Bagpuss

[Tim Hall]

Episodes 1 and 2 of Bagpuss are available on that iPlayer, on account of it (Bagpuss, not that iPlayer) being 50 years old.

[Wowbagger]

Radio 3 played the Bagpuss theme earlier today, followed by mice singing, then someone else singing Sumer is Icumen In.

Interesting that Bagpuss is half the age of Rhapsody in Blue, which was first performed 100 years ago today. That thought makes me feel very old indeed.

Radio 3 played Rhapsody in Blue today as well, the piano solo being played by Essex Boy Benjamin Grosvenor.

[Jaded]

When I saw Bagpuss was 50 I immediately thought of a thread on here...

[Cudzoziemiec]

Radio 3 played the Bagpuss theme earlier today, followed by mice singing, then someone else singing Sumer is Icumen In.

Heard that. Entertaining.

Radio 3 played Rhapsody in Blue today as well, the piano solo being played by Essex Boy Benjamin Grosvenor.

Heard that too.

[citoyen]

The “studio” where they filmed Bagpuss (ie the Postgate family home) is less than half a mile up the road from chez moi. Really ought to have a blue plaque or something.

Radcliffe and Maconie played the wonderful The Bony King Of Nowhere on the radio on Sunday (from the Owls of Athens episode). This still makes me laugh 40-odd years later (since I first saw it, I mean - was too young to see the original broadcast).

https://youtu.be/D5DC1JWPv4Q?si=E7ev2eI76UQDb0Ho

[CAMRAMan]

I saw a stage version with my daughter at Birmingham Old Rep a decade or so ago. Very clever staging of three episodes. I used to sing 'I saw a ship a-sailing' as a lullaby to my three kids. Ivor the Engine, another Postgate beauty, is very socialist in its ethos. The Clangers space race episode is very scornful of such efforts & rightly so.

[citoyen]

Nostalgia tripping - just listened to the mice’s version of Row Your Boat as well. Everything about this is just perfect…


https://youtu.be/_4RQ_cJIy6I?feature=shared

[Cudzoziemiec]

Somehow, I never watched Bagpuss. I've no idea why. I used to love Ivor the Engine and especially the Clangers. They didn't have songs though, or not that have really stuck in my memory, although there was the Music Boat.

[citoyen]

Somehow, I never watched Bagpuss. I've no idea why. I used to love Ivor the Engine and especially the Clangers. They didn't have songs though, or not that have really stuck in my memory, although there was the Music Boat.

Ivor the Engine had incidental music (and that wonderful bassoon theme tune, of course) but no songs.

Last night I watched the two eps of Bagpuss that are currently on iPlayer. I've seen them countless times before but not recently. One thing that struck me that I've never really noticed before is how rudimentary the animation is - the stop-motion is jerky and there are lengthy scenes with no movement at all. And Bagpuss himself is the only character whose facial expression ever changes.

And yet it was still as utterly captivating as ever. It all made me very emotional.

That's the power of great storytelling, I guess.

[citoyen]

The “studio” where they filmed Bagpuss (ie the Postgate family home) is less than half a mile up the road from chez moi.

Read last night on the BBC website that it was actually filmed at the Firmins' home, which is a little bit further up the road.

Emily still lives locally - she's an artist and often takes part in local open house events. And Dan Postgate, son of Oliver and current custodian of the Small Films legacy, is a sometime pub quiz team-mate of mine.

[rogerzilla]

I didn't like Bagpuss.  I preferred The Clangers.

[Cudzoziemiec]

And Dan Postgate, son of Oliver and current custodian of the Small Films legacy, is a sometime pub quiz team-mate of mine.

That's a Random Claim to Fame for you. And no doubt to interesting stories too.

[citoyen]

I didn't like Bagpuss.  I preferred The Clangers.

Might be a generational thing. I love the Clangers but Bagpuss will always be my favourite, closely followed by Ivor the Engine.

