Toonhound - Bill and Ben (2001-2002)

    "Oh! - Ah! - Flobbadob-a Sherlock Holmes!"
    "Eh! - Oh! - Flobbadob-a Sam Spade!"


     Cosgrove Hall brings those "Watch With Mother" favourites, The Flowerpot
     Men back to our tv screens in this all-new stop-motion stories. The original puppet
     characters of Bill, Ben and Weed have been skilfully redesigned and modernised
     and the garden world expanded. We're now introduced to a new gang of jolly
     garden dwellers, including Slowcoach the grumpy tortoise, Pry the magpie,
     Whoops the worm, Whimsy spider, Scamper squirrel, Tad the frog, Boo the
     hedgehog and two more talking plants in the shape of terse Scot Thistle
     and aloof Rose, who dwells "over the fence" in the next door garden with
     her two "buds" ...



     "Bill and Ben" is a terrific series. Mackinnon & Saunders' models are splendid
     and they're just as splendidly well animated and voiced by "Cold Feet" star
     John Thomson, animation regular Jimmy Hibbert and Eve Karpf. Bill and Ben
     chatter away in their familiar "flobbadob" gobbledygook, only now there are
     add-ons so we have exchanges like the one at the top of this page, accompanied
     by quick shots of the potty duo in different costumes and postures. There's
     lots of witty wordplay hidden in their chatter and in their little actions, which
     suggests the filmmakers were having great fun during the production...

     The Flowerpot Men were originally created by Hilda Brabban for the BBC's
     Watch With Mother children's tv broadcasts, back in the 1950's. Hilda actually
     wrote the Flowerpot stories for her younger brothers, William and Benjamin - Bill
     and Ben. It's a popular myth that they created the word "flobbadob" when one
     of them broke wind in the bath!

     » A tie-in pop record was released  in 2002, but Flobbadance didn't reach
       the dizzy chart heights of Bob the Builder or The Tweenies...

     » After "Bill and Ben" came Cosgrove Hall's version of Andy Pandy...

    Bill or Ben?

     For those of you who might be confused, Bill sports a spotty orange bow-tie,
     whilst Ben wears a natty green version...

     In the news

    The Hound: October 2002
    Death of Bill & Ben's creator Hilda Brabban...

    The Hound: June 2002
    Bill & Ben records...

     Episode titles

   Tortoise and the Pots          One of our Spiders is Missing
     Sticky Problems                  A Picture for Slowcoach
     Litterhog                           The Singing Cobwebs
     A Night to Remember           In Search of a Lettuce
     The Great Worm Hunt          Ben has a Visitor
     Weed sees the World          Pwhoooarr!
     Here comes the Sun            Two New Flowerpot Men
    Treasure Garden                 Game for a Laugh
     A Piece Of Sky                   Around and Around
     Two Angry Men                  The Hottest Day
     Whoops takes a Trip           Tears Before Bedtime
     Whimsy the Brave               The Jumping Jar
     The Shiny Man                    Big Time Band
     Go Fly a Kite                       Slowcoach's Brother
     The Perfect Nut                  All Quiet on the Flowerpot
     Weed's Birthday                  Home Sweet Home
     Slowcoach gets Cross          Tin Can telephone
     The Big Thaw                     The Rainbow
     Bubble Trouble                    Down in the Cellar...
     The Flowerpot Band            Water Water Everywhere
     Ballon Tricks                      A Garden Gnome's Best Friend
     A Cellar full of Noise            Every Cloud Has a Silly Lining
     Meeting Lulu

     Bill and Ben on DVD

    Bill and Ben: Go Fly a Kite
                 Region 2 / six episodes / 2 Entertain / September 2008

      Bill and Ben: Here Comes the Sun
                 Region 2 / six episodes / 2 Entertain / September 2008

       Playtime (introducing Tikkabilla)
                 Two episodes are also included on this BBC compilation, together
                 with Andy Pandy, Yoho Ahoy and those Little Robots...

       director:             Tim Collings
       exec prod:         Theresa Plummer-Andrews, Neil Benedict
       music:                  Paul Taylor
       series Des
       & art director:     Bridget Appleby
       set illustrators:   Mark Stacey, Max Doig
       storyboards:       Vince James
       dop:                      John Duffy
       camera ast:         Paul Shacklady, Christophe Leignel
       senior anim:        Matt Palmer
       animators:           Duncan Kinnaird, Rob Skrzynski,
                              Allison Evans, Auston Charlesworth
       puppets:              Mackinnon & Saunders
       set managers:    Jeff Spain, Rick Kent, Richard Sykes
       prop makers:      Russell Hicks, Lucy Burscough
       voices:                John Thomson (Bill / Narrator)
                             Jimmy Hibbert (Ben)
                             Eve Karpf


     On the web

      Cosgrove Hall Films
      The official studio site....

