Tv Heroes Of The 50's


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What treats were we in store for during the limited broadcasting hours of the early TV service.

If you weren't watching a Potters wheel, "INTERMISSION". Who did you enjoy to watch?

Here are a few of mine...

Do you know who they are?

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And heres what we waited for in the early years...<MOVIE FILE>

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  • 3 months later...

:ph34r: This was my favourite childrens show, i even had one for christmas, wish i still had it :ph34r:

We Want Muffin the Mule!

Muffin the Mule first trotted on to our screens in 1946, although he was already 12 years old by that time. He had been made by a famous creator of Punch and Judy puppets, Fred Tickner, during the 1930's when the Hogarth Puppets were already involved in the experimental medium of television. Among the special theme presentations planned by the Hogarths was a circus sequence, in which a mule puppet was required. This puppet needed an appearance that would help develop a comedy emphasis, this probably being the reason for its head being made so especially large. Muffin, it will be recalled, used his head a great deal in "conversations" with Annette Mills.

So, Muffin - then unnamed - was added to the Hogarth puppets in November 1934, the charge for the job being 25 shillings. The puppet was used to good effect but as Jan Bussell and Ann Hogarth moved on to more experimental and dramatic puppetry, Muffin was carefully stored, awaiting re-discovery and naming by Annette Mills, sister of actor John Mills. In 1946, she included the wooden mule in an edition of 'For the Children'.

Muffin went from strength to strength, clumping around legs-a-kimbo on the piano top with Annette playing the music and Ann Hogarth standing on the piano to operate him from behind a partition. Further sidekicks emerged as the shows went on, including a bossy penguin called Mr. Peregrine Esquire; a rather shy Louise the Lamb; Oswald the Ostrich (a slightly dim-witted bird inclined to "gape"); Willie the Worm; plus a genial minstrel puppet called Wally the Gog. There were many others including Peter the Pup; Poppy the Parrot; Grace the Giraffe; Hubert the Hippo; Katy the Kangaroo; Kirri the Kiwi; Monty the Monkey; Maurice and Doris the mice; Zebbie the Zebra; Sally the Sea-lion and Prudence and Primrose Kitten who were later rewarded with their own spin-off shows.

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:o Battery boy ah yes me to can remember him :D

:D I think about that time Gerry Anderson was making Four Feather Falls do you remember him, pre Sting ray, Fireball XL5. :D

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B) Are those two quotes from FIREBALL XL5. B)

Fireball XL5 was set in the year 2063, the series charted the interplanetary adventures of a spacecraft and its crew: handsome blonde pilot Steve Zodiac, glamorous blonde space doctor Venus, a math genius and a robot.

Fireball XL5 was part of a World Space Fleet based at Space City, an isalnd in the Pacific Ocean, run by Commander Zero and Leutenant Ninety. It's mission to patrol sector 25 of the universe, beyond the solar system. The biggest craft of its kind, the 300-foot long XL5 had a detacable nose cone called Fireball Junior, used for landings while the mothership stayed in orbit.

B) Now then i'm not to sure who said what but was it Robie the robot who said "Welcome home folks" and Zoonie who said "on our way ome" but then again it could have been the other way round :o

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I think the Looney lazoon said "Welcome home Folks"

Probably due to the fact that he could not be trusted to

co pilot the craft, after knocking over a tv mast whilst

practicing a 3 point turn.

We see him here on the right.

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Here are few more Anderson Hero's listed by vehicle

My Favorite is Mitch the monkey. He always seemed to get the best lines.

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'Anderson' Crew members by vehicle

Fireball XL5

Steve Zodiac Pilot

Robert the Robot Co-Pilot/engineering

Venus Medical and Biological sciences

Prof' Matthew Matic Navigatopn and Physical sciences

Zoonie (Lazoon) Pet and nuisance

Commander Zero Head of Space City

Lt. Ninety Control tower staff.

Main Villain(s)

Various

Supercar

Mike Mercury Pilot

Dr Beaker Designer

Prof' Popkiss Engineer

Jimmy Rescued child who stayed on.

Mitch (Monkey) Pet and pest

Main Villain(s)

Masterspy and Zarin (Syndey Greenstreet and Peter Lorre)

Stingray

Troy Tempest Captain

"Phones" Sheridan First officer/Navigator/Hydrophones

Marina No specified duties. Capable of operating

Stingray in emergency.

