Andy Pandy

Andy Pandy was a British children's television series that premiered on BBC TV in summer 1950. Originally live, a series of 26 filmed programmes was shown until 1970, when a new series of 13 episodes was made. A revival of the show was made in 2002. The show was the basis for a comic strip of the same name in the children's magazines Robin and Pippin.

Not to be confused with Andy Panda.

Andy Pandy
From the 1952 Andy Pandy opening titles. The blocks turned to reveal the title one letter at a time.
Created by	Freda Lingstrom & Maria Bird
Starring	Maria Bird Vera McKechnie Tom Conti
Opening theme	Andy Pandy Theme (2002)
Ending theme	Andy Pandy Theme (instrumental; 2002)
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	91
Production
Producer(s)	David Boisseau Peter Thompson
Running time	15–16 minutes (Watch with Mother) 5 minutes (revival)
Release
Original network	BBC Television Service 1950, 1970 CBeebies 2002–2008
Original release	20 June 1950 – 27 September 2002

Original 1950 and 1970 versions

The original version of Andy Pandy premiered on BBC TV in 1950, on either 11 July[1][2] or 20 June,[3] as part of the For the Children strand (later Watch with Mother) narrated by Maria Bird. Initially the programmes were transmitted live, but it was realised that if the programmes were filmed, they could be repeated. Twenty-six episodes of fifteen minutes duration were filmed on 16mm,[3] and were produced around 1952; they were repeated continuously until 1969.[4] In 1970, thirteen new episodes were made in colour with Vera McKechnie as narrator.[5]

A marionette who lived in a picnic basket, Andy was later joined by Teddy, a teddy bear, and Looby Loo, a rag doll, who would appear/come to life when Andy and Teddy were not around. Looby Loo would sing the song Here we go Looby Loo.[6] All three lived in the same picnic basket. Each episode ended with a variation on the song: "Time to go home, Time to go home, Andy is waving goodbye."[7]

It is claimed that the design for the character was based on Paul Atterbury, the then young son of puppeteer Audrey Atterbury.[2] A comic-strip version was published in Robin.

The production staff for the original series were:

• Producer: Freda Lingstrom.
• Narrator: Maria Bird and later Vera McKechnie.
• Writer/composer: Freda Lingstrom[3] and Maria Bird.[3]
• Singers: Gladys Whitred, Julia Williams and Maria Bird (in the 1970 colour series).[8]
• Puppeteers: Audrey Atterbury,[3] Molly Gibson,[1] Martin Grainger, The Stavordales and Christopher Leith (in the 1970 colour series).[3]

Episode list

The 27 episodes were:

1. "Tea Party" (20 June 1950)
2. "Presents" (27 June 1950)
3. "Music" (4 July 1950)
4. "Hand Bells" (11 July 1950)
5. "ABC" (18 July 1950)
6. "Bricks" (25 July 1950)
7. "Playing School" (1 August 1950)
8. "Play Shops" (8 August 1950)
9. "Leaning House" (15 August 1950)
10. "Pram" (22 August 1950)
11. "Farm" (29 August 1950)
12. "Garden" (5 September 1950)
13. "Wall and Tortoise" (12 September 1950)
14. "Turtles" (19 September 1950)
15. "Boats" (26 September 1950)
16. "Paddling Pool" (3 October 1950)
17. "Horse and Fish" (10 October 1950)
18. "Bird and Butterfly" (17 October 1950)
19. "Rabbits" (24 October 1950)
20. "Kittens" (31 October 1950)
21. "Kings and Queens" (7 November 1950)
22. "Jack in the Box" (14 November 1950)
23. "The Cart" (21 November 1950)
24. "Swing" (16 September 1952)

1970 series

By 1970, as BBC1 was by then transmitted in colour, 13 new episodes were produced and shown from 5 January 1970.[9][10]

The 13 episodes of the 1970 series are:

1. "Andy Pandy's House" (5 January 1970)
2. "Hobby Horses" (12 January 1970)
3. "Scooters" (19 January 1970)
4. "Trampoline" (26 January 1970)
5. "Jack-in-a-Box" (2 February 1970)
6. "A Wall and a Hedgehog" (9 February 1970)
7. "Cleaning the House" (16 February 1970)
8. "Tricycle" (23 February 1970)
9. "Looby Loo Has a Cold" (2 March 1970)
10. "The Jeep" (9 March 1970)
11. "Tea Party" (16 March 1970)
12. "Red Engine" (23 March 1970)
13. "Sailing Boats" (30 March 1970)

