Puddle Lane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Puddle Lane |
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The Logo for the TV series
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| Developed by | Yorkshire Television |
| Country of origin | England |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV (Yorkshire Television) |
| Original release | 3 October 1985 – 13 April 1989 |
Puddle Lane (also known as Tales from Puddle Lane) was a popular English children's TV show from the 1980s. It was made for younger kids, especially those learning to read. The show featured a friendly Magician and his dragon friend, Toby, who told animated stories.
The TV series also led to a long series of early reader books. These books, also called Puddle Lane, helped many children learn to read. They were published by Ladybird Books.
Contents
The Puddle Lane TV Show
The Puddle Lane TV show was created by Yorkshire Television in Leeds, England. It was shown on ITV channels across the UK. The show first aired in 1985 and continued until 1989. It took the place of another children's series called Mooncat & Co..
The main characters in the show were the Magician and a special creature called Toby. Toby was a Spell Dragon. The Magician was played by Neil Innes, who also wrote music for the show. Toby's voice was provided by Richard Robinson.
The Magician would tell stories to Toby in a very unique way. He would move his finger around in a puddle of water. Sometimes he used a bird bath if he was outside. As he moved his finger, pictures would appear in the water, bringing the stories to life.
The Magician also had a talking cauldron inside his house. Outside, he had a talking water barrel. These magical items could speak and interact with the characters. The stories the Magician told were shown as fun animated cartoons. These animations were narrated by Kate Lee, who also played a small character named Aunt Flo. The Magician lived in a big house right at the end of Puddle Lane, which is how the show got its name.
Why Neil Innes Joined Puddle Lane
In 2014, Neil Innes talked about how he became involved with Puddle Lane. He explained that it wasn't something he planned. He said that sometimes in life, opportunities just appear.
After working on a film called The Rutles film, things became difficult with publishers. Neil Innes wanted to get away from that stress. Then, a friend from art school, who was now a producer at Yorkshire Television, called him. She asked if he would like to work on a reading program called Puddle Lane.
Neil Innes liked the idea. He felt tired of the music business at that time. So, he decided to join the Puddle Lane team.
When Puddle Lane Aired
Puddle Lane was broadcast in several series over four years. Here's when each series was shown:
- Series 1: 26 episodes, from October 3, 1985, to May 1, 1986.
- Series 2: 26 episodes, from October 16, 1986, to April 23, 1987.
- Series 3: 24 episodes, from October 29, 1987, to April 21, 1988.
- Series 4: 26 episodes, from October 6, 1988, to April 13, 1989.
Where Puddle Lane Was Shown Around the World
Puddle Lane was not only popular in England. It was also shown in other countries:
Australia
- ABC TV
Brunei
- RTB
The Puddle Lane Books
A large series of books was created based on the Puddle Lane TV show. There were 54 main books, plus two extra ones. These books were published by Ladybird Books. The stories in the books were based on the animated tales from the TV show. They were written by Sheila McCullagh.
Different artists drew the pictures for the books. Some of these artists included Tony Morris and Gavin Rowe.
Learning to Read with Puddle Lane Books
The Puddle Lane books were designed to help children learn to read. They were divided into five different sets, called "stages." Each set had a different colored cover.
- Stage 1 books were the easiest to read.
- Stage 5 books were the most challenging.
For the younger readers, the books had a special feature. The left page of the book would have the full story. This part was meant for a parent or adult to read aloud. The right page had a simpler version of the same story. This simplified text was for the child to read on their own.
Sadly, these popular books are no longer being printed today.
Other Puddle Lane Fun
Besides the TV show and books, there were other Puddle Lane items available. These included:
- Audio tapes that went along with the books.
- Jigsaw puzzles.
- Dominoes.
- Picture word cards to help with reading.
- Educational products like The Magician's Activity Book.
- The Griffle's Activity Book.
- A Puddle Lane Fun Frieze (a long decorative picture).
