Potamus Park

Potamus Park
Created by	Christopher Noulton John Lee Paul Cole
Voices of	Simon Buckley Philip Eason Rusty Goffe Atalanta Harmsworth Stroma Inglis Mark Jefferis Nikki Mclnnes Nigel Plaskitt Jo Manning Wilson
Opening theme	"(We're On Our Way To) Potamus Park" by Geoff Robinson
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of episodes	85
Production
Producers	John Lee Chris Noulton for ITV Central
Production location	Pinewood Studios
Running time	10 minutes per episode (approx.)
Production companies	Carlton UK Productions, Zoo Gang Productions, Central Television
Original release
Network	ITV (CITV)
Release	3 January 1996 (1996-01-03) – 31 July 1999 (1999-07-31)

Potamus Park is a British pre-school television programme that ran on CITV in the United Kingdom between 3 January 1996 and 31 July 1999. The show centred on a small family of hippopotamuses, Herbie, Hippy, Hazel and Hinkley, this show was sponsored by Hippo Fromage Frais and was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, England. ^[1]

Characters

Characters featured included Ticker, (a bird,) Got To Guess, (a blue creature that used sign language to communicate) and Mindy and Mo (two Moles who live in a water well and use a bucket as a lift whenever the hippopotamuses need help). Every episode was introduced by three anthropomorphic flowers, who would explain whatever is to come or what may have been happening in the episode.

Series 1 - (1996)

1. Pleased To Meet You (By Paul Cole) - 3 January 1996
2. How Does Your Garden Grow (By Paul Cole) - 10 January 1996
3. Litter Bug (By Paul Cole) - 17 January 1996
4. Over The Counter (By Paul Cole) - 24 January 1996
5. Recipe For Success (By Paul Cole) - 31 January 1996
6. Do It Yourself (By Paul Cole) - 7 February 1996
7. Too Hot For Hippos (By Paul Cole - 14 February 1996
8. Happy Hippos (By Paul Cole) - 21 February 1996
9. Crazy Golf (By Paul Endacott) - 28 February 1996
10. Name That Tune (By Paul Cole) - 6 March 1996
11. This Is Where We Live (By Paul Cole) - 10 September 1996
12. Gone Fishing (By Paul Cole) - 17 September 1996
13. Spring Clean (By Paul Cole) - 24 September 1996
14. Let's Pretend (By Wayne Jackman - 1 October 1996
15. Picture This (By Paul Cole) - 8 October 1996
16. Nothing Doing (By Peter Corey) - 15 October 1996
17. Keep Fit (By Paul Cole) - 22 October 1996
18. I Spy (By Nigel Crowle) - 29 October 1996
19. Hungry Hippos (By Wayne Jackman) - 5 November 1996
20. You Must Be Joking (By Peter Corey) - 12 November 1996
21. Nice To Be Nice (By Paul Cole) - 19 November 1996
22. Secrets (By Wayne Jackman) - 26 November 1996
23. Got To Guess Goes Missing (By Wayne Jackman) - 3 December 1996
24. Ticker Takes Off (By David Treloar) - 10 December 1996
25. The Show Must Go On (By Peter Corey) - 17 December 1996

Series 2 - (1997)

1. Washday Blues (John Lee) - 7 January 1997
2. If Only (By Paul Cole) - 14 January 1997
3. Doctor Doctor (By John Lee) 21 - January 1997
4. Do Your Best (By John Lee) 28 - January 1997
5. Things That Go Bump In The Night (By Chris Noulton) 4 - February 1997
6. Every Mole Has His Day (By Chris Noulton) 11 - February 1997
7. Lonely Bird (By John Lee) 18 - February 1997
8. I Talk To The Trees (By Paul Cole) 25 - February 1997
9. Bedtime Story (By Paul Cole) 4 - March 1997
10. Buried Treasure (By Paul Cole) 11 - March 1997
11. Mums Day Off (By Paul Cole) 11 - September 1997
12. Home Again (By Paul Cole) 18 - September 1997
13. Bookworm (By Paul Cole) 25 - September 1997
14. Where Shall We Go (By Paul Cole) 2 - October 1997
15. Turn and Turn About (By Paul Cole) 9 - October 1997
16. If At First (By Wayne Jackman) 16 - October 1997
17. Bits and Bobs (By Peter Corey) 23 - October 1997
18. We Have No Bananas (By Wayne Jackman) 30 - October 1997
19. Table Manners (By Paul Cole) 6 - November 1997
20. Early One Morning (By Paul Cole) 13 - November 1997
21. Hip Hippo Ray Day (By Paul Cole) 20 - November 1997
22. Different (By Nigel Plaskitt) 27 - November 1997
23. Ticker Tells All (By Paul Cole) 4 - December 1997
24. Dressing Up (By Paul Cole) 11 - December 1997
25. Abracadabra (By Paul Cole) 18 - December 1997

