Mooncat facts for kids
Mooncat was a fun puppet character. As his name tells you, he was a cat who came from the moon! He was on ITV television from 1981 to 1985. Mooncat starred in two shows: Get Up and Go! and Mooncat and Co. These shows were made by Yorkshire Television.
A talented person named David Claridge created Mooncat. He also designed the puppet and was the first to operate and voice him. David Claridge later created another famous puppet, Roland Rat.
Learning with Mooncat: Get Up and Go!
The TV show Get Up and Go! was hosted by Beryl Reid and Stephen Boxer. In this series, Mooncat learned all about life on Earth. The show taught kids about many things. These included shapes, how things move, being careful, and taking turns.
The show often featured Beryl and Stephen explaining everyday topics to Mooncat. They would watch a short film about the subject on Mooncat's special "Moon Machine." This machine had screens in different shapes: round, square, or triangle.
After this, there was usually a story about a little girl named Billie. Her toys would magically come to life! These toys included Woodley the dog, Monkey, Mrs. Pinkerton-Trunks the elephant, and Mr. Milford Haven the lion. Beryl Reid usually told these stories. Sometimes, Stephen Boxer would narrate, playing dramatic piano music like in old movies.
Each episode ended with a song. Stephen Boxer composed the music and played it on his guitar. At first, Beryl, Stephen, and Mooncat all lived in the same house. Later, Stephen moved to work at a playgroup. He still helped host the show and talked about his work there. Short films would show what he was doing at the playgroup.
- Series 1: 27 episodes – from April 9, 1981, to December 24, 1981
- Series 2: 20 episodes – from February 25, 1982, to July 8, 1982
- Series 3: 9 episodes – from January 6, 1983, to March 3, 1983
New Adventures: Mooncat and Co
In June 1984, the show changed its format. Beryl Reid left the series. David Claridge also left because he was now busy voicing and operating Roland Rat for the new TV-am channel. Christopher Leith took over as the puppeteer and voice for Mooncat. Christopher Leith later worked on the famous film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Because of these changes, the show's name became Mooncat and Co. Stephen and Mooncat now lived in a junk shop that Stephen ran. The "Moon Machine" was no longer used. Mooncat started having more contact with the outside world. For example, they would go on trips to buy things for the show, like a telephone or a new carpet.
A different guest star joined Stephen and Mooncat in each episode. These guests included famous people like Pam Ayres, Patsy Rowlands, Wilf Lunn, and Kenny Lynch. One very memorable guest was Pat Coombs, who played a police officer (WPC). The stories were still written by Shirley Isherwood. These new stories featured different characters each week, though some, like Robert and his pet alien Grimond, appeared regularly.
Stephen Boxer eventually left the show. He was replaced by Berni Flint, a finalist from the TV show Opportunity Knocks. Stephen's face stayed in the opening credits, and the storyline explained his long absence. The series ended on September 26, 1985. This was partly because fewer people were watching after Stephen left. Stephen did not want to return or make more episodes in 1986, so the Mooncat character was stopped completely. Just one week later, a new show called Puddle Lane replaced Mooncat and Co.
- Series 1: 25 episodes – from July 5, 1984, to December 20, 1984
- Series 2: 7 episodes – from March 14, 1985, to April 25, 1985
Both Mooncat series were written by Rick Vanes.
See also
In Spanish: ITV Yorkshire para niños
