Bagpuss

'Bagpuss' was one of the many Postgate-Firmin collaborations which enlivened children's television in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Alongside earlier work such as 'The Pogles', 'The Clangers' and 'Ivor the Engine', 'Bagpuss' adds a sense of surrealism which was wonderfully inventive and just as enjoyable for grown-ups.

Children may well enjoy Postgate's narration and voices, and the delightful story lines, but adults will get just as much from admiring the intricacies of the design and the animation.

Bagpuss is a large cloth cat with pink stripes who comes to life when little Emily closes down her shop for the night. Accompanied by the little mice inventors and workers 'we will scrub it, we will rub it', and the pompous Professor Yaffel, he has all kinds of adventures. At only a dozen episodes, Bagpuss never outstayed its welcome and has worn its age well.

I find Bagpuss (1974) is a very charming stop-motion animated series. Because of the lovely animation by Oliver Postgate. The wonderful characters as the kind-hearted plush toy cat called Bagpuss himself. Madeleine the Ragdoll, who acted like a sweet-hearted and reasonable maternal figure towards the mice from the mouse organ. Gabriel the calm, relaxed and laid-back toad, who is a musician. The mice from the mouse organ, who are cute, but very helpful and friendly rodents, who are the wonderful singers. And Professor Yaffle the doubtful, but very intelligent and distinguished wooden woodpecker. The songs are very wonderful as well as the stories. I'll giving this animated series a 10/10.

Bagpuss - as with all Smallfilms productions - has aged beautifully, retaining all the charm and magic it had three decades ago. There were only 13 episodes, but it still stands out as a true classic of children's entertainment in the UK.

Bagpuss, The Clangers, Noggin The Nog and Ivor The Engine worked because of an immense investment of imagination from creators Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. Their work was truly magical - a blessing that today's TV seems to lack.

In 30 years time, will any of today's kids' shows be remembered as fondly?

You really won't know anything about this programme unless you're English and either were a child about fifteen years ago, or had children at that time. I was the former, and I have to say that Bagpuss was my favourite TV programme then, and still holds a special place in my heart. Describing the content is difficult, but basically Bagpuss wakes up every day in the shop he lives in, and he and his friends investigate whatever has been brought to them by Emily, the owner of the shop. Emily finds items that people have lost and puts them in her shop window so that they can be reclaimed. Bagpuss' friends include Gabriel the banjo-playing toad, Madeleine the motherly rag doll, the childish mice on the mouse organ (you have to see it for yourself) and Professor Yaffle, the slightly eccentric uncle-type, who is in fact a wooden book-end woodpecker.

Bagpuss as a programme was never patronising to children, and was not afraid to use long words if they were appropriate. I believe it was an essential part of my upbringing, and I would recommend that all parents show Bagpuss to their children. All thirteen episodes are available on a single video, so if you want to keep your kids happy, or saw Bagpuss first time round and feel nostalgic, buy it.

....saggy old kids TV programme in the whole wide world...

Yes, it is perfection, moth-eaten, sweet as honey, innocent as a 3-year old's summer Sunday morning in the 70's under a duvet in the living-room. Why do they not make *more* such programmes? Look to Oliver Postgate's personal website for the answer.

Such great care and attention put into such small and delightful things! Animation of this kind can no longer happen, sadly. Where are the songs of the mice? Transmuted to Pokemon babble. Where is Professor Yaffle? Gone! Forever! But we mustn't be glum. Through the magic of television, this tiny gem, glowing a thousand times more brightly than it should be able to, will only gleam stronger and stronger as the generations pass...

All we can do is polish it up and put it in the shop window, where perhaps it will be recognised by a passing children's television executive who has lost his childhood...