2002 revival

Stop motion set on display at the National Science and Media Museum, with Andy Pandy, Looby Loo and Teddy

Another set of 52 episodes was made in 2002, using the stop-motion technique instead of string puppeteering. The original nursery and garden were expanded to an entire village, with Andy, Teddy and Looby Loo now owning individual houses, and four new characters were introduced into the series: Missy Hissy; and her brother, another snake who is never seen Tiffo; a teal-and-purple dog, Bilbo (vocals performed by David Holt); a sailor, and Orbie (vocals performed by Maria Darling); a yellow-and-blue ball. The new series was narrated by actor Tom Conti. While the emphasis of the original series was on music and movement, the emphasis of the 2002 series was on making and doing.

Listed are the episodes in each series, along with their songs (if any):

Series 1

#	Episode title	Writer	Summary	Original airdate	Song
1	Hide and Seek	Chris Allen	Teddy gets lost during a game of hide and seek.	25 March 2002	Hopscotch
2	The Balloon	Jimmy Hibbert	Andy Pandy's balloon gets blown away.	26 March 2002	Hopscotch
3	The Puddle	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy and Looby Loo make a boat and sail it on a puddle of rain water.	27 March 2002	Honey
4	The Picnic	Jimmy Hibbert	There is great excitement in the garden when Looby Loo plans a picnic. He manages to break her plates. Andy Pandy has a solution.	28 March 2002	Honey
5	The Man from the Moon	Chris Allen	Teddy gets stuck in a cardboard box and Andy Pandy mistakes him for a visitor from the moon.	29 March 2002	Musical Chairs
6	Andy Pandy's Band	Jimmy Hibbert	Andy Pandy makes musical instruments out of odds and ends, so that Looby Loo can dance the day away.	30 March 2002	Musical Chairs
7	Tiffo and His Stick	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy and his friends decide to spring-clean their houses.	31 March 2002	Painting
8	A Lick of Paint	Jimmy Hibbert	Teddy tramples on Looby Loo's favourite blue flowers, so he makes decoy flowers with tissue paper, twigs and blue paint.	1 April 2002	Painting
9	A Flying Feather	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy has a pretty present for Looby Loo, but it keeps blowing away.	2 April 2002	Boxes
10	Puppeteer Pandy	Jimmy Hibbert	Andy Pandy makes a puppet from an old sock, and tries to convince Missy Hissy that she has a new friend.	3 April 2002	Boxes
11	The Birthday Cake	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy thinks it is Looby Loo's birthday, so he tries to make an ice-cream cake.	4 April 2002	Gardening
12	A String in the Tail	Jimmy Hibbert	While Andy Pandy is wrapping a parcel, he loses his grip on a ball of string.	5 April 2002	Gardening
13	Andy Pandy's Musical Box	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy finds a musical box and Looby Loo teaches him how to dance.	6 April 2002	Looby Loo
14	The Big Spring Clean	Jimmy Hibbert	Andy Pandy and Teddy help Looby Loo with the spring cleaning, but Teddy ruins a portrait of Looby Loo. Luckily, Andy Pandy is at hand to show him how to make a collage.	7 April 2002	Looby Loo
15	The Bubble	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy blows a bubble which follows him everywhere.	8 April 2002	Playground
16	Teddy Gets the Wind Up	Jimmy Hibbert	Teddy is helping Looby Loo put out the washing when a sheet blows away.	9 April 2002	Playground
17	A Noisy Supper	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy, Looby Loo and Teddy invite their friends to a very odd meal.	10 April 2002	Tickle
18	Potato Prints	Jimmy Hibbert	Andy Pandy brightens up Missy Hissy's pipes.	11 April 2002	Tickle
19	Teddy's Sunglasses	Chris Allen	Teddy tries to make a pair of sunglasses.	12 April 2002	Camping
20	Growing Pains	Jimmy Hibbert	Andy shows Teddy how to make cress shapes and teaches his friend a lesson in patience.	13 April 2002	Camping
21	The Nest	Chris Allen	The gang try to hatch some strange eggs they find in a nest.	14 April 2002	Coming to Play
22	The Box That Chimed	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy hears the sound of chiming but can't work out how the noise is made.	15 April 2002	Coming to Play
23	A Model Bear	Jimmy Hibbert	After Tiffo destroys Teddy's plasticine mouse model, Andy Pandy makes modelling clay so that Teddy can create a model of his mentor.	16 April 2002	Picnic
24	Hubble Bubble	Jimmy Hibbert	While helping Looby Loo with the washing-up, Teddy discovers the joys of blowing bubbles.	17 April 2002	Picnic
25	Bell Ringers	Chris Allen	Teddy makes a racket when Andy Pandy finds a bell.	18 April 2002	Tiffo
26	Rub-a-Dub	Jimmy Hibbert	Teddy is having a hard time of it painting a picture of his house. He is just about given up when Andy suggests a novel way of getting his house drawn - with some paper and wax crayons.	19 April 2002	Tiffo

