Tottie: The Story of a Doll's House facts for kids

Tottie: The Story of a Doll's House is a 1984 stop-motion animated TV series. It was made by Smallfilms and narrated by Oliver Postgate. The show is based on a book called The Dolls' House by Rumer Godden, which came out in 1947. It tells the story of toys living in a Victorian dolls' house that belongs to two sisters, Emily and Charlotte Dane. The series first aired in the UK on BBC1 on February 6, 1984.

The show has some serious moments, as the dolls really hope for good things. They also worry about bad things happening to them. The series begins with a special line: "Dolls are not like people. People choose, but dolls can only be chosen." This means dolls can't pick their own lives; they just have to go with what happens to them.

Meet the Doll Family

The dolls in the story are like a family. They include:

• Mr Plantaganet: He is a bit clumsy and shy. He spends most of his time reading his newspaper.
• Birdie: She is Mr Plantaganet's happy wife. She is a simple doll made of celluloid, like the kind you might find in a Christmas cracker.
• Apple: Their son, a soft velvet baby doll. He is "no bigger than your thumb" and often speaks in rhymes.
• Darner the dog: This dog is made of wool and has a darning needle for a backbone.

Another important doll living with them is Tottie. She is a small, painted wooden doll, like an old farthing coin. Tottie is very thoughtful and sensible. She helps keep the doll family together.

Their Dream Home

At the start of the series, Mr Plantaganet, Birdie, Tottie, and Apple live in a "draughty shoe-box." They think of themselves as a family. Only Tottie remembers living in a real dolls' house a long time ago. The other dolls often ask her to tell them about it. She describes a sitting room with real wallpaper, a fireplace with shining red paper, and a lamp that could light up with a birthday candle.

The dolls wish they could live in a house like that. Mr Plantagenet points out that they don't just wish for *any* dolls' house. They wish for that *exact* dolls' house Tottie remembers.

A New Home and a New Doll

Later, Emily and Charlotte inherit a dolls' house from their great-aunt. The doll family is moved into it. The house has a green front door with a knocker and six steps. When the Plantaganets and Tottie first move in, they are amazed by how splendid and well-equipped it is. They soon realize it is the very same dolls' house Tottie lived in before, just as they had wished!

However, Tottie is soon sent away to a doll exhibition. There, she meets Marchpane again. Marchpane is an antique china doll who used to live in the same house as Tottie. She is very grand, dressed in lace, and has beautiful blue glass eyes. Marchpane had been sent away for cleaning before the exhibition.

Marchpane's Arrival

After a close call where she almost gets adopted by the Queen, Tottie returns to the dolls' house. But then, the sisters Emily and Charlotte are given Marchpane. They place her in the house with the Plantaganets. Marchpane is selfish and mean. She tries to become the favorite doll of Emily and Charlotte. She convinces them to make the other dolls her servants.

Marchpane dislikes Birdie's kind nature and Mr Plantaganet's shyness. She tries her best to turn Apple against his mother.

A Dangerous Plan

Marchpane gains the affection of the Dane sisters. She then uses the dolls' house lights, which have real paraffin (a type of oil), to start a fire. Her plan is to trap Apple. She guesses that Birdie will try to save her son. Marchpane knows that because Birdie is made of celluloid, she will burn quickly.

Birdie bravely saves Apple. But just as Marchpane planned, Birdie is burned up. Because of her simple nature, Birdie seems to enjoy the new experience even as she burns.

Emily and Charlotte discover the fire. They look at Marchpane's proud expression and realize she is to blame. This makes the sisters angry with Marchpane. They want to throw her away. But they are convinced to donate her to a museum instead. There, in a glass case, with visitors always admiring her, Marchpane lives happily ever after, becoming more and more vain.

The remaining dolls settle down to life in the dolls' house. While talking about Birdie's sad end, Tottie says that "Birdie did look beautiful in the flame." Mr Plantaganet agrees.

More Adventures: The Second Series

Two series of Tottie were made. The first was Tottie: The Story of a Doll's House (1984). The second was called The Doll's Wish (1986). The BBC kept copies of the first series. However, they did not keep copies of the second series because of how it was broadcast.

The company that made the show, Smallfilms, also did not keep their own copies. Luckily, a few old, "faded" VHS tapes of the second series were found by people who owned them.

One of these old VHS copies was restored by the Dragons' Friendly Society. This group was started by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. The Society released the first series on DVD. They also offered individually-made DVD-R copies of the second series for sale, but only to people who bought the first series DVD. This made sure the second series could be seen again!

Behind the Scenes

Rumer Godden's original children's book was written shortly after the Second World War. It was special because it explored children's feelings in a sensitive way. The character of Marchpane can still make readers feel a bit scared. And Birdie's shocking fate makes readers think about how real the story feels.

At first, Rumer Godden did not like the idea of Oliver Postgate making a TV show from her book. Her publisher, Kaye Webb, also wondered how it would work. She asked, "Can you really make a film in which the real life adults not only say nothing but don't even move, whilst the dolls speak and come to life?"

Also, the BBC was worried about showing a favorite character being destroyed on screen. But these doubts soon turned into excitement. Rumer Godden became involved. She even convinced her publisher, her literary agent, and their families, along with Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate, to act as the real-life human characters in the show. The film was bought by Goldcrest and then sold to the BBC.

Fun Fact

• At the end of the first season, the magical mouse organ from another famous Smallfilms show, Bagpuss, can be seen next to Marchpane in the museum.