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     Amos and Edna Pogle made their home within the stump of a knotty, hollow tree.
     They were little woodland people, friendly earthy folk, tilling the soil and at one
     with their surroundings and with the other woodland creatures like their friend
     The Hedgepig. They  weren't specifically magical, but magic came to visit them
     in the form of Pippin, son of the King Of The Fairies who was found in a cot on
     the Pogles' doorstep and became their adopted son. There was also a living
     stuffed toy squirrel-creature called Tog and the storytelling Plant just outside 
     the Pogles' front door who thrived on their bilberry wine. And then, why, in the
     first series there was the splendidly evil Witch who wanted the Pogles' magical
     crown for her own and who would adopt many magical guises to get it...

     Here was another perfectly realised world from the SmallFilms partnership
     of Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. Indeed that original series of The Pogles
     was so well realised that the BBC took offence at the fearful antics of the Witch.
     As Oliver tells us on the Pogles web site and in his splendid autobiography
     Seeing Things (PanMacmillan), the first series was only ever shown once on tv,
     and has since been consigned to the BBC vaults...    

     With the Witch now gone, the subsequent two series, now titled Pogles Wood
     was a hit with the BBC and these films were broadcast ad-infinitum as part of that
     enduring Watch With Mother TV slot. The characters also appeared in their very
     own Pogles Annuals (1967 - 1974) and Pippin comic strips. The annuals featured
     specially commissioned new colour photos of the puppets, whilst those Pippin
     covers were graced with beautiful Pogles artwork...

     The Pogles films are still extraordinarily watchable today, but your chances of
     seeing them are slim in spite of the renewed and continued interest in those
     other SmallFilms classics, Bagpuss, The Clangers, Ivor The Engine and Noggin
     The Nog. Maybe it's because they were filmed in black and white and hence not
     considered suitable for modern broadcasting, or quite as marketable? Indeed,
     Mr and Mrs Pogle have been off our screens for nigh-on thirty years. How
     shameful, because colour-or-no, the woodland world of The Pogles is just as
     magical as Emily's Shop or the legendary Northlands as you'll discover if
     you stop by The Dragons Friendly Society web site. These folks are keeping
     the Pogles' stove burning bright with their video releases, NFT screening events
     and more. Let's hope they can stir the TV executives into action...

     Tog-tastic!

     Oliver Postgate sought inspiration for The Pogles in the gnarled beech trees
     behind his home, The Old Red Lion Pub down near Canterbury, back in the
     early 1960s...

     Many can recall Plant's tales about The Pipe-Cleaner Family, although in
     actuality they only ever featured in four episodes. The figures were constructed
     by Peter Firmin's wife Joan...

     Plant's other tales included a series of 'documentary' shorts with umbrella
     trees, farmers, carpenters and soldiers and such. These 'real-life' people were
     cast directly from Oliver and Peter's close family of siblings and associates...
     
 

      made by SmallFilms

      stories by Oliver Postgate
      puppets and pictures by Peter Firmin
      
      music:       Vernon Elliot
      told by:     Olwen Griffiths
                    Steve Woodman
                    Oliver Postgate 

 

     On the web


       Pogles Wood 
       http://www.pogleswood.org
       This here is the official Pogles site from The Dragons Friendly Society
       and it's a gem. You'll find info on the stories, behind-the-scenes photos
       and information on the restoration. A simple site format belies the depth
       of information on offer. Smallfilms fans rejoice!
       
       Jenny's Pogles Wood Page
       http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Park/9634/
       'Jenny's Pogles Wood Page' has been online for eons and has served its
       purpose very well. Jenny runs through the series background and features
       WAV files for the show's intro and ending. All images, bar one,  are
       illustrations borrowed from a 1969 Pippin annual....

      Jedi's Paradise
      http://www.jedisparadise.co.uk/
      And lookee here now, Jedi Man presents us with photos and details
      of Oliver and Peter's Pogles-related visit to the NFT back in 2001...


 
                 index »    previous »   next »         SmallFilms - - - - - - - - - - - - - Toon Gods - Oliver P. - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bagpuss The Clangers Ivor The Engine Noggin The Nog Pingwings Pogles Wood