Balamory
| Balamory | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Brian Jameson |
| Developed by | Balamory Ltd |
| Starring |
Julie Wilson Nimmo Miles Jupp Kasia Haddad Buki Akib Juliet Cadzow Andrew Agnew Rodd Christensen Mary Riggans Kim Tserkezie |
| Country of origin | Scotland |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 254 including Christmas special. |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Brian Jameson, Balamory Ltd |
| Running time | 19-21minutes. 28-30 minutes. Specials |
| Distributor | BBC Scotland; BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBeebies |
| Picture format | 16:9 Widescreen |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 10 February 2002 – 14 April 2005 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Balamory is a Scottish live action television series on British television (BBC One, BBC Two and CBeebies) for pre-school children, about a fictional small island community called Balamory in Scotland. It was produced between 10 February 2002 and 14 April 2005 by Balamory Ltd. for BBC Scotland, with 254 episodes made (including a DVD-exclusive Christmas episode). The series was created by Brian Jameson.
Balamory was filmed mostly in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, with the exception of scenes at Archie's castle filmed at Fenton Tower in North Berwick and other scenes like the park and nursery filmed in Glasgow
A select series of episodes was shown for two brief seasons in the United States on the Discovery Kids channel. It was also shown on TLC. In Ireland, episodes were shown until recently on weekdays on RTÉ Two's The Den and continue to be shown on The Den's replacement, RTÉjr.
Characters
Other than Suzie Sweet and Penny Pocket, who share a building and run Pocket and Sweet (a shop set in Balamory), each main character has their own house in the town, and each house has a distinctive colour. The colour of each character's house is the same as the clothes they wear with the exception of Penny Pocket, who lives in the Red House but wears blue, and PC Plum, who lives in the white house but wears a police uniform. They also have their own songs which they often sing during their appearances in the programme. What's the Story in Balamory is the theme of the show and a sample in the background on the credits. Sell Me A Coat (which is by David Bowie) and the coloured house song to see which coloured house they're going to (e.g. Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, White, Blue or Green) after Miss Hoolie's vocals. Archie makes anything out of boxes, drink boxes, sausage boxes, milk bottles, pebbles, pizza boxes, tape cassette, chocolate boxes, yoghurt pots, cotton reels and more and he lives in the pink house, which is actually a castle. He went up the top of the castle tower using binoculars which was seen on Symbols and Signs. Josie Jump does gymnastics (e.g. swimming, bouncing, running, exercise and generally never stops). PC plum is a policeman who has a large interest in nature and never solves any crimes. Spencer is a painter who paints scenes from the village and also enjoys music as shown by his little trailer. Edie Mcredie is a character who drives the school bus (Yellow, with flowers) and also can fix anything, according to her song. She has been noted as going to the everywhere from the hot desert sand to the cold arctic snow, again sourced from her song. Miss Hoolie is the most mysterious of the characters as we only see briefly inside her house once to meet a violinist. She runs the nursery and thanks to her, we learn what the weather is like outside. The characters are Suzie Sweet, Penny Pocket, Archie, Spencer, Josie Jump, PC Plum, Edie McCredie and Miss Hoolie (and the nursery children).
Each show also includes the following songs:
- What's The Story in Balamory?
- Which Coloured House Are We Going To?
| Character | Actor | Job | House | Associated songs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miss Hoolie | Julie Wilson Nimmo | Nursery teacher | Green house |
Nursery Song (Everybody Everyone) |
| Archie the Inventor | Miles Jupp | Inventor | Pink castle |
I'm Archie The Inventor |
| Josie Jump | Buki Akib (series 1-2) Kasia Haddad (series 3-4) | Fitness instructor | Three-storey yellow house |
Josie Jump Is My Name (Jump A Little Higher) |
| Edie McCredie | Juliet Cadzow | Bus driver | Blue garage/house |
When I Honk My Horn |
| PC Plum | Andrew Agnew | Policeman | White and black police station |
I'm PC Plum |
| Spencer the Painter | Rodd Christensen | Painter/Musician | Orange house |
Climbing Up My Musical Ladder |
| Suzie Sweet | Mary Riggans | Shop and café workers | Red shop |
Suzie's Cooking |
| Penny Pocket | Kim Tserkezie | Sort it I'm Suzie Sweet, I'm Penny Pocket |
Episodes
A typical episode begins with Miss Hoolie opening the nursery and telling the audience what the weather is like in Balamory today, and then meeting one of the other main characters who has a "problem" that can be solved by visiting another main character. The main character with the problem sings and dances to a Calypso style song to decide which of the coloured houses "is the one for me" (i.e. is the one where the helpful character lives), and then makes a procession of visits to various characters until the problem is solved. For example, Josie Jump is looking after her neighbour's rabbit and needs to know how to look after the rabbit so she goes to visit PC Plum who advises her to feed the rabbit some vegetables. Josie then decides to go to Pocket and Sweet to buy some rabbit food, then takes the rabbit to the nursery so the children can look after the animal.
