Sam on Boffs' Island facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sam on Boffs' Island |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Schools programme |
| Starring | Tony Robinson |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Picture format | PAL (576i) ?? |
| Audio format | Monaural sound |
| Original release | 18 September 1972 |
Sam on Boffs' Island was a British television series. The BBC made this show to help young children learn to read. It was mostly for kids aged 6 to 8 years old.
Contents
What the Show Was About
This show first came out in 1972. It was part of a series of educational programs called Words and Pictures. Sam on Boffs' Island was one of the first TV appearances for actor Tony Robinson. He later became very famous for other shows like Blackadder.
Sam's Adventures
In the show, Tony Robinson played a character named Sam. One morning, Sam was eating his breakfast cereal. Suddenly, he was magically taken to a place called Boffs' Island! Each episode followed Sam's adventures there.
Learning to Read
The show had different parts to help kids learn. Some parts showed "real life" stories. These stories encouraged young children to read. Other parts of the show used animated cartoons.
The Boffs and Other Characters
The Boffs were puppet characters on the island. Different voice actors brought them to life. One of these actors was Charles Collingwood.
Sam's mother was played by Miriam Margolyes. She later worked with Tony Robinson again in the show Blackadder.
How the Boffs Moved
The Boffs were usually made using a special technique called stop-motion. This means they were moved a tiny bit at a time. Then, each small movement was photographed. When played fast, it looked like they were moving on their own. But when the Boffs were on screen with Sam (Tony Robinson), they were operated by hand.
Who Made the Show
The stories for Sam on Boffs' Island were written by Michael Rosen. He is a well-known children's author. A company called Smallfilms also helped. They are famous for making shows like Bagpuss. Smallfilms provided some of the still video scenes for the show.
Episodes and Legacy
In total, 20 episodes of Sam on Boffs' Island were made. The BBC repeated the series many times. It was shown throughout the 1970s as part of their programs for schools.
This series also brought together the Smallfilms team with musicians Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner. They all later worked together to create the beloved children's show Bagpuss.