Series 3 - (1998)

1. Send For Got To Guess (By Paul Cole) 6 - January 1998
2. Family Favourites (By Paul Cole) 8 - January 1998
3. Mr Mystery (By Paul Cole) 13 - January 1998
4. Garden Fete (By Paul Cole) 15 - January 1998
5. Parade (By Paul Cole) 20 - January 1998
6. To Each His Own (By Paul Cole) 22 - January 1998
7. Party Time (By Paul Cole) 27 - January 1998
8. Secret Garden (By Paul Cole) 29 - January 1998
9. Band Together 09 (By Paul Cole) 3 - February 1998
10. Time For A Change (By Paul Cole) 5 - February 1998
11. Dreams (By Paul Cole) 10 - February 1998
12. Growing Up (By Paul Cole) 12 - February 1998
13. Invitations To The Dance (By Paul Cole) 17 - February 1998
14. Up And Running (By Paul Cole) 19 - February 1998
15. Jungle Bungle (By Paul Cole) 24 - February 1998
16. Lucky Fried Chicken 016 (By Paul Cole) 26 - February 1998
17. I Can You Can (By Paul Cole) 3 - March 1998
18. Wows (By Paul Cole) 5 - March 1998
19. We Know What We Like (By Paul Cole) 10 - March 1998
20. What's In a Name By Paul Cole) 12 - March 1998
21. Pretty Bubbles (By Paul Cole) 19 - March 1998
22. Why Oh Why (By Paul Cole) 24 - March 1998
23. Sing Along (By Paul Cole) 26 - March 1998
24. Picnic (By Paul Cole) 31 - March 1998
25. Snow (By Paul Cole) 02 - April 1998

Series 4 - (1999)

1. Episode 001 (By Paul Cole) 08 - May 1999
2. Episode 002 (By Paul Cole) 15 - May 1999
3. Episode 003 (By Wayne Jackman) 22 - May 1999
4. Episode 004 (By Paul Endacott) 29 -May 1999
5. Episode 005 (By Peter Corey) 05 - June 1999
6. Episode 006 (By Peter Corey) 12 - June 1999
7. Episode 007 (By Paul Cole) 19 - June 1999
8. Episode 008 (By Nigel Plaskitt) 17 - July 1999
9. Episode 009 (By Nigel Plaskitt) 24 - July 1999
10. Episode 010 (By Paul Cole) 31 - July 1999

Video Tapes

Various episodes of the series were released on VHS by Carlton Video in the United Kingdom.

Title	Release Date
Pleased To Meet you VL 1	1996
This Is Where We Live VL 2	1996
Name That Tune Vl 3	1996
Hungry Hippos VL 4	1997
Secrets VL 5	1997
Bedtime Story V11	1998
Dressing Up V7	1999
Hip Hip Ray Day V6	1999
Where Shall We Go V10	1999
Abracadabra V9	1999
Buried Treasure V8	2000

Trivia

Carlton Home Video issued many video cassettes in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although the television series was genuinely well received, ITV decided to cut the series in 1999 due to the rival show Bananas in Pyjamas, which received higher ratings. Even though the series ended in 1999, CITV continued to air the show until January 2000. ^[2]

References

1. "The information about Potamus Park on John Lee's website that includes a filming location".
2. "The Guardian - 22 Jan 2000".