At each visit, the progress of the story to date is summarised by drawing a rainbow of balloons in the air with the hands. The balloons burst open. summary of today's "story in Balamory" narrated by the visitor. The entire story is also summarised at the end of each programme by Miss Hoolie.
Each episode of Balamory contains at least five songs;
- Opening song (What's The Story In Balamory?)
- Miss Hoolie's song (Nursery Song or a day off song depending on if it is a working day or a day off)
- Which Coloured House Are We Going To? (Sung by one of the characters. There is also an instrumental version for Miss Hoolie to narrate at the end of each episode.)
- One or more character songs (Penny and Suzie, Archie, Spencer, Josie, PC Plum and Edie)
Episode Guide
Walking the Dog by Kate Donnelly; Josie is looking after a dog but doesn't know what they like to do
Odd Socks by Keith Brumpton; Archie is on is way to his sister's but has odd socks on
Haircut by David Moore; Pc Plum has hair in front of his eyes
Jungle Story by Wayne Jackman; Josie tells a story of animals
Art Gallery by Alan Moss; Penny has hiccups and they won't go away
Fish Supper by Kath Yelland; It's the annual fish tea and Spencer has forgot the suppers
Obstacle Course by Kath Yelland; Suzie has lots of boxes cluttering the shop and café
The PowerCut by Wayne Jackman; Archie invents a TV that doesn't use electricity
I Spy by David Moore; The children on Edie's bus gets bored
Beach Ball by Simon Jowett; Miss Hoolie finds a ball but it has holes in it
The Missing Scarecrow by Wayne Jackman; Edie discovers the nursery scarecrow has disappeared
Storm In A Nursery by Duncan Fisher; Edie's upset when her boat trip is cancelled due to windy weather
The Sandcastle by Nigel Crowle; Spencer wants to build sandcastles but the shop has no buckets and spades left
Mending A Puncture by Penny Lloyd; Pc Plum is playing cricket but doesn't know the rules
Couch Potato by Penny Lloyd; Archie is getting very lazy
Buddies by Pam Wardell; Spencer takes the children to meet mew friends at a school
Basketball by Nigel Crowle; Edie is playing Basketball but doesn't know how to play
Fun Run by Jill Brett; There's a fun run but Pc Plum can't be found
Sausages by David Moore; Edie's sausages keep getting stolen
Lost Voice by Wayne Jackman; Pc Plum's has a sore throat
Litterbug by Johanna Hall; Pc Plum and Miss Hoolie try to catch a litterbug who's been dropping litter everywhere
The SingAlong Machine by Jill Brett; Archie has new invention but its keeping everyone awake
Funfair by Polly Kelly; Archie has tickets to the funfair but doesn't like the rides
Feeding The Lambs; PC Plum has been up all night and begins to sleep everywhere
Newborn Baby by Brian Jameson ; Spencer wants to buy a present for a new baby
Camping by Wayne Jackman; Everyone is going on a camping trip
Road signs; There's strange road signs around Balamory and Edie doesn't know what they are for
Sailing; Pc Plum and Miss Hoolie go on a trip Sailing
Golf; There's a crazy golf game in the café
Snow; PC Plum and Archie invent a winter wonderland for Mrs MacLeod
Ice Skating; Josie is learning to Ice Skate
Musical Hamper; Archie shows Penny his musical hamper
The FerryBoat; Archie's friend Liam is upset after a cancellation
Dolls Hospital; Edie accidentally breaks Caitlin's dolly
Broken Down Bus; Edie's bus breaks down due to the snow
The Puddle Walk; PC Plum takes the children on a puddle walk
The Snowflake Fairy; Josie tells Archie the story of the snowflake fairy
Seaside Inside; Spencer creates a seaside indoors thanks to the rain
Panto; Everyone in Balamory gets ready for the Christmas pantomime
Ceilidh; Suzie organizes a ceidlidh but soon tires herself out after dancing
Suzie's Muddle; Suzie keeps delivering the wrong things
Milking Cows; Archie shows the children about cows and where the milk comes from
Shops; Josie shows the children how to play pretend shops
Windy Day; Pc Plum's hat has blown away in the wind
Underwater World; Edie's bus breaks down when taking the children on an outing
Teddy Bears Picnic; Spencer's lost his teddy
