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Stoppit and Tidyup
StopItTidyUp.JPG
Title screen showing the series' logo and two main characters - Stoppit (left) and Tidyup
Created by Charles Mills
Terry Brain
Written by Charles Mills
Terry Brain
Steve Box
Directed by Charles Mills
Terry Brain
Steve Box
Voices of Terry Brain (uncredited)
Narrated by Terry Wogan
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of series 1
No. of episodes 13
Production
Producer(s) John Howson
Editor(s) Robert Copeland
Running time 5 minutes
Production company(s) CMTB Animation
The Tidy Britain Group
Queensgate Productions
Release
Original network BBC One
Original release 12 September (1988-09-12) – 5 December 1988 (1988-12-05)
Chronology
Preceded by The Trap Door (1984–1986)
Followed by Bump (1990–1993)

Stoppit and Tidyup is a fun British cartoon show made for kids. It was created by Charles Mills and Terry Brain. The show first aired on BBC One in 1988. Each episode was only five minutes long.

The series follows two main characters, Stoppit and Tidyup. They live in a magical place called "Do As You're Told." Famous TV presenter Terry Wogan tells all the stories. The show was partly funded by The Tidy Britain Group, which helps keep places clean.

Meet the Characters

The show takes place in the strange and colorful land of "Do As You're Told." This land is full of tiny characters. Their names are like things parents often tell children to do! For example, there's a character named "Eat Your Greens."

The main characters are:

  • Stoppit is a red, fluffy ball with arms and legs. He often gets into funny situations.
  • Tidyup is a purple creature shaped like a bowling pin. He has blue hair and wears a necktie. He likes things to be neat.

Other fun characters you'll meet include:

  • Bee Quiet and Bee Have: Two bees, one big and one small, with red hair.
  • Eat Your Greens: A green, frog-like creature with blue hair.
  • Comb Your Hair: A blue, cow-like creature with six legs and long orange hair.
  • Wash Your Face: A brown creature who wears Wellington boots. He loves jumping in puddles!
  • Go And Play: A light green creature who wears shorts and trainers.
  • I Said No: An angry red creature. He has a pink pet named Not Now.
  • Hurry Up: A flying ball of black and yellow scribble.
  • Calm Down: A yellow creature who carries a blue umbrella.
  • Don't Do That: A red, spider-like creature who lives in a shell.
  • Go To Bed: A tired, white creature with pink hair.
  • Say Please And Say Thank You: A plant with two faces.
  • Clean Your Teeth: An orange creature with purple hair, sunglasses, and huge teeth.
  • Take Care: A flying blue creature, a bit like a kangaroo.

There are also groups of characters:

  • Naughties: These are purple with yellow spots. If they touch you, you get "Naughtypox"!
  • Sit Downs: These are pink and have special magic powers. They can cure Naughtypox.

None of the characters actually speak words. They make funny noises like grunts, squeaks, and hums. Terry Wogan tells the story for everyone watching. The show's co-creator, Terry Brain, made all the character noises.

The stories in the show are often very silly and unexpected. Sometimes, an episode ends without a clear lesson, which makes it even more surprising! For example, in one episode, it starts snowing in summer, and Stoppit gets left out of the fun.

Where to Watch and Read

You might be able to find Stoppit and Tidyup on DVD! All thirteen episodes were released on DVD in 2004. Before that, they were available on VHS tapes in 1988.

There were also twelve books based on the series. An illustrated book called an "annual" was released in 1989.

Episode Guide

All thirteen episodes of Stoppit and Tidyup were shown on BBC One as part of the Children's BBC block. They aired on Mondays at 3:50 PM.

No. Title & Character(s) Air date Summary
1 Bee Quiet and Bee Have 12 September 1988 The two bees accidentally carry away the roof of Tidyup's house. Tidyup needs to get it back from Stoppit's dump. Stoppit thinks it's funny until he gets squashed!
2 Eat Your Greens 19 September 1988 Stoppit is jealous of Tidyup's garden. He tries to grow a weed on his dump. When Eat Your Greens eats it, Stoppit lets him into Tidyup's garden.
3 Comb Your Hair 26 September 1988 Stoppit and Tidyup go on a picnic riding Comb Your Hair. But Comb Your Hair's long hair makes it hard to see, leading to some funny mishaps.
4 Wash Your Face 3 October 1988 It's a rainy day, and Wash Your Face loves jumping in muddy puddles. Tidyup's clean neckties get ruined, so he and Stoppit try to give Wash Your Face a bath!
5 Go And Play 10 October 1988 Go And Play gathers everyone for a big game of football. Tidyup is the referee, but things get chaotic when Stoppit catches the ball and Eat Your Greens eats it!
6 I Said No and Not Now 17 October 1988 It's the Great Gherkin Feast, and I Said No and his pet Not Now steal all the gherkins. Stoppit and Tidyup try to get them back.
7 Hurry Up 24 October 1988 Hurry Up helps Tidyup cut his long grass. They find a strange gherkin that turns out to be a Naughty nest. Tidyup gets Naughtypox, and they need a Sit Down to cure him!
8 Calm Down 31 October 1988 It's a very windy day, and Calm Down has no house. Stoppit and Tidyup try to fix up a toy house for him, but Calm Down keeps getting blown away.
9 Don't Do That 7 November 1988 Stoppit finds an old tin that carries him to Tidyup's house. Inside the tin is Don't Do That, who causes trouble by throwing little gherkins.
10 Go To Bed 14 November 1988 Tidyup finds Go To Bed asleep in his giant flower. Go To Bed tries to find somewhere else to sleep, but everyone keeps waking him up.
11 Say Please And Say Thank You 21 November 1988 Tidyup falls down a big hole while collecting gherkins. He meets Say Please And Say Thank You, who knows a way out, but only if Tidyup shares his gherkins.
12 Clean Your Teeth 28 November 1988 Stoppit and Tidyup visit Clean Your Teeth, who loves to show off. They play in his pool and sandpit, and then it starts to snow!
13 Take Care 5 December 1988 It's Birthday Day, and Take Care is delivering presents. But he mixes them all up, leading to a funny gift exchange among the characters.

Who Made the Show?

  • Narrated by: Terry Wogan
  • Animation: Charles Mills, Terry Brain, Steve Box
  • Editing: Rob Copeland
  • Dubbing: Glentham Studios
  • Produced by: John Howson
  • Devised and created by: CMTB Animation
  • © CMTB Animation/Queensgate Productions 1987
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