Bagpuss Turns 40!
Once upon a time, not so long ago, there lived a old saggy cloth cat named Bagpuss and today he is celebrating his 40th Birthday.
The series was first broadcast on 12th February 1974, and has gone on to win the heart of generations of children since he first yawned onto British screens.
Bagpuss was created by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, who together founded animation company Smallfilms, the team behind Clangers (1969), Ivor the Engine (1958) and Noggin the Nog (1959). They produced these films and many others in Firmin’s cowshed at his home in Blean, near Canterbury, Kent.
Although just 13 episode were made, the series soon became a family favourite due to annual repeats and is still extremely popular today. In 1999 the series was voted the best children’s TV show of all time in a BBC poll, and just last month Bagpuss appeared on Royal Mail stamps along with a host of other iconic faces from the animation world.
Photo: Caters News
Each short story began in sepia with a young girl called Emily placing broken objects in the window of an old shop. When Emily left, the toys came to life, with the broken object mended and a story told in various animated forms.
To mark this milestone the real life Emily, now 48, and daughter of co-creator Peter Firmin was reunited with the original cat who was briefly woken from his long sleep where he resides at The Canterbury Heritage Museum in Kent. He is kept company by the other toys from the series: Madeleine the ragdoll, Gabriel the toad, pompous professor Yaffle and the mice.
Like so many fondly remembered Children’s TV show, there have been rumours the series may be set for a reboot like it’s counterpart Clanger which Skwigly reported last year. Oliver Postgate passed away in 2008 but his son Daniel took over his role and has said: “It wouldn’t be an easy programme to copy… it relied so much on my Dad, the voices and the characters as they are – certainly in this country. If it was done again, it would be a good opportunity for small animation studios to be involved and do little bits.” Firmin is said to be a little more resistant to new episodes.
To mark the big 4-0, there are exciting plans to release digitally restored episodes. All 13 episodes have been remastered into new versions, which will be screened in cinemas later this year and available on DVD. “They’re clearer than they’ve ever been,” says Postgate. “But it’s just nice that it’s had such longevity and that everyone still finds Bagpuss such a warm character.”
Why not take a quick cat nap and watch the classic opening sequence…