Fiddley Foodle Bird

The Fiddley Foodle Bird is a British children's animated musical series written by Jonathan Hodge, and narrated by Bruce Forsyth. Thirteen ten-minute episodes of the series were made in total, with one story continuing through the episodes. They were made in 1991 and broadcast in 1992 on BBC One at 4:15.[1] It was produced by H.A.P.P.Y. Animation and Fiddley Foodle Bird Productions in association with HIT Entertainment and was broadcast in over 30 different countries worldwide. The show also continued airing on the BBC until 2001.

Fiddley Foodle Bird
Created byJonathan Hodge
Written byJonathan Hodge
Stuart Lethwood
Directed byTony Garth
StarringDennis Waterman
Kate Robbins
Jimmy Hibbert
Jonathan Hodge
Julian Littman
Stuart Leathwood
Tammy Coleman
Narrated byBruce Forsyth
Opening theme"The Fiddley Foodle Bim Bam Boom"
Ending theme"The Fiddley Foodle Bim Bam Boom (Reprise)"
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producersTheresa Plummer-Andrews
Chris Ambler
Andy Taylor
ProducerJonathan Hodge
Running time10 minutes
Production companiesHIT Entertainment
Fiddley Foodle Bird Productions
H.A.P.P.Y. Animation
Release
Original networkBBC1
Original release8 January (1992-01-08) –
1 April 1992 (1992-04-01)

Plot

The main character of the series is a bird, whose full name is the "Fiddley Foodle Bim Bam Boodle Oo Diddley-Doodle Oodle Bird". The character is voiced by Dennis Waterman (actor and singer famous for his roles as Terry McCann in Minder and Detective Sergeant George Carter in The Sweeney). The bird was originally nothing more than just a picture in a book, which was found by a young boy named Algernon. He wished that the bird would come to life, and when the wish came true they set out on an adventure with Algernon's friends, the eternally hungry Princess Toto, and his housekeeper, the overly strict Mrs. Grumblebaum. The aim of the mission is to find Algernon's lost parents, two members of the Potty Explorer's Club- Carzy and Maudy. They were lost exploring in a sieve. However, Algernon's dastardly Uncle Arbathnot is out to ensure that their mission does not succeed, and also to seize a mysterious treasure chest. He is assisted by a muscle-man named Damage, a Frenchman named Flannel, and a pirate named Pierre Head, who, like most pirates, is accompanied by a parrot – a wise-cracking green glove puppet. The show features a guest appearance from Cilla Black, who voiced the President of the Potty Explorer's Club.

Episodes
  1. Foodle Power (8 January 1992)[2][3]
  2. Sea Saw (15 January 1992)
  3. Cock-a-Doodle Crazy (22 January 1992)
  4. The Yolks on Who? (29 January 1992)
  5. Catch My Drift (5 February 1992)
  6. Up the Pole (12 February 1992)
  7. There's No Business Like Snow Business (19 February 1992)
  8. What the Dino Saw (26 February 1992)
  9. Hic Hic Wooray (4 March 1992)
  10. Goin' Bananas (11 March 1992)
  11. Planks a Lot (18 March 1992)
  12. Squids In (25 March 1992)
  13. Will Ee No Come Back Again? (1 April 1992)

Voices

Merchandise

Video releases

The entire series was released on a set of VHS recordings in 2001. There was also another video released by Pocket Money Video which contained the first eight episodes.

Music release

A soundtrack of the series was also released on CD and cassette which contained the introduction by Bruce Forsyth, a full extended version of the main title theme song and all of the songs that were featured in all thirteen episodes of the series. It was released by EMI Music Publishing in 1992, the same year as when the show first aired.

Credits
  • Based on the Original Story by: Jonathan Hodge
  • Written by: Jonathan Hodge & Stuart Leathwood
  • Scripts by: Don Arioli, Jonathan Hodge, Stuart Leathwood
  • Title Song by: Jonathan Hodge & Bob Saker
  • Original Songs by: Jonathan Hodge, Stuart Leathwood, Julian Littman
  • Incidental Music by: Jonathan Hodge & Julian Littman
  • Produced by: Jonathan Hodge
  • Music Recorded at: Honeywood Studios
  • Voice Recordings by: Ian Gillespie at Silk Sound
  • Animation by: Whizzline Productions, Clinton J. Priest, Nick Love-Gittins, Stephen Hales, Billy Allison, Simon Turner, Paul Smith, Denise Smith, Bob Smith, Malc Smith
  • Overseas Animation by: Shanghai Morning Sun Animation Co., Ltd.
  • Overseas Animation Directors: Horseman Cao
  • Design Storyboards and Layouts: Vince James, Jeremy Lounge, Miss Spomin
  • Backgrounds: Aileen Raistrick
  • Line Testing and Xerox: Lynn Durans, Kate Smith
  • Co-ordination: Karina Stanford, Margaret Johnson
  • Paint and Trace Supervisor: Louise Harding
  • Paint and Trace: Michael Ambler, Anne Marie Briggs, Damian Knapper, David McGuire, Russel Marshall, Greg Smith, Paul Murphey, Sharon Walsh, Fabian White, Tanya Blosen
  • Production Manager: Heather Pedley, Tyne Tees Facilities
  • Sound: John Cook, Charles Heath
  • Editing: Paul Rudkin
  • Rostrum Camera: Glynis Werndly
  • Supervising Cameraman: Alec Jacklin
  • Executive Producer for the BBC: Theresa Plummer Andrews
  • Executive Producer for HIT Entertainment: Peter Orton
  • Executive Producers for H.A.P.P.Y. Productions: Chris Ambler & Andy Taylor
  • Directed by: Tony Garth
  • Produced by: Jonathan Hodge
  • An H.A.P.P.Y. Production
  • © 1991 Fiddley Foodle Bird Productions Ltd

References
  • Ben Lawrence. "Fiddley Foodle Bird (1992)" in "Bruce Forsyth: 11 surprises from his career". The Daily Telegraph. 19 August 2017.
  • Barbara Holloway. "Caliber of Irish Facilities on the Rise". The Hollywood Reporter. Volume 312. Issues 1 to 17. Ireland Special Report. April 1990. Page S-10.
  • (1992) 18 Keyboard 26
  • "Fiddley Foodle Bird". TV Guide.
  • Bowker's Directory of Videocassettes for Children 1999. R R Bowker. 1999. p 76. Google
  • Film and Television Handbook. British Film Institute. 1992. p 184. Google
  • The WH Smith Complete Guide to What's On Video. WH Smith Edition: November 1993. Home Entertainment Corporation plc. Orton Southgate, Peterborough. 1993. p 201.
  • "The Fiddley Foodle Bird". Bowker's Complete Video Directory 2001. R R Bowker. p 582. Google
    • Bowker's Complete Video Directory 1998. Volume 2.
  • Tracklog 1997: Comprehensive guide to Popular music tracks. First Edition. Trade Service Information Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0951298542. p 216.
  • "Max Wall". Rare Record Price Guide 2014. Record Collector. Diamond Publishing. p 1310
  • Mike Preston (comp). Tele-Tunes: 2000 Edition 2: The Reference Book of Music for Television Commercials, Programmes, Films and Shows. Nineteenth Edition. Mike Preston Music. 2000. ISBN 906655188. p 111.
  1. Fiddley Foodle Bird Information
  2. The Times, 8 January 1992, p 17
  3. Limburgs Dagblad, 8 January 1992, p 8
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