My dad always goes on about Pogles' Wood but I don't think I've ever seen it.

[citoyen]

And Dan Postgate, son of Oliver and current custodian of the Small Films legacy, is a sometime pub quiz team-mate of mine.

That's a Random Claim to Fame for you. And no doubt to interesting stories too.

I've never talked about his dad with him but we have discussed some of his other famous relatives - such as Angela Lansbury (his own tenuous claim to fame!).

Dan's grandfather (ie Oliver's father) was Raymond Postgate, who founded the Good Food Guide (which I worked on in the late 90s/early 00s - small world!). Raymond was married to Daisy Lansbury, daughter of George Lansbury, one time leader of the Labour Party. George was Angela's grandfather.

Fascinating family all round, really.

[rogerzilla]

And Dan Postgate, son of Oliver and current custodian of the Small Films legacy, is a sometime pub quiz team-mate of mine.

That's a Random Claim to Fame for you. And no doubt to interesting stories too.

I've never talked about his dad with him but we have discussed some of his other famous relatives - such as Angela Lansbury (his own tenuous claim to fame!).

Dan's grandfather (ie Oliver's father) was Raymond Postgate, who founded the Good Food Guide (which I worked on in the late 90s/early 00s - small world!). Raymond was married to Daisy Lansbury, daughter of George Lansbury, one time leader of the Labour Party. George was Angela's grandfather.

Fascinating family all round, really.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a little girl and her name was Emily.  Then the murders began.

[T42]

Dear me. I was already married and had a son before Bagpuss began.

[Mrs Pingu]

Just watched The Owls of Athens and got quite choked up.

[mattc]

Last night I watched the two eps of Bagpuss that are currently on iPlayer. I've seen them countless times before but not recently. One thing that struck me that I've never really noticed before is how rudimentary the animation is - the stop-motion is jerky and there are lengthy scenes with no movement at all. And Bagpuss himself is the only character whose facial expression ever changes.

And yet it was still as utterly captivating as ever. It all made me very emotional.

That's the power of great storytelling, I guess.

Exactly!

The technology doesn't matter. Wallace and Gromit was leagues ahead of this and yet, recent american animations make it look prehistoric. Until you re-watch Gromit chasing the Penguin on a model train track, laying track pieces ahead of him at lightning speed ... and later you realise you've forgotten about filming technology 

[Kim]

Gromit chasing the Penguin on a model train track, laying track pieces ahead of him at lightning speed

That one's got to be in the top ten moments of cinematic history.

[Jurek]

Gromit chasing the Penguin on a model train track, laying track pieces ahead of him at lightning speed

That one's got to be in the top ten moments of cinematic history.

Along with the late Robbie Coltrane striding out across the Hope Cove breakwater with massive waves crashing across him in the film Supergrass.

[rogerzilla]

Gromit chasing the Penguin on a model train track, laying track pieces ahead of him at lightning speed

That one's got to be in the top ten moments of cinematic history.

There's a similar one where the Pink Panther is standing in the doorway of a house plummeting to earth, and calmly steps out of the door just as it impacts.  Of course, the physics behind that don't work and the Gromit physics do.

[fimm]

I remember Bagpuss and Ivor the Engine, but for some reason don't remember The Clangers - I don't know if that is because we didn't watch them or some other reason. I watched one of the Bagpuss episodes that is on iPlayer. I should go and watch the other one!

[mrcharly-YHT]

I remember Bagpuss and Ivor the Engine, but for some reason don't remember The Clangers - I don't know if that is because we didn't watch them or some other reason. I watched one of the Bagpuss episodes that is on iPlayer. I should go and watch the other one!

I'm not sure you are permitted to be a member of this forum if you haven't watched The Clangers.

[T42]

Oof. I qualify then.  I once drove MrsT round the bend by 'talking' like them for 10 minutes.

[fimm]

I'm not sure you are permitted to be a member of this forum if you haven't watched The Clangers.

:'( :'( :'( :'(