Fimbles facts for kids

Fimbles is a fun British TV show for kids. It was made by Novel Entertainment. The show had 200 episodes. It first aired from 2002 to 2004. You could also watch reruns until 2009 on CBeebies and BBC2.

The Fimbles are Fimbo, Florrie, and Baby Pom. They are magical characters who live in a bright, colorful place called Fimble Valley. This show has been shown in over 100 countries. These include the US, Canada, China, and many countries in Europe.

Discovering Fimble Valley

The show is about three magical creatures called "Fimbles." They look a bit like hippos. Actors wear fluffy suits to bring them to life. The Fimbles are all similar in shape, but they have different colors and sizes.

They explore Fimble Valley and find things using a special "sixth sense." This is called the "Fimbling Feeling."

The Tinkling Tree's Magic

When the Tinkling Tree makes its bell-like blossoms tinkle, it's a sign! The nose, fingers, or topknot of one or more Fimbles will twitch. This means they are about to find something exciting.

What they find can be many things. It might be something from nature, like a patch of sunlight. It could be an everyday object, like a tambourine. Sometimes, it's something really unusual, like a puddle of blue "goo." Whatever they discover starts a new adventure. It also inspires the Fimbles to play creatively. Other characters in the show are large puppets. They often help the Fimbles with their discoveries.

How the Fimbles Were Created

The Fimbles' unique look, with their snouts and rings, came from a book. It was called Lucy Anna and the Finders. This book was written and illustrated by Sarah Hayes. Sarah Hayes helped adapt the characters for the TV show. However, the Fimbles are much friendlier than the "Finders" in the book. The Finders in the book were always threatening to eat Lucy Anna!

Meet the Fimbles Characters

Let's meet the main characters who live in Fimble Valley!

• Fimbo - He is a yellow Fimble with green stripes. Fimbo is the oldest and tallest. He is also the only boy Fimble in the main trio. He loves to play his Shimmi Shaker and eat crumble crackers. Aidan Cook provides his voice.
• Florrie - She is a blue Fimble with purple stripes. Florrie enjoys singing songs. She is often seen with her doll, "Little One," which looks like a Fimble. Shelley Longworth and later Kate Harbour voiced her.
• Baby Pom - She is a green Fimble with pink stripes. Baby Pom is the youngest and smallest. She acts like a toddler. She usually follows the other Fimbles around. She often pushes a yellow wagon called the "Trundle Truck." Tamsin Heatley is her voice.
• Roly Mo - He is a purple and green striped mole. Roly Mo has a huge underground library. In every episode, he finds a book to share with the Fimbles. Wayne Forester is his voice.
• Rockit - He is a blue tree frog. Rockit is always hopping around. He is very curious and full of energy. Wayne Forester also voices Rockit.
• Bessie - She is a plump pink bird. Bessie lives near the waterfall with Ribble. At the end of each show, she often summarizes what the Fimbles did. In one episode, "Yodelling Echo," we learn she can yodel. Tamsin Heatley voices Bessie.
• Ribble - He is an orange male fluffball bird with a light blue beak. Ribble is Bessie's son. He makes squeaking sounds that the other characters understand. In later episodes, he was given black eyes. Tamsin Heatley also voices Ribble.

Other Fimbles Adventures

The world of Fimbles grew with other shows and projects!

The Roly Mo Show

In 2004, The Roly Mo Show started on CBeebies. This show was also made by Novel Entertainment. It starred Roly Mo and other characters, including his niece, Little Bo. The Roly Mo Show focuses on reading and books. It is an educational program.

Fimbly Songtime

A shorter version of the show, called Fimbly Songtime, also aired. It featured only the songs from the program. Sometimes, it was mistakenly listed as Fimbles Songtime.

RockIt's Pocket Radio Show

A radio series called RockIt's Pocket featured the character Rockit. It aired on the CBeebies Radio part of BBC Radio 7 (now BBC Radio 4 Extra) in 2009.

Live Stage Show

The Fimbles also had a live stage show for children. It was called Fimbles Live! - It's a Party! The famous playwright David Wood CBE created it.

Horrid Henry Connections

Horrid Henry, another show from Novel Entertainment, has often mentioned Fimbles and its characters.

Fimbles Around the World

Fimbles has been shown in many countries!

• In the Republic of Ireland, Fimbles was on Network 2 (now RTÉ2). It was part of a block of shows for younger children called The Den. It started airing on January 20, 2003.
• In Australia, Fimbles was broadcast on ABC and its digital channel ABC2. It aired from February 3, 2003, to September 30, 2008.
• Fimbles (핌블핌블) became very popular in South Korea. KBS 2TV aired the show from June 23, 2003, to October 29, 2004. A Korean version was made, which helped the show become well-liked for being fun and educational.
• In China, Fimbles (粉宝乐园) started airing on June 1, 2007. It was shown on Shanghai Media Group's children's network HAHA TV. All 200 episodes were shown in order and dubbed in Mandarin Chinese. The original show was 19 minutes long, but it was made 5 minutes longer for the Chinese audience.
• In Vietnam, since 2008, Fimbles has been part of a show called 5 Minutes to Learn English Everyday. This show helps kids learn English. It was also a separate show called Những chú heo con Fimbles on VBC.
• From June 2008, the show was also broadcast in India by Tata Sky DTH. It was on their version of the CBeebies channel.
• In Colombia, it was broadcast by Señal Colombia from 2004 to 2007.
• In New Zealand, the show was played on TV2.
• In South Africa, Fimbles started airing on SABC 1.
• In Singapore, it was broadcast by Central on their children's block Kids Central. It aired from 2003 to 2006 and then on Okto in 2011.
• In Hong Kong, the series was shown on TVB Pearl.
• In Malta, Fimbles aired on TVM.
• In Thailand, the English version of the series was broadcast on Thai cable television TrueVisions (formerly UBC). It was on their children's network UBC Spark.
• The show has aired on Bang Bang in Albania. It is called "Fimbëllsat" there. Reruns continued to air as recently as 2020. It is dubbed in Albanian.

Awards and Recognition

Fimbles was recognized for its quality in children's television.

• BAFTA Children's Awards 2003
  • It was nominated for Best Pre-school Live Action Series.
• BAFTA Children's Awards 2004
  • It was nominated again for Best Pre-school Live Action Series.

Fun Facts About Fimbles

Here are some interesting tidbits about the show!

• Roly Mo once appeared on The Weakest Link, a British game show. This was a special episode with puppets. He was voted off in the 5th round. He joked that he spent too much time reading books and needed to watch more good TV. Even though he lost, he said the Fimbles would still see him as a winner because "it was the taking part that mattered." The host, Anne Robinson, also asked Roly Mo how annoying the Fimbles were! At the request of the audience, Roly Mo and the other puppets sang the song "When you take a look inside a Book."
• Sometimes, Fimbles included a small joke for adults watching with their children. For example, when Ribble got sticky paper on his beak, Bessie exclaimed, "Ribble, Ribble, your face is a mess!" This was a clever reference to the lyrics of the David Bowie song "Rebel Rebel."

See also

In Spanish: Fimbles para niños