Happy Families (1989 TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Happy Families
Starring	Tamsin Heatley Richard Hope
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	12
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC1
Original release	17 August 1989 (1989-08-17) – 18 December 1990 (1990-12-18)

Happy Families is a fun British children's TV show from the late 1980s. It's based on the popular Happy Families books by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. The show ran for two series, with a total of 12 stories, each split into two episodes. You could watch it on Children's BBC in 1989 and 1990.

What is Happy Families About?

Each story in Happy Families introduces you to a different family. These families usually have a father, mother, son, and daughter, but sometimes the family members are a bit different! The show is known for its clever stories and funny characters.

The same actors played many different roles throughout the series. This means you might see the same actor playing a new character in almost every episode! Some of the main actors who appeared often included Milton Johns, Annette Badland, and Elizabeth Estensen.

Meet the Cast

Many talented actors brought the Happy Families characters to life. Here are some of them and a few of the roles they played:

• Milton Johns played characters like Mr Clarence Creep, Mr Ding, and Mr Alphonso.
• Annette Badland was Mrs Wobble the Waitress, Mrs Plug the Plumber, and Mrs Lather.
• Elizabeth Estensen appeared as Mrs Clara Creep, Mrs Tick the Teacher, and Miss Trump.
• Richard Hope took on roles such as Mr Tick, PC Arntby, Mr Bun, and Captain Salt.
• Tamsin Heatley played Mrs Jump, Mrs Bop, Mrs Brick, and Mrs Salt.
• Martyn Ellis was Mr Biff, Mr Money, Blackbeard, and Teddy the Chef. Martyn also wrote original songs for the show!
• London Kim played Master Money, Master Salt, and Teddy Tick.
• Ben Thomas appeared as Mr Wobble, Mr Brick, Mr Bop, and Mr Toad.

Episodes List

The Happy Families series had two seasons, each with six unique stories. Each story was told over two episodes, making a total of 24 episodes.

Series One (1989)

The first series aired in 1989 and featured these exciting stories:

• "Mrs Wobble the Waitress"
• "Mr Tick the Teacher"
• "Mr Creep the Crook"
• "Master Bun the Baker's Boy"
• "Mrs Plug the Plumber"
• "Mr and Mrs Hay the Horse"

Series Two (1990)

The second series followed in 1990 with more adventures:

• "Mrs Lather's Laundry"
• "Master Salt the Sailors' Son"
• "Miss Brick the Builders' Baby"
• "Master Money the Millionaire"
• "Mr Biff the Boxer"
• "Miss Jump the Jockey"