Andy Pandy

Did You Know?

• The original 1950s and 1970s series have seen some VHS releases through BBC Enterprises.
• In April 2008, Ben Productions LLC and Bulldog Licensing appointed 2 Entertain as home video distributor as part of a merchandise-led relaunch.
• The 2002 revival was produced by the same company that made the 2001 remake of Bill and Ben (Flower Pot Men).

Original 1950 and 1970 versions

Andy Pandy first appeared on BBC television on 11 July 1950, airing as part of the For the Children slot, which later became Watch with Mother. Maria Bird provided the narration for the original black-and-white broadcasts, and she also narrated other shows from that era like Flower Pot Men, The Woodentops, and Bizzy Lizzy. At first the episodes were broadcast live, but the team soon realised that filming them would allow for repeats. Around 1952, twenty-six episodes, each lasting fifteen minutes, were shot on 16 mm film and rerun continuously until 1969. Thirteen new colour episodes followed in 1970, with Vera McKechnie taking over as narrator. The main character was Andy, a marionette. He was later joined by Teddy, a teddy bear, and Looby Loo, a rag doll who only came to life when Andy and Teddy were not around. Looby Loo sang a song called "Here we go Looby Loo". All three characters lived together in a single picnic basket. Every episode closed with a version of the tune "Time to go home / Time to go home / Andy is waving goodbye." It is believed that Andy’s design was inspired by Paul Atterbury, the young son of puppeteer Audrey Atterbury. A comic-strip version of the show appeared in Robin magazine. The production team included producer Freda Lingstrom, narrators Maria Bird and Vera McKechnie, writers and composers Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird, singers Gladys Whitred, Julia Williams, and Maria Bird, and puppeteers Audrey Atterbury, Molly Gibson, Martin Grainger, the Stavordales, and Christopher Leith (for the 1970 colour series). The show was later spoofed by Des O'Connor in his Dandy Sandy sketches, which also featured Harry Secombe and Britt Ekland.

2002 revival

In 2002, BBC produced a revival of 52 episodes using stop-motion animation instead of string puppets. The original nursery and garden were expanded to an entire village, with Andy (voiced by Maria Darling), Teddy (voiced by Jimmy Hibbert) and Looby Loo (voiced by Joanna Ruiz) now owning individual houses. Four new characters were introduced: Missy Hissy (voiced by Maria Darling), a red-and-yellow snake; Tiffo, a teal-and-purple dog (vocals by David Holt); Bilbo (also voiced by David Holt), a sailor; and Orbie (vocals by Joanna Ruiz), a yellow-and-blue ball. Tom Conti narrated the new series. The emphasis shifted from music and movement to making and doing. The series was animated and produced by Cosgrove Hall Films and Ben Productions.