The Singing Ringing Tree

I don't know if it was yesterday's post which brought back memories of childhood television, or the conversation P and I had the other evening about cartoons we used to love as children, or the comment from Heather the other day mentioning Top Cat, but this morning I've been thinking about all those programmes I used to watch as a child on TV.

Apparently BBC childrens' television was very short of funding in the 1960's and had to rely heavily on bought-in programmes from the continent, hence people of my generation have great memories of some amazingly culturally diverse programmes.  There was 'Belle and Sebastian' - a French (I think it was French, maybe it was French/Swiss) series about a little boy and his dog who lived in the mountains and had lots of adventures.  The German version of 'Robinson Crusoe' who's evocative theme tune can immediately transport me back to winter teatimes sitting in front of a roaring fire, watching the old black and white telly.  'On White Horses' which was (again I think) a Yugoslavian series about the Lipizaner horses, also with a great theme tune (oddly enough, sung in English).  This particular story used to really amuse me as the characters lips would be moving frantically for 30 seconds or so and all you would get from the English voiceover was something short and pithy like "Yes, said Uncle Dimitri."  Clearly Uncle Dimitri was saying an awful lot more in Yugoslavian but presumably the translator didn't think what he had to say was suitable for English childrens' ears. 

But the one story that has stuck with me all these years was 'The Singing Ringing Tree'.  I think it was part of a series of continental fairy stories - although I don't remember a thing about any of the others. I was terrified by this story although I only remember an evil dwarf, a large puppet-type fish in a pool and the tinkling bells of the tree itself.  A quick Google search shows that it was originally from East Germany and is now available on DVD.  I don't think I'd want to watch it again as I'd be afraid it wouldn't be as I remember it, seeing the photos from it in colour was odd enough as my memories are of seeing it in black and white.

Naturally, we also had American imports - 'Casey Jones', 'Champion the Wonder Horse', and an extremely ancient (possibly from the late 1930's) version of 'Flash Gordon'.  Slightly more up-to-date (then) was the 'Banana Splits' - although I never really 'got' those puppets and the canned American laughter used to drive me mad.  From Australia we had 'Skippy, The Bush Kangaroo' - now often the butt of comedians jokes.  Can't think why they'd find a 'talking' kangaroo funny!

On the cartoon front there was 'Deputy Dawg', 'Scooby Doo', 'Roadrunner', 'The Pink Panther' and 'Top Cat'.  But my all time favourites were 'Tom and Jerry' - not the Hanna Barbera modern ones, but the original 1940's ones, directed by Fred Quimby - brilliantly funny and beautifully drawn.

As for home grown childrens' telly there was, of course, the perennial 'Blue Peter', and it's not quite so upmarket ITV version - 'Magpie'.  The 'Magpie' presenters were all very trendy and good-looking while the 'Blue Peter' presenters were very middle-class and sensible.  And there were those lovely little five-minute cartoon series that were on just before the evening news - 'The Wombles', 'Paddington', and 'Captain Pugwash.'  Not forgetting the 'Watch with Mother' characters (I'm so old I can even remember 'Listen with Mother' on the radio with the story being read by Daphne Oxenford - gulp!) 'Andy Pandy', 'The Woodentops', 'The Flowerpot Men', 'Trumpton', 'Camberwick Green', 'Mary, Mungo and Midge', 'Noggin the Nog' (my favourite), 'The Herbs', and 'Pogle's Wood.' 

I haven't forgotten 'Jackanory' which also sometimes scared me (I was an easily scared child) with the stories of 'Green Knowe' and 'The Wolves of Willoughby Chase', and 'Dr Who' which only scared me when the Cybermen were involved.  I'm sure there are many more I've forgotten - what are the programmes you remember?

Update.  Apparently I was not the only child who found The Singing Ringing Tree frightening, check out this chap's opinion.

Comments

[The Shopping Sherpa]

The beginning of Puffinstuff used to give me nightmares (when the boat changed) so I wasn't allowed to watch it. Or Dr Who, for that matter. I remember The Magic Roundabout, Shari Lewis and Lambchop, The Buggaloos and Vision on which I only learnt recently was designed for deaf kids...

Yup, New Zealand TV was full of English programming :-)

[Debbie]

I am enjoying working my way gradually through your archives, and just wanted to comment on this post to say that I remember most of those programmes too, so we must be of a similar vintage! I was frightened of those very strange Banana Splits characters, and to this day they give me the creeps.