Series 2

#	Episode title	Writer	Summary	Original airdate	Song
1	Quick on the Straw	Jimmy Hibbert	Teddy is using a drinking straw to annoy Looby Loo.	2 September 2002	Say Hello
2	The Tent	Chris Allen	It is a hot night, so Andy Pandy and Teddy make a tent so they can sleep outside.	3 September 2002	Say Hello
3	Chocolate Eggstravaganza	Jimmy Hibbert	Andy Pandy and Teddy make chocolate eggs, and then go on an egg hunt.	4 September 2002	Skittles
4	The Big Sneeze	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy has caught a cold and can't stop sneezing. He helps him feel better.	5 September 2002	Skittles
5	Beetle Mania	Jimmy Hibbert	When Teddy is scared by a beetle, Andy Pandy helps him get over his fear by making beetle masks with him.	6 September 2002	Peek-a-Boo
6	The Noisy Ball	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy and Teddy find a very unusual ball.	7 September 2002	Peek-a-Boo
7	Easy Beady	Jimmy Hibbert	When Teddy breaks Looby Loo's daisy chain, Andy Pandy shows him how to make colourful beads for a replacement necklace.	8 September 2002	Andy's Cupboard
8	Andy Pandy's Odd Ink	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy draws a picture with his new ink, and is amazed when his work vanishes from the page.	9 September 2002	Andy's Cupboard
9	Teddy's Long - Legs	Jimmy Hibbert	When Tiffo and Teddy lose Tiffo's favourite snack in the branches of a tree, Andy Pandy shows Teddy how to make a pair of stilts to retrieve it.	10 September 2002	Playing with Tiffo
10	The Three Bears	Chris Allen	Teddy is frightened when he thinks he sees another bear trying to scare him away.	11 September 2002	Playing with Tiffo
11	Scaredy Bear	Jimmy Hibbert	When Andy Pandy and Looby Loo make a scarecrow, they don't expect it to scare Teddy - but it does!	12 September 2002	Racing
12	The Missing Whistle	Chris Allen	Teddy has been given a penny whistle as a present, but Tiffo thinks it's a long thin bone.	13 September 2002	Racing
13	A Tale of Two Spoons	Jimmy Hibbert	Teddy is making a nuisance of himself with two wooden spoons, so Andy Pandy shows him how to make them into wooden puppets.	14 September 2002	Dressing Up
14	Tiffo Gets a Car	Chris Allen	When Tiffo's paw is stung by a wasp, Andy Pandy and Teddy make a cart for him so that they can still take him for walks on wheels!	15 September 2002	Dressing Up
15	Blowing in the Wind	Jimmy Hibbert	When Bilbo finds a box of bolts, Andy Pandy has the novel idea of using them to make a musical wind chime.	16 September 2002	Mud Pies
16	The Old Sea Chest	Jimmy Hibbert	When Andy Pandy finds that Bilbo's old sea-chest is full of sand, he has a seaside holiday on his very own beach.	17 September 2002	Mud Pies
17	Cereal Number	Jimmy Hibbert	When Teddy spills some of his cereal, Andy Pandy shows him how to make a collage with it.	18 September 2002	Kites
18	Birdsong	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy wants to hear the dawn chorus, but finds it hard to wake up on time.	19 September 2002	Kites
19	Get Your Skates On	Jimmy Hibbert	Teddy gets a present of a pair of roller skates, so he challenges Andy Pandy and Looby Loo to a race.	20 September 2002	Keeping Fit
20	Cheer Up Andy	Jimmy Hibbert	When Andy Pandy peels a large onion, he and his friends cannot stop crying.	21 September 2002	Keeping Fit
21	Orbie's Game	Jimmy Hibbert	Orbie is sad because, being a ball, he can't join in with his friends' games, until Andy pandy makes him some ninepins to knock over.	22 September 2002	Pass the Parcel
22	Hiccups	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy has trouble giving Looby Loo a secret present when Teddy has hiccups.	23 September 2002	Pass the Parcel
23	Teddy's Treasure Hunt	Jimmy Hibbert	Andy Pandy devises a treasure hunt to keep Teddy amused.	24 September 2002	Let's Have a Party
24	A Puzzle for Andy Pandy	Chris Allen	Andy Pandy and Looby Loo make a picture from a jigsaw puzzle, but they can't figure out why there is a hole in the middle.	25 September 2002	Let's Have a Party
25	Under the Spreading Newspaper Tree	Jimmy Hibbert	When Teddy gets impatient waiting for his avocado plant to grow, Andy Pandy helps him to make some paper trees.	26 September 2002	Making a Noise
26	Market Day	Chris Allen	When Bilbo tells Andy Pandy and his friends about the outdoor markets he has visited, they decide to set up a market of their own. What will it see and will they succeed?	27 September 2002	Making a Noise

