The Woodentops (TV series)

The Woodentops
The Woodentops, opening titles
Genre	Children's television series Puppet show
Created by	Freda Lingstrom Maria Bird
Narrated by	Maria Bird, Eileen Browne, Josephina Ray, Peter Hawkins,
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of episodes	26
Production
Running time	15 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC Television
Picture format	4:3
Original release	September 1955 – 1957

The Woodentops is a children's television series first shown on BBC Television in 1955. Created by Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird, it featured on the Friday edition of Watch with Mother. The main characters are the members of a middle-class family living on a farm. The aim of the programme was to teach pre-school children about family life.

The children, Jenny and Willy, were twins. They spoke, walked and did many things together.

Other characters included:

Scripts and music: Maria Bird
Puppeteers: Audrey Atterbury, Molly Gibson and Gordon Murray
Voices: Eileen Browne, Josephina Ray, Peter Hawkins
Designs: Barbara Jones

1. Introduction (9 September 1955)
2. Boats and Pigs
3. Horse
4. Spotty’s Paw
5. Spotty’s Sheep
6. Spotty’s Joke
7. Dog Washing
8. Injured Bird
9. Bird Set Free
10. Twins’ Holiday
11. Soap Box
12. Baby’s Bath
13. Surprises
14. Show
15. Party
16. Buttercup
17. Belling the Cow
18. Hayfield
19. Horse Shoe (14 March 1958)
20. Steam Roller
21. Geese
22. Ducks
23. Pram
24. Dinner Bell
25. Sacks
26. Paper Hats

The Woodentops was filmed in a tin shed at the BBC's Lime Grove Studios. The narrator/storyteller for all episodes, who also provided the dialogue for Mummy Woodentop, was Maria Bird who, typical of BBC presenters of the time, spoke with Received Pronunciation. Daddy Woodentop, being a farmer, spoke with a noticeable West Country accent.

Although set on a farm, at an unspecified location, each episode began with the whole family being introduced as they sat in front of a tall curtain, apparently on a stage. Episodes closed with the family grouped in the same pose, with the word "GOODBYE" superimposed above.