Rag, Tag and Bobtail facts for kids

Rag, Tag and Bobtail was a popular BBC children's television show. It aired from 1953 to 1965. The show was part of a special weekly series called Watch with Mother.

The stories for the show were written by Louise Cochrane. Freda Lingstrom and David Boisseau produced the series. Different people like Charles E. Stidwell helped tell the stories.

What Was Rag, Tag and Bobtail?

Rag, Tag and Bobtail was a gentle and simple show for young children. It was shown every Thursday. The show was known for its calm stories and friendly characters.

Meet the Characters

The show had three main characters. They were Rag, Tag, and Bobtail.

• Rag was a cute hedgehog.
• Tag was a small mouse.
• Bobtail was a friendly rabbit.

Sometimes, five baby rabbits would also appear in the stories. All the characters were special glove puppets. This means someone put their hand inside them to make them move. Sam and Elizabeth Williams created and moved these puppets.

The Stories and Episodes

The stories in Rag, Tag and Bobtail were very simple. They often showed the characters doing everyday things. There were no special catchphrases, but many people still remember the show fondly.

A total of 26 episodes were made. Each episode was about 12 minutes long. What's cool is that each episode was filmed in one go, without stopping! Two of these episodes were never shown on TV.

A Memorable Moment

In 1987, the BBC released a video of Watch With Mother shows. One episode of Rag, Tag and Bobtail was included. In this story, Bobtail found the baby rabbits playing in a muddy puddle. They had turned completely black from the mud! Bobtail tried to clean them, but couldn't. Luckily, the mud eventually washed off.

When Did It End?

The show stopped airing new episodes in 1965. Its repeat showings also ended in December of that year. Another show called Tales of the Riverbank took its place.