The Wombles (1973 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Wombles |
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The Wombles series 2 titles
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| Genre | Children's Comedy |
| Created by | Elisabeth Beresford |
| Written by | Elisabeth Beresford |
| Directed by | Ivor Wood |
| Voices of | Bernard Cribbins |
| Narrated by | Bernard Cribbins |
| Theme music composer | Mike Batt Chris Spedding |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 60 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Graham Clutterbuck |
| Cinematography | Barry Leith |
| Running time | 5 minutes per episode (approx.) |
| Production company(s) | FilmFair London |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| First shown in | 1973 |
| Original release | 5 February 1973 – 24 October 1975 |
The Wombles is a super cool British TV show from the 1970s. It uses a special animation style called stop motion, where models are moved tiny bits at a time to look like they're moving on their own. The show is all about amazing creatures called Wombles. They live secretly underground, and their big mission is to collect and recycle all the rubbish that humans leave behind.
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About The Wombles
The Wombles are furry creatures who look a bit like bears. They live in burrows, which are like underground homes. Their motto is "Make Good Use of Bad Rubbish." This means they are experts at taking things people throw away and turning them into something useful. They are like the ultimate recyclers!
The idea for The Wombles came from a book by Elisabeth Beresford. She wrote the first Wombles book in 1968. The books became very popular, and soon the BBC decided to make them into a TV show.
How The Show Was Made
The TV show was created by a company called FilmFair. They used stop-motion animation, which is a very detailed process. Each Womble character was a puppet. Animators would move the puppets just a tiny bit, take a picture, then move them again and take another picture. When all the pictures are played quickly, it looks like the Wombles are moving!
Ivor Wood directed the first series of episodes. The sets and models were made by Barry Leith. A famous actor named Bernard Cribbins did all the voices for every single Womble character. This made the show extra special.
Meet The Wombles
There are several Wombles, each with their own personality:
- Great Uncle Bulgaria: He's the wise leader of the Wombles. He loves to read and make sure everyone follows the rules.
- Orinoco: He's a bit lazy and loves to eat. He often gets into funny situations.
- Tomsk: He's strong and good at building things. He's always ready to help.
- Bungo: He's enthusiastic and sometimes a bit clumsy. He's one of the younger Wombles.
- Wellington: He's clever and loves to invent things. He's often found tinkering with new ideas.
- Madame Cholet: She's a fantastic cook and takes care of everyone in the burrow.
- Tobermory: He's good with his hands and often fixes things. He's also a bit of an artist.
Episodes and Adventures
The original TV series had two seasons, with 30 episodes in each season. Each episode was about five minutes long. This made them perfect for short, fun stories. The first series aired in 1973, and the second in 1975.
Series 1 Highlights
The first series showed the Wombles getting into all sorts of adventures while cleaning up Wimbledon Common.
- Orinoco & The Big Black Umbrella: Orinoco has a wild ride on a windy day.
- The Rocking Chair: Great Uncle Bulgaria's chair breaks, and Orinoco gets stuck!
- Peep-Peep-Peep: Wellington invents a cool telephone using cans and string.
- The Invisible Womble: Orinoco thinks he's turned invisible, leading to funny moments.
- The Circus Comes To Wimbledon: The young Wombles put on their very own circus show.
Series 2 Highlights
The second series continued the Wombles' adventures, often with new inventions and challenges.
- Bungo Up A Tree: Bungo finds himself in a sticky situation high up in a tree.
- The Largest Womble in the World: Orinoco plays a trick using a coat and boots.
- Orinoco's Midnight Feast: Orinoco's love for food causes trouble during a secret feast.
- MacWomble The Terrible: A Scottish relative comes to visit, bringing his bagpipes!
- Highland Games: The Wombles put their own spin on the famous Highland Games.
Later Adventures
The original The Wombles TV show was so popular that it was shown again and again for many years. Later, in 1996, a new series of Wombles episodes was made. This new series even introduced some new Womble characters to join the team.
Specials
Besides the regular episodes, there were also a couple of longer special episodes:
- World Womble Day (1990): The Wombles plan a big surprise party for Great Uncle Bulgaria's 300th birthday!
- The Wandering Wombles (1991): Another special adventure for the Womble crew.