Oink (Seal) Pest (The last one, thankfully)

Commander Shore Head of Marineville

Atlanta Control tower Staff (Daughter of Shore)

Main Villain(s)

Titan Ruler of Titanica

Agent X 2 Zero Spy for Titan (Peter Lorre again)

Thunderbirds

Tracy Island

Scott TB1. Rescue site command

Virgil TB2

Alan TB3. TB5

Gordon TB4

John TB5. TB3

Jeff Overall command

Brains Designer

Kyrano "Servant"

Tin Tin Engineer

Grandma Cook

England

Lady Penelope Agent

Parker Butler/chauffeur

Lillian "Lil" Cook

USA

Jededia and wife Agents

Main Villain(s)

The Hood

Captain Scarlet

Colonel White Head of Spectrum

Lt. Green Communications

Dr Faun Medical

Captain Blue Second in command Spectrum(?)

Captain Scarlet Mysteronised. Main agent against Mysteron

threat

Captain Ochre Elint (Electronic intelligence)

Captain Umber

Captain Brown Deceased

Destiny Angel Leader

Harmony Angel

Symphony Angel

Melody Angel

Rhapsody Angel

Main Villain(s)

The Mysterons ??????????

Captain Black Main Mysteron Agent

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  • 7 years later...

I met the "Lone Ranger" "Clayton Moore" when he came to the "Cavendish Picture House" (The local fleapit) in the 50's. "Tonto" "Jay Silverheels" wasn't there with him though LOL.

He fired his guns on the stage of the "Cavendish", and he spoke to my Mam, and stroked the chin of my two twin sisters in the pram when they were only a few weeks old. How's that for a memory.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The 'Lone Ranger' was on BBC television at 5 o' clock, every Wednesday tea-time; it wasn't a favourite television programme of mine but at least it was Children's Television - there wasn't much on TV for children back then.

I absolutely adored 'Mr Pastry'. He had a programme Saturday tea-time at 5 o' clock. I think he ran a village Post Office and he rode a bike. He made me laugh 'til my sides almost burst. A lovely character.

I remember being so little and being thrilled that my mum had borrowed a book on 'Muffin the Mule' from the Aspley Library for my sister Jennifer and myself. What could be better a book on Muffin and two ounces of Dolly Mixtures for our Friday afternoon treat after school?

I suppose everybody who was a kid back then will have fond memories of 'Crackerjack'? On alternate Friday tea-times at 5 o' clock with Eamonn Andrews as host and the devilish Leslie Crowther fooling around. I lived for Friday afternoons, 'Crackerjack' was the best children's programme ever!

My first job was as a library assistant with Nottm Pub Libraries and the Librarian in charge of Bilborough Branch was David Bartlett; he told me that he'd been a pupil at the Nottingham Boys' High School at the same time as Leslie Crowther; Mr Bartlett mentioned that Leslie was always fooling around then! RIP Leslie - you had the gift of making children laugh, what could be better than that?

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I used to love Crackerjack too. All those prizes that the kids had to hold in their arms everytime they got a question right, and a cabbage if they got it wrong. It was called Double or Drop if I remember rightly, I think if you dropped something you were out? I remember some kids got a Crackerjack pencil, can't remember if this was a consolation prize or a winning prize! [prizes were low in those days and you were satisfied to win the smallest of things] Everytime Eamonn said the word Crackerjack, the audience yelled it too.

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It's Friday

It's five to five

And it's CRACKERJACK!

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I never understood how Eamon Android got that job,he was totally unsuited.Gordon Brown is less wooden than him.He was a fine boxing commentator and fitted in well with 'What's my Line' and 'This is your life' but I thought he was totally miscast on a kids show.

Lelie Crowther and Charlie Drake fitted in much better IMO.

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Billy Bean and his funny machine. Had a buddy named Yoohoo the cuckoo that used to lay eggs that ran down a long chute. Had a very early etch a sketch called a cartoonerater. If I remember rightly some parents complained about it because Billy had an American accent. I suppose he would, it was a US show. Parents were afraid the kids might start talking like Yanks.

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Poohbear, I think you're right Eamonn did look a bit out of his element didn't he? Was Charlie Drake on Crackerjack?

Your memory is amazing Kath, when I read about the cabbages and Crackerjack pencils it all came back to me. I think you got the pencil if you were a runner up.

I forgot to mention that when I worked at Bilborough Library, I used to pester Mr Bartlett my boss something rotten for any other tit-bits he had on Lesley Crowther. Shame on me, on the road to being a professional, young lady yet still thinking about Crackerjack!

I remember 'Dr Who' starting around this time. I used to work at the old Central Library in town every Monday and I can't tell you the amount of qualified Librarians who used to play Daleks in the Archives!

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Hi Tony W

what a wonderful image you create with your story about the Lone Ranger visiting your local picture house, Nottm.

Sounds like the Lone Ranger was a bit of a pussy cat, paying attention to your little sisters - I expect you were over the moon.

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I don't recall Charlie Drake ever being in "Crackerjack " , reading this brief biography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Drake I can find no refference to him being on it either

He may be thinking of Peter Glaze http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Glaze

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