Pigeon Street

Last updated

Pigeon Street
GenreChildren
Written by Michael Cole
Voices of George Layton
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes13
Production
Production locationUK
Running time15 minutes
Original release
Network BBC1
Release10 February (1981-02-10) 
17 December 1981 (1981-12-17)

Pigeon Street is a cutout animated children's television series, written by Michael Cole, originally shown on the BBC in 1981 as part of its 'See-Saw' strand for preschoolers. [1] There were two series with eight and five episodes respectively, each programme lasting 15 minutes. The series was repeated a number of times until 1994.

Contents

The animation was created by Alan Rogers and Peter Lang of the Cut-Out Animation Co., who later went on to do a nursery rhyme series with similar animation called Rub-A-Dub-Dub . [2] Voices were performed by George Layton, with additional voices by John Telfer. Music was by Benni Lees, and played by Soulyard.

The shows featured the everyday adventures of a group of characters living on Pigeon Street, an area of flats and terraced housing in a British city, also home to several pigeons which appeared in each show but only occasionally featured in the plot. Characters included Clara the long distance lorry driver, her husband Hugo the chef, Mr Baskerville the detective, Mr Jupiter the astronomer, Mr Macadoo the petshop owner, and twins Molly and Polly, who were only distinguishable by the letter M and P on their jumpers.[ citation needed ]

Episode listing

Episode titleBroadcast dateSynopsis
All in a Day's Work10 February 1981William the Window Cleaner has a busy day when the lift of Skyrise Court breaks down, but Reg, Clara, Hugo, Mr. Jupiter and everybody else in Pigeon Street lend a helping hand.
A Light In The Sky17 February 1981What is the light in the sky that Mr Jupiter has spotted? Is it an aeroplane, a shooting star or a spark from Reg's bonfire?
Pigeon St Sea24 February 1981Mr Macadoo, Mr Baskerville and 'Long Distance' Clara help a pigeon understand that it can't take to water like a duck or a gull.
Can I Have My Ball Back?3 March 1981Gerald gets a football for his birthday. Reg, Mr Jupiter, Mr Baskerville and Watson join him for a game on the green, but a long kick by Gerald leads to trouble.
Noisy Neighbours10 March 1981The noise Daisy makes gets on the nerves of her neighbour Rose. Rose's noise annoys Daisy too, but then they find out how to use the thin wall between them.
Pigeon Post17 March 1981Bob has trained his pigeons to fly back to him no matter how far they go. Clara, the lorry driver, finds that they are the only way of sending a very important message.
A Cold Day24 March 1981Everybody in Pigeon Street has a cold, until Hugo the cook stumbles upon a cure.
Somewhere to Eat31 March 1981When it's lunchtime in Pigeon Street most people make do with sandwiches. Hugo and Betty plan how everybody could meet up and eat lunch together, but it's not as easy as looks.
Down With The Car Park19 November 1981Jim, Gerald and the twins discover that Mr Clark of the council has plans to build a garage on their playground. The only answer is to protest, but it proves very expensive.
The Flood26 November 1981Days of rain bring a flood to Pigeon Street. Reg uses a boat from Swanlake Park to rescue the pets, and when they are aboard, Daisy thinks his boat looks like Noah's Ark.
Time For a Hobby3 December 1981Everybody in Pigeon Street seems to be taking up a hobby, but when Gerald decides to play the saxophone, he has to find somewhere to practice where there's nobody to disturb.
Springtime for Hugo10 December 1981Hugo has to lose weight and Dr Glossop advises him to go jogging with him. But jogging is not the right sort of exercise for Hugo. What is? Clara comes up with the answer.
Getting Away17 December 1981Everybody in Pigeon Street is going on holiday. Mr Macadoo wants to go too, and Gerald and Mr Baskerville look after his pet shop while he's away.

Characters

Rogers and Lang went on to create many animations for programmes like Words and Pictures , Numbertime , Rosie and Jim , Hotch Potch House, Rat-A-Tat-Tat and The Number Crew.

Credits

Potential reboot

In 2017, plans were announced for a potential reboot of the show. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Taz-Mania</i> American animated series and sitcom

Taz-Mania is an American animated series and sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation from 1991 to 1995, broadcast in the United States on Fox Kids. The show follows the adventures of the Looney Tunes character Taz in the fictional land of Tazmania.

<i>A Yellow Raft in Blue Water</i> 1987 book by Michael Dorris

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water is the debut novel of author Michael Dorris, published in 1987. It tells the story of three generations of Native American women: Rayona, who is half African-American, her mother Christine, and Christine's mother Aunt Ida. The story is told in three distinct sections, one for each woman. Throughout the book, themes of family, identity, and heritage are highlighted and examined.

<i>Curious George</i> (TV series) 2006 animated television series

Curious George is an American children's animated television series based on the children's book series of the same name for PBS Kids which features Jeff Bennett as the voice of Ted Shackelford. Frank Welker, who voiced George in the 2006 feature film, reprises the role in the series. The show premiered on PBS Kids on September 4, 2006, and originally ended after nine seasons on April 1, 2015 before returning in 2018.