UK VHS and DVD releases

VHS or DVD Title	Release Date	Episodes
Andy Pandy (BBCV 4205)	5 December 1988	Red Engine, Sailing Boats, Trampoline, Hobby Horses
Andy Pandy 2: Tales from the Toybox (BBCV 4361)	4 June 1990	Jack in a Box, Looby Loo Has a Cold, Tea Party, Tricycle
The Very Best of Andy Pandy (BBCV 5107)	6 September 1993	Trampoline, Jack in a Box, Red Engine, Tea Party, Hobby Horses
Andy Pandy: Meet Andy Pandy and His Friends (BBCV 7341)	30 September 2002	The Balloon, The Man from the Moon, Andy Pandy's Band, A Flying Feather, The Birthday Cake, A String in the Tail, The Bubble, Teddy Gets the Wind Up, A Noisy Supper, The Box That Chimed
Andy Pandy: Charming Stories (BBCV 7399)	21 April 2003	Hide and Seek, Tiffo and His Stick, A Lick of Paint, Puppeteer Pandy, Andy Pandy's Musical Box, The Big Spring Clean, Teddy's Sunglasses, The Nest, Hubble Bubble, Bell Ringers
Andy Pandy: Teddy's Sunglasses and Other Stories	2006	Bell Ringers, The Bubble, The Nest, Teddy's Sunglasses, The Big Spring Clean, A Lick of Paint
Andy Pandy: Hide and Seek	8 September 2008	Hide and Seek, Song: Hopscotch, The Balloon, The Puddle, Song: Honey, The Picnic, The Man from the Moon, Song: Musical Chairs, Andy Pandy's Band, Tiffo and His Stick, Song: Painting, A Lick of Paint, A Flying Feather, Song: Boxes, Puppeteer Pandy
Andy Pandy: The Birthday Cake	8 September 2008	The Birthday Cake, Song: Gardening, A String in the Tale, Andy Pandy's Musical Box, Song: Looby Loo, The Big Spring Clean, The Bubble, Song: Playground, Teddy Gets the Wind Up, A Noisy Supper, Song: Tickle, Potato Prints, Teddy's Sunglasses, Song: Camping, Growing Pains

References

1. Watch with Mother
2. Audrey Atterbury on Telegoons.org Archived 8 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
3. TV studio history Lime Grove Archived 7 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
4. |Final airing of black and white episodes]
5. Sheridan, Simon (2004). The A-Z of Classic Children's Television: From Alberto Frog to Zebedee. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. pp. 41–43. ISBN 1903111277.
6. "WATCH WITH MOTHER at televisionheaven.co.uk". Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
7. Andy Pandy : Classic Children's TV of the 20th Century at wwwk.co.uk Archived 17 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine <- this link is dead as of 3/21/17.
8. Evans, Jeff (1995). The Guinness Television Encyclopedia. Guinness Publishing. pp. 23–24. ISBN 0-85112-744-4.
9. Watch with Mother site reference
10. Watch with Mother episode guide

External links

• Andy Pandy at BBC Programmes
• 2002 animated version @ BBC Programmes
• British Film Institute Screen Online
• IMDB