Guinea Pig; Archie's looking after George the Guinea pig but later George goes missing
Big City; Pc Plum shows Archie how to cross the road safely
Suzie's Flying Lesson; Suzie learns how to fly
Postcards; Spencer shows the children to create nice drawings on a postcard
Sports Day; Josie is unwell so it's up to PC Plum to help with sports day
Visit To The Doctor; Josie gets a sore foot
Go Cart; Suzie shows the children how to play go carts
One Man Band; Spencer's playing in a festival but doesn't know what instruments to play
Regatta; It's regatta day but all the boats look the same
Pony Ride; Carrots go missing and there's spilt paint everywhere
Two By Two; Josie sings a song about animals
Jungle; The nursery is turned into a fun Jungle
The Lost Letter; Spencer has post a letter to Miss Hoolie but she hasn't got it
Getting Up; Edie learns a new song to wake her up in the morning
Noisy Hat; Archie has a new invention a hat that makes animal noises
Halloween; Spencer creates a Halloween party in the nursery
Pipe Tree; Miss Hoolie finds some old pipes but doesn't know what to do with them
Aeroplane; Suzie learns about flying
The Boat Race; Penny is cheering Josie on at the boat race but has a sore throat
Treasure Hunt; PC Plum organizes a treasure hunt
Garden Competition; Spencer has some bunting
Sound Story; Edie and Spencer tell the story of Goldilocks and the three bears with added sounds
Oh Deer; A deer runs wild around Balamory and Pc Plum and Edie try catch it
Plonk Blocks; Josie tells a story about building blocks
Tantrums; Archie gets angry after he bursts a balloon
Buggies And Prams; Josie gets lost in the city
Spaghetti Day; Suzie helps create a meal for PC Plum's birthday
Whale Of A Day; Miss Hoolie and PC Plum go whaling
Spooks; Archie Edie and Miss Hoolie dress as ghosts
Ten Pin Bowling; There's chaos at Miss Hoolie's when they play funs and games
BedTime; Archie gets confused by his new invention
Lost Then Found; Things go missing and its up to PC Plum to find them
The Clown; Giggles the Clown arrives at the nursery but has lost his make-up
Party Games; Archie invents a whole host of games
The Fiddle Player; A fiddle player visits the nursery
Anasi; Josie tell the story of Anasi the spider
Hub Caps; There's new sounds in Balamory
Marching Band; Suzie organises a music parade
Reflections; Archie has a new invention which use reflections
The Lost Cow; A cow goes missing
Light Festival; It's a special birthday for Josie
Skiing; Josie goes skiing
The Rhyme Machine; Archie has a new invention and creates a song
Paper Chase; Miss Hoolie wants a pic of Balamory for the nursery wall
Audience
The programme is aimed at pre-schoolers. The programme's creator had intended it as a "soap opera for children".[1] The show can also be seen in a humorous light. The characters in Balamory are somewhat naive and light-hearted, often appearing to be children trapped in adult bodies with adult roles. The entire storyline often revolves around problems which seem obvious and simple to older viewers.
Songs
There are many songs in Balamory, mainly sung by the actors. These songs are used consistently throughout the series when characters or circumstances are introduced to the episode. In the run starting from October 2004, new songs were introduced. These songs are longer and take up more time in the episode, so the old versions are still used often. The end credits show Miss Hoolie leaving the nursery for hometime and going to Miss Hoolie's green house and say goodbye to Miss Hoolie. Then the clips show saying goodbye to Edie McCredie, PC Plum, Josie Jump, Spencer, Archie and Pocket and Sweet. A picture of Josie's yellow house is real and turns back into a painted picture frame like at the beginning. Then the camera zooms out of the island and then a ferry passes by like on the beginning. Some multi-coloured closed captions slide along and the production logo, credit names and a Balamory logo appears at the end reading www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies Corpus Christie Primary School Choir, Knightswood, Glasgow sang the theme tune 'What's The Story In Balamory?'
