Little Blue   (1976)
  
    producers: Tellytales / Yorkshire / Trident TV
    animation: animatic animation
      episodes: 10min episodes

  
   "Little Blue, Little Blue,
    Why do they call you little Blue?
    Playing in his bath as some of us do,
    He bit his mummy's fountain pen and broke it in two..."
 

     Poor old Little Blue was a bright blue elephant. As the title lyrics tell us, this
     playful pachyderm was playing in his bath one day when he accidentally bit
     his mother's fountain pen in two. Here's the rest:

        "The ink it squirted in the water - wow!
         His mummy has a blue boy now..."

     The premise of the show was obviously all about fitting in. Hard enough when
     your a walking talking elephant and everyone around you is human. Harder still,
     if you're blue as well...

     Little Blue lived with his mother, Mrs Jellybun, in Meadow Cottages. He attended
     the local school with his best human friends Kipper Guppy and Agatha, and
     not-so favourite friend Geoffrey West, who antagonized Little Blue a fair bit.
     Nothing obviously cruel, he was just a little insensitive from time to time.
     The teacher, Mrs Gittings, treated Little Blue just the same as everyone
     else in her class. Little Blue himself was an exceedingly polite pachyderm,
     always minding his "P"s and "Q"s, and making sure to say his prayers before
     going to bed - Uncle Oompah wouldn't be amused if he heard about his nephew
     getting up to mischief or naughtiness. But little Blue was never particularly
     naughty, more mistaken in his efforts to do right, fit in, or correct misdeeds.

     Little Blue was created by Iris and Harold Purcell, and brought to life by
     Digby Turpin, who had been one of the design team on Halas & Batchelor's 
     classic Animal Farm. He had also previously collected a BAFTA award in
     1957 for his short animated film "Pan-tele-tron".
     
     This series is one of the true "lost gems". A show that has all-but disappeared
     from history. It doesn't appear to have been available on video at any time and
     ne'er a broadcast has been spied in over a decade...

     Litle Blue isn't the only blue elephant to have starred in a kids tv series.
     Witness that most accidental fellow, Bump. And Mumfie was a lighter
     shade of grey-blue too...

     Promos/Tie-ins

     Fans might want to search secondhand stalls and shops for copies
     of the tie-in books from Springwood Books, published in 1980. There
     were twelve in all and they featured stories by Iris and - this time - Simon
     Purcell. Each book features pictures by Digby Turpin. Here are the titles:

       Little Blue on the Moon      The Conjuring Set
       Miss Gusset's Brooch          Holiday in Switzerland
       The Gypsy Caravan            Mrs Jellybun's Cake
       The Duchess's Pictures       The Mystery Tour
       Treasure Trove                  The Quiz
       Old Fred                           The Spy

 

     Little Blue
      by Iris and Harold Purcell

     director:          Digby Turpin
     producer:         Joy Whitby
     pictures:          Digby Turpin
     music:             Mike Moran
     rostrum
      cameraman:    John Marsden
     told by:              Harold Purcell

 

     On the web


      No links right now....

 
      index »    previous »   next »