Quiz Time: How Many Of These 1980s Children's TV Programmes Do You Remember?

Let's take a walk down memory lane, to the care free days when we would rush home from school, grab a bag of crisps, pour a lemonade, get comfy on the settee and watch our favourite TV programmes. Those were the days.. We all had a favourite TV programme right?! From He-man to Inspector Gadget to the Muppets Babies! Not forgetting She-Ra, and of course I have to mention ThunderCats! In my opinion the children's shows of the 80s were the best, unbeatable! We really were so lucky! They really are just not the same these days! Okay, most of them are pretty easy to remember, but how about these ones? Lets see how many you can remember…

1 - Clue: Kenneth Williams.

This 1981 show was a particular favourite of mine, though I watched later reruns - I'm not quite that old, ha ha!! The BBC1 cartoon was narrated by the legendary Carry On films actor Kenneth Williams, who voiced all of the characters, with his incredible character voices. Kenneth Williams was just excellent with the voices, even now I can remember the way he voiced them. In true Kenneth style. Just brilliant, unique and stylish!

It was set in Doyley Woods. With a ghostly light, Will-O-The-Wisp (erm.. Trying not to give the answer away!). Plus other characters, Arthur, Mavis Cruet and Evil Edna. There were two series made of fifty eight, five minute long episodes.

2 - Clue: Petey, Dolly, Duke…

The American, Hanna-Barbera animation shown from 1982 to 1984 was an absolute blast! The thirty minute episodes followed the adventures of this super adorable pack of hounds Petey, Dolly, Duke, Dash and Lucky. They were a group of dogs with very different characters, whose adventures took them to far off places, with fun always to be had.

In total there were two series, and twenty one episodes. This beauty of a show was usually shown on Saturday mornings in the uk, so forget settee and crisps, this was settee and cereal viewing!



3 - Clue: C.H.I.P.??

This one will really get your brain thinking! Right, who remembers C.H.I.P and S.A.M.A.N.T.H.A. and B.U.G.? Any guesses? Remember the adventures of robots, stopping enemies and always, naturally, saving the day?!

The late great Ron Moody, best known for his portrayal of Fagin in Oliver Twist, provided his voice to this animation. It was shown from 1986 to 1987. There were three series, and a total of eighty six episodes. This was a popular show, loved by boys and girls, and I remember the show's merchandise was extremely popular, with lunch boxes, flasks and pencil cases forever appearing in my school!

4 - Clue: Welsh Duck.

This cartoon is a Welsh cartoon, called (in Welsh) Wil Cwac Cwac (Unless you speak Welsh, I haven't given the answer away!) The cartoon was set in beautiful rural Wales. Watching the goings on in Wil’s life. It was dubbed in English for ITV and was shown between 1982 to 1986. There are thirty episodes in total.

My favourite episode was where Wil and his friends decided to help themselves to Wil’s Mother’s pancake mix, they ended up making a big mess. Mother was not happy, and Wil and his friends were cleaned up under the garden pump, and they then had to run around the garden until they were dry! (Imagine that in a cartoon these days?! Social Services would be called!). I actually rewatched the episode on YouTube recently, yes, I was feeling nostalgic! Take a look yourself, it will make you smile!

5 - Clue: Thistle Whistles

This show was awesome!! It had an amazing and very catchy theme tune, once you have guessed the show you'll be singing this tune to yourself all day long…Guaranteed!! The show was shown on the BBC from 1984 to 1985, and it was usually shown on Saturday mornings, around 8:30, before Going Live, or in later years Live And Kicking. I watched it before heading out to my dancing classes! There were two series and twenty one episodes. All the Nessies had their own unique character, but I would say Baby Ness, is the most fondly remembered, and was my favourite! Baby Ness was just so darn cute!

The adventures were of a family of Loch Ness Monsters, the ‘Nessies’ and, brother and sister, Elspeth and Angus, who are able to call the Nessie’s by using their ‘thistle whistles’. There was tonnes of merchandise which accompanied this awesome five minute cartoon, annuals, stationary, calendars, to name but a few…

6 - Clue: Wizard!

