Basil Brush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Basil Brush
First appearance	The Three Scampies (1962)
Created by	Ivan Owen Peter Firmin
Portrayed by	Ivan Owen (1962–2000) Michael Winsor (2002–present)
Information
Aliases	Basil Yang
Species	Fox puppet
Gender	Male
Nationality	British

Basil Brush is a famous fictional red fox puppet from British children's television. He's known for his funny appearances on TV shows, in cartoons, and even in comic strips. Basil has been entertaining families since the 1960s and is still popular today!

He's a bit of a cheeky character and loves to tell stories. Basil is most famous for his catchphrase: "Ha Ha Ha! Boom! Boom!" He uses it whenever he finds something really funny. He also speaks with a "posh" accent and calls himself a "fella." Basil jokes that he doesn't like other puppets, and his most prized possession is his tail, which is called a "brush" for a fox.

Basil Brush's Early Days (1963-1980s)

The first Basil Brush puppet was created by Peter Firmin in 1963 for an ITV show. Ivan Owen was the person who performed and voiced Basil until he passed away in 2000. Ivan Owen kept himself out of the spotlight. This helped make Basil seem like a real fox, because viewers never saw the person controlling him. Ivan Owen based Basil's voice on a famous actor named Terry-Thomas, giving Basil a very fancy way of speaking.

Basil first appeared on TV in 1962 in a show called The Three Scampies. It was about a circus act that was out of work. Ivan Owen brought Basil to life, and another person, Wally Whyton, voiced a Scottish hedgehog puppet named Spike McPike.

In the mid-1960s, Basil became a helper for the magician David Nixon. Basil was so good at making people laugh that he often stole the show! Because of his popularity, Basil was offered his very own TV series.

The Original Basil Brush Show

The Basil Brush Show ran for 12 years, from 1968 to 1980. Basil had different human co-stars, who were often called "Mr. Rodney," "Mr. Derek," or "Mr. Roy." By the mid-1970s, the show was watched by whole families. It was usually shown on BBC1 on Saturday evenings. The humor was clever and sometimes included jokes about current events, which made it popular with both kids and adults.

The show was filmed in front of a live audience. It usually lasted about 25 minutes. A typical show started with Basil and his human friend telling jokes. Then, they would perform a funny sketch, often about a popular topic. After that, a guest singer or music group would perform. Many famous singers wanted to be on the show because so many people watched it! Sometimes, the guest would even sing a funny duet with Basil.

The show always ended with "storytime." Basil's human friend would try to read a story about one of Basil's made-up relatives, like "Bulldog" Basil or "Blast-Off" Basil. But Basil would constantly interrupt with jokes and funny comments. He even had a little wind-up dog named Little Ticker that would do silly tricks to distract everyone! Each story ended on a cliffhanger, and Basil would say his catchphrase, leading into a final song as the credits rolled.

The show was cancelled in 1980 after a disagreement about its broadcast time. However, Basil soon returned to TV. In 1982, he appeared in Let's Read With Basil Brush, a show for schools on ITV. He later came back to the BBC as a co-host for the popular children's show Crackerjack in 1983–84.

Basil also performed live in Christmas plays called pantomimes. He often starred alongside famous singers or comedians. He even had his own cartoon strip in a children's magazine called TV Comic.

Basil's Comeback (2002-2007)

After Ivan Owen passed away, Basil Brush made a big comeback in 2002. A new performer, Michael Winsor, brought Basil back to life in a new sitcom called The Basil Brush Show. His new human friend was Mr. Stephen, played by Christopher Pizzey.

In this new show, Basil even had a family! He had a wild but cute nephew named Bingo and a mischievous cousin named Mortimer. New friends like Dave, Molly, and Liam also joined the fun. Famous people like Eamonn Holmes and Ainsley Harriott sometimes made guest appearances. Unlike the original show, this new version used a laugh track instead of a live audience.

The new Basil puppet looked a bit different from the original. While he still spoke very well, his voice was not exactly the same as Ivan Owen's. Basil often broke the "fourth wall" in the show. This means he would sometimes talk directly to the audience or make jokes about being on a TV set.

Preserving Basil's History

In 2016, the British Film Institute announced that old episodes of The Basil Brush Show from the 1970s and 80s would be saved and made digital. This is important because many of the old tapes were getting damaged and might have become unplayable. This way, future generations can still enjoy Basil's classic shows!

Other Fun Appearances

Basil Brush has appeared in many other shows and events over the years!

The Goodies

Basil appeared in two episodes of a comedy show called The Goodies. In one episode, he was part of a fox hunting scene. In another, he was even a member of a "Puppet Government"!

Comic Relief Songs

Basil joined other celebrities on the 1993 Comic Relief song "Stick It Out" with the band Right Said Fred. He also had a cameo in the music video for the Comic Relief song "I would roll 500 miles."

Blue Peter

Basil briefly presented parts of the popular children's TV show Blue Peter in 2003, where he had his own joke section. He also made a guest appearance on the show in 2010.

The Weakest Link

In 2005, Basil appeared on the game show The Weakest Link and actually won! He won £10,900 for his chosen charity, the Blue Peter 2005 charity appeal. This made him the first puppet ever to win the show! He returned to the show in 2006 for its 1000th UK episode and made it to the final round again.

Pantomime Star

Basil Brush has starred in many Christmas pantomimes, including Cinderella in 2007 and 2010, and Beauty and the Beast in 2014. He often encourages the audience to shout "Boom Boom Basil!" after his famous catchphrase. He also appeared in Dick Whittington in 2018 and Cinderella again in 2020.

Basil's Swap Shop

In 2007, the BBC announced that Basil would co-host a new version of the classic show Swap Shop with Barney Harwood. The new series was called Basil's Swap Shop.

Other TV Shows

Basil has made guest appearances on many other popular TV shows, including:

• Fantasy Football League (1993)
• The Generation Game (around 1973 and again in 2018)
• French & Saunders (2003, for Comic Relief)
• Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation (Australian game show, 2010)
• Celebrity Juice (2011)
• ITV News (2012, for Text Santa charity)
• Let's Dance for Comic Relief (2013)
• Good Morning Britain (2015 and 2018)
• Pointless Celebrities (2015 and 2016)
• The Last Leg (2016 and 2021)
• The Chase (2017), where he won £8,000 for charity!
• Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two (2018)
• Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2021)
• Hypothetical (2021)