Playbox (1987 TV series) facts for kids

Playbox was a British television show made for very young children, usually aged 2 to 5. It was shown on ITV in the UK. The show first appeared on January 5, 1987, and its last episode aired on February 4, 1992. Playbox was created by Leslie Pitts and Anne Wood. Anne Wood had just started her company, Ragdoll Productions, which made the show. This was the first Ragdoll show to be broadcast on ITV.

What Was Playbox About?

The show took place inside a colorful box that was red, yellow, and blue. The main characters were two puppets, Cat and Dog. A person called a puppeteer, Marcus Clarke, controlled them from inside the box.

Cat and Dog would do many fun things together. They often drew pictures, told exciting stories, and sang songs. They also liked to play jokes on each other, often using silly slapstick humor. The voices for Cat and Dog were provided by Pat Coombs and Keith Chegwin. During storytime, the show sometimes featured scenes from an old French cartoon called Pepin la bulle. This cartoon used stop-motion animation.

Playbox was one of many children's shows that ITV broadcast during weekday lunchtimes. These shows usually aired between midday and 12:30 PM. Other popular shows shown around the same time included Rainbow, Rod, Jane and Freddy, Allsorts, Rosie and Jim, and The Riddlers.

The show had a total of 60 episodes over six different series. The first series in 1987 had 13 episodes. The second series in 1988 had 10 episodes. Series three in 1989 and series four in 1990 each had 10 episodes. Series five in 1991 had 9 episodes. The final series, series six in 1992, had 8 episodes before the show ended.

Episodes of Playbox

The show had many episodes, each focusing on a different topic. Here's a look at the different series and their episodes.

Series 1 (1987)

The first series introduced viewers to Cat and Dog and their adventures. Each episode explored a new theme, often involving drawing, guessing games, and watching short videos.

• "Birds" (5 January 1987)
• "Water (1)" (12 January 1987)
• "Shoes" (19 January 1987)
• "Vets" (26 January 1987)
• "Birthdays" (2 February 1987)
• "Painting" (9 February 1987)
• "Buses" (16 February 1987)
• "Trains" (23 February 1987)
• "Water (2)" (2 March 1987)
• "Cranes" (9 March 1987)
• "Shopping" (16 March 1987)
• "Playdough" (23 March 1987)
• "Hippo" (30 March 1987)
• "Clothes" (6 April 1987)
• "Pet Shop" (13 April 1987)

Series 2 (1988)

• Episode 201 (4 January 1988)
• Episode 202 (11 January 1988)
• Episode 203 (18 January 1988)
• Episode 204 (25 January 1988)
• Episode 205 (1 February 1988)
• Episode 206 (8 February 1988)
• Episode 207 (15 February 1988)
• Episode 208 (22 February 1988)
• Episode 209 (29 February 1988)
• Episode 210 (7 March 1988)

Series 3 (1989)

• Episode 301 (2 January 1989)
• Episode 302 (9 January 1989)
• Episode 303 (16 January 1989)
• Episode 304 (23 January 1989)
• Episode 305 (30 January 1989)
• Episode 306 (6 February 1989)
• Episode 307 (13 February 1989)
• Episode 308 (20 February 1989)
• Episode 309 (27 February 1989)
• Episode 310 (6 March 1989)

Series 4 (1990)

• Episode 401 (8 January 1990)
• Episode 402 (15 January 1990)
• Episode 403 (22 January 1990)
• Episode 404 (29 January 1990)
• Episode 405 (5 February 1990)
• Episode 406 (12 February 1990)
• Episode 407 (19 February 1990)
• Episode 408 (26 February 1990)
• Episode 409 (5 March 1990)
• Episode 410 (12 March 1990)

Series 5 (1991)

• Episode 501 (8 January 1991)
• Episode 502 (15 January 1991)
• Episode 503 (22 January 1991)
• Episode 504 (29 January 1991)
• Episode 505 (5 February 1991)
• Episode 506 (12 February 1991)
• Episode 507 (19 February 1991)
• Episode 508 (26 February 1991)
• Episode 509 (5 March 1991)

Series 6 (1992)

• Episode 601 (7 January 1992)
• Episode 602 (14 January 1992)
• Episode 603 (21 January 1992)
• Episode 604 (28 January 1992)
• Episode 605 (4 February 1992)