Pingwings facts for kids
Pingwings was a fun black-and-white animated TV show for kids. It had 18 short episodes, each about ten minutes long. It was shown in the UK on ITV from 1961 to 1965. Southern Television first showed it.
The show was made by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin from a company called Smallfilms. It was about a family of penguin-like creatures. They lived in a barn on a make-believe place called Berrydown Farm. Peter Firmin's wife, Joan, knitted the Pingwing characters. The show was made using a special method called stop motion. This means they took many pictures of the characters, moving them a tiny bit between each picture. When played fast, it looks like they are moving!
Some parts of the show were filmed outside. These outdoor scenes often mixed with live-action parts. These parts showed Mr. and Mrs. Farmer and Gay the Goat. This way, the Pingwing family could interact with their farm neighbors. The show was filmed right where Peter Firmin lived. He and his wife lived in an old farmhouse. Their film studio was in a barn next to it. So, all the outdoor scenes were filmed right at their home!
The show was filmed on 16mm black-and-white film. Oliver Postgate and Olwen Griffiths did all the voices for the characters. The music for the show was created by Vernon Elliot. He also performed the music with Sidney Sutcliffe.
You can find a short part of Pingwings on the CD that comes with Oliver Postgate's book about his life. All 18 episodes are also available on a DVD. You can get it from the Dragons' Friendly Society.
Contents
Episodes of Pingwings
The Pingwings TV show had three different series. Each series had six episodes.
Series One (1961)
The first series was shown from August to September in 1961.
- Episode 1: "The Happy Event"
- Episode 2: "The Ice Cream Tree"
- Episode 3: "The New House"
- Episode 4: "Baby Pingwing"
- Episode 5: "The Sorry Birds"
- Episode 6: "The Seaside"
Series Two (1962-1963)
The second series was shown from November 1962 to February 1963.
- Episode 7: "Robinson Pingwing"
- Episode 8: "The Fish"
- Episode 9: "Mrs Pingwing"
- Episode 10: "The Flying Birds"
- Episode 11: "The Rag Doll"
- Episode 12: "Visitors"
Series Three (1965)
The third series was shown from August to September in 1965.
- Episode 13: "A Game of Spoonball"
- Episode 14: "Moving House"
- Episode 15: "Buying and Selling"
- Episode 16: "Ice Cream for Tea"
- Episode 17: "A Proper Kitchen"
- Episode 18: "Mrs Pingwing's Entertainment"
Main Characters
Here are the main characters you would see in Pingwings:
Mr. Pingwing
Mr. Pingwing is the father of the family. He is shown as not always the smartest. But he loves his family very much.
Mrs. Pingwing
Mrs. Pingwing is like a typical mother figure. She often wears an apron.
Paul Pingwing
Paul is the oldest child in the Pingwing family. He is good with machines and sometimes a bit too confident. He wears a hat.
Penny Pingwing
Penny is Paul's younger sister. She also wears an apron, just like her mother.
Baby Pingwing
Baby Pingwing starts as an egg in the first episode. It hatches in episode four. This little one often gets into funny trouble.
The Pog
The Pog is a strange and wise creature. It looks a bit like a pig. Mr. Pingwing often asks the Pog for advice in later episodes.
Gay the Goat
Gay the Goat is a real, live animal character. She has a big part in episode two. In other episodes, she is often seen in the background. She is a kind goat and cannot hear very well.
