Pinky and Perky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pinky and Perky |
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Pinky and Perky as they appeared on their original BBC TV show
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| Genre | Children's television series |
| Created by |
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| Presented by |
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| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production company(s) | Thames Television (1968–1972) |
| Distributor | BBC Television (1957–1968), ITV (1968–1972) |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 (1957–1968), ITV (1968–1972) |
| Picture format | 405 lines (1957–1969) PAL (576i) (1969–1972) |
| Audio format | Monaural |
Pinky and Perky is a fun children's television series that first aired on BBC TV in 1957. It was later brought back in 2008 as a cool computer-animated show. The series stars two famous pig puppets, Pinky and Perky, who became very popular for their unique singing voices.
Contents
Meet Pinky and Perky: The Original Show
The main characters are two pig puppets named Pinky and Perky. They were almost called Pinky and Porky! But there was a problem registering the name "Porky." The wife of their producer, Margaret Potter, came up with "Pinky and Perky" one night.
Who Created Pinky and Perky?
These pig puppets were created by Czechoslovakian immigrants Jan and Vlasta Dalibor. They chose pigs because pigs are a symbol of good luck in their home country. The puppets themselves had very simple movements. Pinky usually wore red clothes, and Perky wore blue. On old black-and-white TVs, it was hard to tell them apart, so Perky often wore a hat.
How Did They Get Their Famous Voices?
Pinky and Perky were known for their super high-pitched voices. This was done by recording voices and then playing them back at double speed! The real singing voices were done by Mike Sammes. He would sing the songs slowly, and the music would play at half speed. When played back at normal speed, everything sounded fast and high-pitched. This is why people sometimes say "Pinky and Perky speed" when a record is played too fast. They often sang cover versions of popular songs. They also had their own theme song called "We Belong Together."
What Was Their TV Show Like?
Pinky and Perky had their own pretend TV station called "PPC TV." Their show included funny sketches where they often played pranks on human actors. One actor, John Slater, worked with them for many years. He would often get sprayed with water pistols! Other human friends on the show included Roger Moffat and Jimmy Thompson.
Who Else Was on the Show?
Besides Pinky and Perky, the show featured other puppet characters. These included the Beakles, who were bird puppets that made fun of the Beatles. There was also Topo Gigio, a mouse puppet, and a female pig puppet. Other animal puppets included Ambrose Cat, Basil Bloodhound, and Vera Vixen.
Pinky and Perky's Big Appearances
Pinky and Perky didn't just have their own show. They also appeared as guests on other popular TV programs. They even showed up on Sunday Night at the London Palladium. They also visited the United States and were on The Ed Sullivan Show several times. One famous appearance was in 1964, when they shared the stage with the Beatles!
Where Did Pinky and Perky Air?
The pig puppets starred in shows like Pinky and Perky's Pop Parade and Pinky and Perky's Island. They were on the BBC for 11 years until 1968. Then, they moved to ITV until 1972. In these later shows, there were no human actors or stories. The puppets would just lip-sync and dance to popular songs. Each episode would end with them singing "Thank U Very Much" by the Scaffold.
Pinky and Perky: New Adventures
The characters made a short comeback in the 1990s in a children's series called The Pig Attraction. There was also a children's annual book in the 1960s about their adventures.
The New Pinky and Perky Show (2008)
A brand new Pinky and Perky Show started in November 2008 on CBBC. This version used CGI animation. There were 52 episodes, each lasting 13 minutes. Some old characters, like Vera Vixen, returned. Vera often tried to trick the pigs. Morton Frog also came back, working in the control room.
New Friends and Fun Guests
The new show also introduced many new characters. These included K.T. the studio manager cat and Wilberforce the tortoise security guard. There were also two poodle receptionists, Tara and Tamara, who always got Pinky and Perky's names wrong! The show also featured special "celebrity" guests. Many of these guests were funny spoofs of famous characters, like "Dr. Roo" (a parody of Doctor Who) and "Harry Trotter" (a spoof of Harry Potter).
Pinky and Perky on DVD
A DVD of the new CGI series was released in 2009. It was called Licence to Swill and included eight episodes from the show.
Pinky and Perky in Comics
A comic strip based on the TV series was drawn by Jim Turnbull.
Pinky and Perky Music Releases
Pinky and Perky released many songs and albums over the years. They put out singles, which are usually just one or two songs, and also EPs (Extended Plays) and LPs (Long Plays), which are full albums.
Some Popular Songs by Pinky and Perky
- "Tom Dooley" (1958)
- "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On The Bedpost Overnight?)" (1959)
- "The Ugly Duckling" (1960)
- "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (1961)
- "When The Saints Go Marching In" (1963)
- "Winnie The Pooh" (1966)
- "Yellow Submarine" (1968)
- "I Wanna Be Like You" (1970)
- "Everything Is Beautiful" (1973)
- "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" (1973)
