Ragtime (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ragtime |
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| Genre | Children's television series |
| Created by | Michael Cole |
| Presented by | Fred Harris Maggie Henderson |
| Theme music composer | Peter Gosling and Michael Cole |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Cynthia Felgate |
| Running time | 14 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Monaural sound |
| Original release | 3 October 1973 – 16 March 1975 |
Ragtime was a fun British TV show made for children. It was created by Michael Cole. The show was first shown on BBC1 in 1973. It was all about playing with words, singing songs, telling stories, and featuring lots of friendly puppets!
Contents
What Was Ragtime About?
Ragtime was a popular children's TV series. It was presented by Maggie Henderson and Fred Harris. Each episode was about 14 minutes long. The show aimed to entertain and teach young viewers.
Characters and Puppets
A special green "Ragtime Bag" was a big part of the show. Many puppets would appear from inside it. These puppets were made by Joanne Cole. Some of them were simple wooden spoons with faces drawn on them.
Spoon Puppets
The spoon puppets had funny names related to food. They included:
- Mr Porridge
- Mr Curry
- Mr Jelly
- Miss Sponge
- Mrs Custard
- Uncle Casserole
- Mrs Ragamuffin
Other Puppet Friends
Besides the spoon puppets, other regular puppet characters appeared. These included:
- Dax and Sniff, who were both dog puppets.
- Humbug, a tiger puppet.
- Bubble, a toy shaped like a cushion.
Music and Awards
The music for Ragtime was very important. It was created by Peter Gosling and Dave Moses. Their songs helped make the show lively and fun.
Award-Winning Show
In 1973, Ragtime won a special award. It received a Society of Film and Television Award. This award is now known as a BAFTA. It was given for being the "Best Children's Programme." This showed how much people loved the show.
Where Are the Episodes Now?
Ragtime had two seasons with a total of 26 episodes. Sadly, it is hard to watch the show today. No episodes are available on DVD.
Lost Episodes
Only eight of the 26 episodes still exist in the BBC's archives. This is because many TV shows from the 1970s had their master tapes erased. This happened in the early 1990s to save space. Because of this, most of the Ragtime episodes are now lost.
Books and Records
Even though the episodes are hard to find, fans could enjoy Ragtime in other ways. A book and a record were made when the show was on TV. These allowed children to enjoy the stories and songs at home.
