Bosco (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bosco |
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Bosco
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| Created by | Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) |
| Starring | Bosco |
| Country of origin | Ireland |
| No. of episodes | 386 |
| Release | |
| Original network | RTÉ2 |
| Original release | 4 June 1979 – 1987 |
Bosco was a super popular Irish children's TV show from the late 1970s and 1980s. It was made by RTÉ in Ireland. The main star was a friendly puppet named Bosco, who had bright red hair and a very squeaky voice!
The show first aired in 1979 and ran for 386 episodes until 1987. After that, it was repeated daily for many years, even appearing before The Den. Bosco's name was chosen by Helen Quinn, whose sister Marian Richardson was one of the show's presenters.
Contents
What Was Bosco About?
The show starred Bosco, a small red-haired puppet who was supposedly five years old. Bosco had bright red cheeks and a very squeaky voice. Bosco and the presenters usually spoke English. However, to help young children learn Irish, Bosco often used Irish phrases. This was a bit like how Dora the Explorer uses Spanish words.
Bosco lived in a brightly painted wooden box. The name "Bosco" comes from the Irish word "bosca," which means "box." Bosco didn't often leave the box. But sometimes, Bosco would go on exciting trips. These trips included places like Dublin Zoo or the HB Ice Cream factory.
Fun Animations and Stories
The show also featured many other fun parts. There were various short animations, often made using stop-motion animation. This is a cool way to make things look like they are moving.
- The Plonsters were little plasticine creatures. They were always getting into fights or trying to trick each other.
- Faherty's Garden was another animation. It starred a dog named Faherty. He was often bothered by a crow magician named Cornelius. Cornelius would sometimes turn purple by mistake!
- Freddy the Fox had many different characters. These included Fiachra the Frog, Gregory Grainog, and Sile Seilide.
- There was also a cartoon about a strange potato family called The McSpuds. They lived in a supermarket. At night, the potato children, Sheila and Seamus, would run around and cause mischief.
- The Tongue Twister Twins also appeared regularly. These animations were created by Jim Quin from Thurles, County Tipperary.
The show also had "make and do" segments. These were like arts and crafts sessions. Kids could learn how to make things, similar to the BBC show Blue Peter. Every show also included a story-time and a song.
Who Were the Presenters?
Many different people presented the Bosco show over the years. Here are some of them:
- Paul Burton
- David Byrne
- Peter Fitzgerald
- Mary Garrioch
- Susie Kennedy
- Gert Kerrigan
- Marcus O'Higgins
- Marian Richardson
- Jonathan Ryan
- Frank Twomey
- Philip Tyler
- Gráinne Uí Mhaitiú
The Magic Door
Each episode had a special part called "The Magic Door." This was where the presenters would show footage from different places. The presenter would pretend to step through a magical door. Before showing the footage, they would say a special rhyme:
Knock knock, open wide,
see what's on the other side,
Knock knock, any more,
come with me through the Magic Door.
Another song that was often featured at the end of the show was:
Tidy up goodbye, goodbye,
put everything back in its box,
see you soon goodbye, goodbye
and remember now you're the tops
Bosco Beyond TV
Bosco was so popular that it appeared in other ways too!
- In 1983, Bosco released a music album called "This is Where I Live (Bosco Sings!)". It was very popular and reached number two on the Irish music charts that Christmas.
- Later, DVDs with Bosco episodes were released. The first one came out in 2005, and a second one followed in 2006.
- A CD called "Bosco - Songs & Stories" was also released in 2006. It had many of Bosco's favorite songs.
- In 2007, the phone company Vodafone even used "Bosco is back" as a theme for their Christmas advertising!
Recent Appearances
Even after the show ended, Bosco has made special appearances:
- Bosco appeared on The Late Late Toy Show in 2013 with Ryan Tubridy.
- Bosco also performed a song on The Late Late Show in December 2014.
