent obituary describes the gentle action centered on the river and woods, with Hammy's house being a converted old boot dragged downstream using a device created by GP, "the mad inventor of the riverbank"[5] Ellison served as associate producer on Further Tales of the Riverbank (1992), made for Channel 4 in Britain.[5] In the United States, Once Upon A Hamster aired in a late-night slot, helping it gain cult status among US viewers.[6] A publicity image of Hammy Hamster holding a clapperboard accidentally appeared on a January 2009 news broadcast about the disappearance of a girl named Molly Bish.[7]
The error occurred when a photo of Hammy Hamster was shown instead of a photo of a potential suspect during a report eight years after the girl's disappearance.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Tales of the Riverbank" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Off The Telly web-site (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Tales of the Riverbank" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Telly Nation web-site" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Tales of the Riverbank" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Canadian Communications Foundation - Fondation des Communications Canadiennes" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Tales of the Riverbank" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Obituary of Paul Sutherland in The Independent 12 June 2004 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Obituary of Paul Sutherland in The Independent 12 June 2004. facts only, no text reused. independent.co.uk
- Wikipedia, "Tales of the Riverbank" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Obituary of Paul Sutherland Toronto Star 20 May 2004 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Tales of the Riverbank" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Youtube: "News Reporter Shows Picture Of Hamster Instead Of Mug Shot"]", YouTube, 2009-02-02 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Tales of the Riverbank (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in British children's television series
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Tales of the Riverbank (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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