Let's see if this one rings any bells for you all?! Remember Stanley Baxter? He played the part of this teacher, who was no ordinary teacher. This teacher is a very special teacher, he is a Wizard! Oh yes! But this was long before the days of Harry Potter, this Wizard was well and truly the first Wizard on the block!

In this programme we would see class three, at St Barty’s Primary School, literally have their lessons brought to life! One waggle of this teacher's hair was all it took! He could turn people into frogs, or make things fly, anything could happen, the possibilities were endless!

Shown from 1988 to 1990. The Cast was superb, including Pat Coombs (Carry On films, You Only Live Twice) Miriam Margoyles (Harry Potter, Blackadder) and Adele Silver (Emmerdale, Hollyoaks). This show could easily be shown now and children would love it!

7 - Clue: 80 Days…

This Spanish/Japanese animated adaptation was originally released in 1983. It came to CBBC in 1984, dubbed in English. With twenty six episodes of a person's (whom I won't name!) travels around the world.

Okay, at a club Lord Guinness brings up an article which states that it is possible to travel around the world in eighty days. The men laugh at him. Lord Guinness says that if he was younger, he would prove that it would be possible.

To defend Lord Guinness’s honor, that chap I won't name yet, says he will take up the task himself. The Bank Governor, Mr Sullivan, bets this chap £5,000 that it is impossible. Some other members at the club, chip in, bringing the total up to £20,000. The chap leaves that very evening. His adventures begin.. Okay, this chap is Willy Fog!

8 - Clue: Think Marshmallow!

The characters were Grandpa, Father, Mother, Posie, Perkin and Pootle. The show follows the fun adventures of this family of furry characters. Which was originally released in 1977, but it was often shown throughout the eighties. It was a hugely popular show and surprisingly just one series was made, ever! This one series had thirteen episodes.

Posie was the favourite amongst little girls, who especially loved the blue ribbon she wore. The title of this children's show sounds very marshmallowy! It was broadcast on the BBC.

9 - Clue: Bedtime.

This children's programme was made back in 1982. It was fantastic, so it will be a surprise to hear that only thirteen episodes were made.

A little boy who was afraid to go to bed at night, had a toy friend made for him by his Mum, to keep him safe at night, and to help him sleep. The Mum made this ‘toy friend’ out of an item of clothing (can't say which item of clothing as it is the name of the show!).

So, after the little boy falls asleep, the ‘toy friend’ comes to life (this terrified me as a child! Ha ha!) and had adventures in the boys bedroom. Apart from a few words spoken by the boy at the beginning of the episode, usually reading a story, the rest is scored by music, as a sort of narration.

*A call out to all you kitting enthusiasts, yeah you… There is a knitting pattern out there which you can still get, to make your very own ‘toy friend’. Wahoo! Rock and Roll!!

10 - Clue: Nothing To Do With Chocolate!

This was a gem of a show! Oh yes! An absolute classic! About a loveable, but rather hopeless King, who was always in need of assistance, and advice from his friends. Aww the poor Royal Highness! His friends were his cat, Hamlet, who was far wiser than the King himself! No, I am not kidding! There was also the Magician, Cook, Queen Gwen and King Frank.

My memory of this show is of it being shown in the early afternoon, around 2pm. Each episode was five minutes of enjoyable fun. Like so many of these super cool unbeatable shows again only one series was ever made! There are just thirteen episodes in existence. The show was released in 1980. Originally it was a book series, which was just as popular as the animated fun. It was an absolute cracker of a show! Bring it back I say!

Answers =

1 - Willo The Wisp.

2 - The Puppy's Further Adventures.

3 - The Telebugs.

4 - Wil Quack Quack.

5 - Family Ness.

6 - Mr Majeika.

7 - Around The World With Willy Fog.

8 - The Flumps.

9 - Pullover.

10 - King Rollo.