      Mackinnon & Saunders
      And here are those puppet-makers extraordinaire...

      Cosgrove Hall Ate My Brain
      Nyanko's energetic, attractive fan site for all-things Cosgrove-related...

      index »    previous »   next »

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			Bill and Ben (2001-2002) producers: Cosgrove Hall Films for BBC Worldwide and Ben Productions animation: stop-motion animation episodes: 52 x 10mins
		"Oh! - Ah! - Flobbadob-a Sherlock Holmes!" "Eh! - Oh! - Flobbadob-a Sam Spade!" Cosgrove Hall brings those "Watch With Mother" favourites, The Flowerpot Men back to our tv screens in this all-new stop-motion stories. The original puppet characters of Bill, Ben and Weed have been skilfully redesigned and modernised and the garden world expanded. We're now introduced to a new gang of jolly garden dwellers, including Slowcoach the grumpy tortoise, Pry the magpie, Whoops the worm, Whimsy spider, Scamper squirrel, Tad the frog, Boo the hedgehog and two more talking plants in the shape of terse Scot Thistle and aloof Rose, who dwells "over the fence" in the next door garden with her two "buds" ... "Bill and Ben" is a terrific series. Mackinnon & Saunders' models are splendid and they're just as splendidly well animated and voiced by "Cold Feet" star John Thomson, animation regular Jimmy Hibbert and Eve Karpf. Bill and Ben chatter away in their familiar "flobbadob" gobbledygook, only now there are add-ons so we have exchanges like the one at the top of this page, accompanied by quick shots of the potty duo in different costumes and postures. There's lots of witty wordplay hidden in their chatter and in their little actions, which suggests the filmmakers were having great fun during the production... The Flowerpot Men were originally created by Hilda Brabban for the BBC's Watch With Mother children's tv broadcasts, back in the 1950's. Hilda actually wrote the Flowerpot stories for her younger brothers, William and Benjamin - Bill and Ben. It's a popular myth that they created the word "flobbadob" when one of them broke wind in the bath! » A tie-in pop record was released in 2002, but Flobbadance didn't reach the dizzy chart heights of Bob the Builder or The Tweenies... » After "Bill and Ben" came Cosgrove Hall's version of Andy Pandy... Bill or Ben? For those of you who might be confused, Bill sports a spotty orange bow-tie, whilst Ben wears a natty green version... In the news The Hound: October 2002 Death of Bill & Ben's creator Hilda Brabban... The Hound: June 2002 Bill & Ben records... Episode titles Tortoise and the Pots One of our Spiders is Missing Sticky Problems A Picture for Slowcoach Litterhog The Singing Cobwebs A Night to Remember In Search of a Lettuce The Great Worm Hunt Ben has a Visitor Weed sees the World Pwhoooarr! Here comes the Sun Two New Flowerpot Men Treasure Garden Game for a Laugh A Piece Of Sky Around and Around Two Angry Men The Hottest Day Whoops takes a Trip Tears Before Bedtime Whimsy the Brave The Jumping Jar The Shiny Man Big Time Band Go Fly a Kite Slowcoach's Brother The Perfect Nut All Quiet on the Flowerpot Weed's Birthday Home Sweet Home Slowcoach gets Cross Tin Can telephone The Big Thaw The Rainbow Bubble Trouble Down in the Cellar... The Flowerpot Band Water Water Everywhere Ballon Tricks A Garden Gnome's Best Friend A Cellar full of Noise Every Cloud Has a Silly Lining Meeting Lulu Bill and Ben on DVD Bill and Ben: Go Fly a Kite Region 2 / six episodes / 2 Entertain / September 2008 Bill and Ben: Here Comes the Sun Region 2 / six episodes / 2 Entertain / September 2008 Playtime (introducing Tikkabilla) Two episodes are also included on this BBC compilation, together with Andy Pandy, Yoho Ahoy and those Little Robots... director: Tim Collings exec prod: Theresa Plummer-Andrews, Neil Benedict music: Paul Taylor series Des & art director: Bridget Appleby set illustrators: Mark Stacey, Max Doig storyboards: Vince James dop: John Duffy camera ast: Paul Shacklady, Christophe Leignel senior anim: Matt Palmer animators: Duncan Kinnaird, Rob Skrzynski, Allison Evans, Auston Charlesworth puppets: Mackinnon & Saunders set managers: Jeff Spain, Rick Kent, Richard Sykes prop makers: Russell Hicks, Lucy Burscough voices: John Thomson (Bill / Narrator) Jimmy Hibbert (Ben) Eve Karpf On the web Cosgrove Hall Films The official studio site.... Mackinnon & Saunders And here are those puppet-makers extraordinaire... Cosgrove Hall Ate My Brain Nyanko's energetic, attractive fan site for all-things Cosgrove-related... index » previous » next »

© Cosgrove Hall / BBC / F2008