The Woodentops is a children's television series first shown on BBC Television in 1955. Created by Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird, it featured on the Friday edition of Watch with Mother and regularly repeated until 1973. The main characters are the members of a family living on a farm. The aim of the programme was to teach pre-school children about family life.
Puppet characters
- Daddy Woodentop
- Mummy Woodentop
- Jenny Woodentop
- Willy Woodentop
- Baby Woodentop
- Spotty Dog ("the very biggest spotty dog you ever did see")
The children, Jenny and Willy, were twins. They spoke, walked and did many things together.
Other characters included:
- Mrs Scrubbitt (who comes to help Mrs Woodentop)
- Sam Scrubbitt (who helps Daddy Woodentop with the animals)
- Buttercup the Cow
Cast
- Scripts and music: Maria Bird
- Puppeteers: Audrey Atterbury, Molly Gibson and Gordon Murray
- Voices: Eileen Browne, Josephina Ray, Peter Hawkins
- Designs: Barbara Jones
Episodes
Series (1955-1956)
Production
The Woodentops was filmed in a tin shed at the BBC's Lime Grove Studios.
The Official BBC Children in Need Medley
In 2009, The Woodentops appeared in The Official BBC Children in Need Medley music video which reached No.1 in the UK Singles Chart. Jenny and Willy Woodentop appeared in the video; Jenny also appears on the front cover of the CD and DVD.