In addition to the character-specific Balamory songs mentioned above, there are many more general songs:
- "What's The Story In Balamory?" is the main theme song of the show (with the dolphins diving on the beginning where the ferry is)
- "Coloured House Song (Which Coloured House Are We Going To?)" (several slightly different versions, depending on who is singing it and which house they're going to, red, pink, orange, yellow, white, blue or green) (Archie, Edie, Josie, PC Plum, Spencer, Suzie and Penny(separate and together)
Miss Hoolie:
- Everybody Everyone
- Strike Up The Band
- What Do You Want To Do Today
PC Plum:
- I'm PC Plum
- Follow The Clue
Josie Jump:
- Josie Jump Is My Name (Jump A Little Higher)
- Cheer You Up
Edie McCredie:
- When I Honk My Horn
- Let Me Take You On Journey
Spencer:
- Climbing Up My Musical Ladder
- If You Need A Little Rhythm
Archie:
- I'm Archie The Inventor
- Great Inventions, Groovy Solutions
Suzie Sweet and Penny Pocket:
- I'm Suzie Sweet, I'm Penny Pocket
- Suzie's Cooking
- Sort It
Some of these songs are available on a CD named Balamory: Strike Up The Band.
| Song | Used/character | Series |
|---|---|---|
| What's The Story In Balamory? | All | |
| Everybody, Everyone (Nursery Song) | All | |
| What Do You Want To Do Today? | (Miss Hoolie's Day Off Song 1) | 1-2 |
| Strike Up The Band | (Miss Hoolie's Day Off Song 2) | 3–4 |
| Which Coloured House Are We Going To? | 10 slight variations Archie PC Plum Spencer Josie Jump Penny and Suzie (both individually and together) Edie McCredie | All |
| I'm Archie, The Inventor (Archie's Song 1) | Archie | All |
| Great Inventions, Groovy Solutions (Archie's Song 2) | Archie | 3–4 |
| I'm PC Plum (PC Plum's Song 1) | PC Plum | All |
| Follow The Clue (PC Plum's Song 2) | PC Plum | 3–4 |
| Climbing Up My Musical Ladder (Spencer's Song 1) | Spencer | All |
| If You Need A Little Rhythm (Spencer's Song 2) | Spencer | 3–4 |
| Josie Jump Is My Name (Jump a Little Higher) (Josie Jump's Song 1) | Josie Jump | All |
| Cheer You Up (Josie Jump's Song 2) | Josie Jump | 3–4 |
| I'm Suzie Sweet, I'm Penny Pocket (Pocket and Sweet's Song 1) | Suzie Sweet/Penny Pocket | All |
| Suzie's Cooking (Suzie Sweet's Song) | Suzie Sweet | 3–4 |
| Sort It (Penny Pocket's Song) | Penny Pocket | 3–4 |
| When I Honk My Horn (Edie McCredie's Song 1) | Edie McCredie | All |
| Let Me Take You On A Journey (Edie McCredie's Song 2) | Edie McCredie | 3–4 |
Production
Very few episodes feature actors other than the main characters and the children. Terry Wogan made a guest appearance in one episode (The Game Show) as a television director. This episode also features Greg Hemphill who is Julie Wilson Nimmo's husband in real life, and John Altman who plays Nasty Nick Cotton in Eastenders. Keith Floyd also appears in Suzie Sweet's song "Suzie's Cookin'".
Occasionally, the shots of children entering the nursery are cut down for repeats for time reasons.
Cancellation
On 30 April 2005 the BBC announced that it would not order another season of the series, citing they wanted to experiment and create more new programme ideas. Also many of the cast were keen to move on. Miles Jupp, who played Archie, has stated that his role caused some problems when he was performing stand-up on the Edinburgh Fringe, due to parents who recognised him from Balamory assuming his show was child-friendly, and bringing their children to see it. Julie Wilson Nimmo, who played Miss Hoolie, complained that she couldn't take her children to the local play area without being mobbed. In the same year the series ended, the cast went on tour named 'The Balamory Tour'.
Episode guide
Awards
- Nominated for Best Pre-school Live Action Series at the 2003 BAFTA Children's Awards.[2]
- Awarded Best Pre-school Live Action Series at the 2004 BAFTA Children's Awards.[3]
- Nominated for Best Pre-school Live Action Series at the 2005 BAFTA Children's Awards.[4]
References
- ↑ The Sunday Herald talks to the Balamory cast and production team
- ↑ "Past Winners and Nominees - Children's — Awards - 2003". BAFTA. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
- ↑ "Past Winners and Nominees - Children's - Awards - 2004". BAFTA. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
- ↑ "Past Winners and Nominees - Children's - Awards - 2005". BAFTA. Archived from the original on 23 February 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
External links
- CBeebies - Balamory at bbc.co.uk
- General information (including population figures) for the Isle of Mull, including Tobermory - Filming location of Balamory
- Balamory at the Internet Movie Database
- Balamory at TV.com