<i>The Group</i> (film) 1966 film by Sidney Lumet

The Group is a 1966 American ensemble film directed by Sidney Lumet based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Mary McCarthy about the lives of a group of eight female graduates from Vassar from 1933 to 1940.

<i>Underdog</i> (2007 film) 2007 film by Frederik Du Chau

Underdog is a 2007 American superhero comedy film based on W. Watts Biggers, Chet Stover, and Joe Harris‘ 1960s animated television series of the same name, which in turn is a spoof on the DC Comics character Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Directed by Frederik Du Chau and written by Joe Piscatella, Adam Rifkin, and Craig A. Williams, the film stars Jim Belushi, Peter Dinklage, John Slattery, and Patrick Warburton with the voice talents of Jason Lee, Amy Adams, and Brad Garrett. Unlike the TV series, the Underdog character is portrayed as a regular dog rather than an anthropomorphic one. Underdog, voiced by Jason Lee, was played by a lemon beagle named Shoeshine sporting a red sweater and a blue cape. The film grossed $65.3 million worldwide and received generally negative reviews from critics.

The Roundabout Theatre Company is a non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres.

<i>Princess Sara</i> Japanese anime series

Princess Sara, also spelled as Princess Sarah for disambiguation purposes, is a Japanese anime television series based on the 1905 children's novel A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It aired from January to December 1985, as part of Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater. The series follows Sara Crewe, a young girl student of an all-girls boarding school who later becomes orphaned and is forced to work as a servant.

Fat Dog Mendoza is an animated television series produced by Sunbow Entertainment, Sony Wonder Television and TMO-Loonland loosely based on a Dark Horse one-off comic book of the same name. It is the first Cartoon Network Europe co-production and originally premiered on Cartoon Network UK on February 28, 2000.

<i>The Nobody</i> 2009 graphic novel by Jeff Lemire

The Nobody is a graphic novel created by cartoonist Jeff Lemire. It was first published in a hardcover format by Vertigo Comics in July 2009. It is a retelling of the 1897 H.G. Wells novel The Invisible Man, recasting the bandaged stranger as a modern-day drifter. His presence in a small-town American fishing village creates a frenzy that unwraps and exposes the scarred underside to their own secrets. Lemire believed Wells' character was an ideal way to "explore themes of identity, rural life, community and paranoia". In a review for Oregon Live, Steve Duin said there was a "lot to like" about The Nobody, but that it was not as good as Lemire's previous work, Essex County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Black</span> American actor (1891–1938

Maurice Black was an American character actor known for his portrayal of mobsters. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1928 to 1938, when he died of pneumonia, four days after his 47th birthday. He was married to Edythe Raynore.

The following is a list of members of the families of Archie's Gang appearing in Archie Comics. Primarily featured are the parents of Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge and Jughead Jones.

<i>Jesse Stone: Stone Cold</i> 2005 US television crime drama film by Robert Harmon

Stone Cold is a 2005 American made-for-television crime drama film directed by Robert Harmon and starring Tom Selleck, Jane Adams and Reg Rogers. Based on the 2003 novel Stone Cold by Robert B. Parker, the film is about the police chief of a small New England town who investigates a series of murders that occur with the same modus operandi. Filmed on location in Nova Scotia, the story is set in the fictitious town of Paradise, Massachusetts.

<i>Mike Tyson Mysteries</i> American adult animated television series

Mike Tyson Mysteries is an American adult animated television series, and is the first collaboration between Warner Bros. Animation and Williams Street. It premiered October 27, 2014 on Adult Swim. The series features Mike Tyson solving mysteries, in the style of I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali, Scooby-Doo, Jonny Quest, and Mister T. On December 10, 2014, Adult Swim renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on November 1, 2015. A third season premiered on May 14, 2017, and the fourth and final season premiered on June 30, 2019.

<i>Angelina Ballerina</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

Angelina Ballerina is a British animated preschool children's television series based on the Angelina Ballerina series of children's books by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig. The series is about a young mouse named Angelina Mouseling who loves dancing ballet, her family, and her classmates. Finty Williams performed the voice of Angelina and Judi Dench performed the voice of Miss Lilly.

<i>Splash and Bubbles</i> American childrens television series

Splash and Bubbles is an American animated children's television series created by John Tartaglia. The series debuted on PBS Kids on November 23, 2016, after Wild Kratts: Creatures of the Deep Sea. It is produced using motion capture that blends with animatronic interfaces which enables the crew to make animation.

References

  1. Perryman, Francesca (12 March 2017). "Remember Pigeon Street? A Reading animator wants to bring it back". Reading Post . Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  2. Draper, James (12 March 2017). "Creator of kids' show Pigeon Street launches fundraising campaign to revive it". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  3. "Pigeon Street comeback campaign launched". BBC News. Retrieved 2 October 2018.