Bagpuss
1 Series / 1974 / 13 Episodes
Bagpuss is a 70’s children’s TV animated show created by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, who conjured up another piece of Childrens TV Magic. It followed on from the previous classics that ‘Smallfilms’ had made – Noggin the Nog,
The Clangers and Ivor the Engine You might be surprised to know that only 13 episodes were made (it really does feel like they made more!).
Emily was played by Peter Firmin’s Daughter, strangely called Emily (must have been hard to think that name!).
Also look very close at Professor Yaffle’s feet. You can see the drawing pins they used to keep him upright!
Bagpuss has had a bit of a revival recently and the amount of merchandise you can buy has gone from zero to lots (slippers, cuddly toys, posters etc.).
On September 30th 2001 the creators of Bagpuss – Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate talked about another of their creations – ‘The Pogles’. I was there to record this event – see what happened there.
If you would like to see Bagpuss in the flesh then make a trip to The Canterbury Museum (UK) to see him.
Story
Bapuss began with the words :
“Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a little girl and her name was Emily and she had a shop, there it is.
It was rather an unusual shop, because it didn’t sell anything. You see, everything in that shop window was a thing that somebody had once lost and Emily had found and brought home to Bagpuss. Emily’s cat Bagpuss, the most important, the most beautiful, the most magical, saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world
Well now, one day Emily found a thing and she brought it back to the shop and put it down in front of Bagpuss, who was in the shop window fast asleep as usual
But then Emily said some magic words:
Bagpuss, dear Bagpuss,
Old fat furry cat-puss,
Wake up, and look at this thing that I bring,
Wake up, be bright, be golden and light,
Bagpuss, oh hear what I sing.”
And Bagpuss was wide awake, and when Bagpuss wakes up all his friends wake up too. The mice on the mouse-organ woke up and stretched. Madeleine the rag doll. Gabriel the toad, and last of all Professor Yaffle, who was a very distinguished old woodpecker. He climbed down off his bookend and went to see what it was that Emily had brought”
Characters
Bagpuss
Voiced by Oliver Postgate
Professor Yaffle
Voiced by Oliver Postgate
The Mice
Voiced by ?
Madeleine
Voiced by ?
