Whirligig was a BBC television programme for children originally broadcast fortnightly from November 1950 until June 1954, with summer breaks, and then subsequently revived for a single further series from October 1955 to June 1956. [1] It was the first Saturday children's programme to be broadcast live from the BBC's Lime Grove Studios, at 5:00 pm on alternate Saturdays. [2]
The show was conceived by producer Michael Westmore as the first children’s magazine programme, with linking scenes presented by Humphrey Lestocq, who was the stooge of the obnoxious puppet Mr. Turnip, voiced by Peter Hawkins. [3] Lestocq's catchphrase was "Goody, Goody Gumdrops" and Mr. Turnip's was "Lawky, Lawky, Lum". [2]
The series took the form of individual shows:
None of the 91 episodes are believed to have survived in the form of recordings.
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