Paddington (1975 TV series)

Paddington

Opening title image
Starring Michael Hordern
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of episodes 56 + 3 specials
Production
Running time 5 min.
Release
Original network BBC1 (1976-2000) CBBC (2000)
Original release 5 January 1976 – 5 July 1986
External links
Website
Paddington meeting Mr and Mrs Brown for the first time, showing the characteristic mix of 2D and stop-motion animation.

Paddington Bear is a series of British animated shorts based on the Paddington Bear book series by Michael Bond produced by FilmFair. This was the first television series based on the popular children's book Paddington Bear. In the United States it was usually shown on pay television as filler in between programmes. Its narrator was actor Michael Hordern. The series has a very distinctive art style. Paddington himself is a stop-motion animated puppet who moves within a 3-dimensional space and interacts with 2-dimensional animated drawings of the human characters, buildings, etc.

Broadcast

Series One (episodes 1 to 30, entitled Paddington) was aired on the BBC1 in 1976 (having been produced the previous year), and Series Two (episodes 31 to 56, entitled The Adventures of Paddington) between 1978 and 1979, with specials airing in 1980, 1984 and 1986. Internationally, episodes of the series aired in the United States on PBS, on the syndicated series Romper Room, on Nickelodeon as a segment on the programme Pinwheel and on USA Network as a segment on the Calliope (TV series) in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as well as in between preschool programming on The Disney Channel as a segment on the programme Lunch Box from the late 1980s into the 1990s.[1][2] The series also aired on HBO in between features, usually when they were airing children's programmes. It was also aired on the ABC in Australia in the early 1980s.

Episodes

No. Episode Name Original air date
01 "Please Look After This Bear"  5 January 1976 (1976-01-05)
The very first story, in which Mr and Mrs. Brown meet Paddington in a railway station, which results in his name. 
02 "A Bear in Hot Water"  6 January 1976 (1976-01-06)
Paddington arrives at the Brown household, and Judy attempts to explain how to have a bath. Paddington does not manage very well, but in spite of this, the Browns decide to keep him. 
03 "Paddington Goes Underground"  7 January 1976 (1976-01-07)
Paddington travels on the underground with Mrs. Brown and Judy, but finds himself in a spot of bother with one of the inspectors. 
04 "A Shopping Expedition"  8 January 1976 (1976-01-08)
Mrs. Brown takes Paddington to buy some pyjamas, but he gets lost and mistakes a shop window for a changing room. 
05 "Paddington and the Old Master"  9 January 1976 (1976-01-09)
Paddington's friend, Mr. Gruber, an antique dealer, shows Paddington a special type of painting called an "Old Master". Paddington then helps Mr. Brown win a painting competition. 
06 "A Spot of Decorating"  12 January 1976 (1976-01-12)
Paddington attempts to decorate the Browns' attic, but he gets into a mess and accidentally wallpapers over the door. 
07 "A Family Group"  13 January 1976 (1976-01-13)
Using his rather old-fashioned camera, Paddington attempts to take a photo of the Browns. 
08 "Paddington Makes a Bid"  14 January 1976 (1976-01-14)
Mr. Gruber takes Paddington to an auction. Paddington accidentally buys several items, but eventually lands a terrific bargain. 
09 "Do-It-Yourself"  15 January 1976 (1976-01-15)
Paddington tries his hand at D.I.Y., making a magazine rack for Mr. Curry. 
10 "A Disappearing Trick"  16 January 1976 (1976-01-16)
It is Paddington's first birthday with the Browns, and they buy him a magic set, which he uses to entertain everyone. 
11 "Something Nasty in the Kitchen"  19 January 1976 (1976-01-19)
Mr. and Mrs. Brown are ill in bed, and the rest of the family are away, which means that the only person in charge of running the house is Paddington. 
12 "Trouble at the Launderette"  20 January 1976 (1976-01-20)
Paddington takes the clothes to the launderette. 
13 "Too Much Off the Top"  22 January 1976 (1976-01-22)
Paddington gets a job at a barber's shop, but the barber unwisely goes out — leaving Paddington in charge. 
14 "A Visit to the Dentist"  23 January 1976 (1976-01-23)
Paddington goes to see the dentist. 
15 "Paddington Cleans Up"  3 May 1976 (1976-05-03)
Paddington makes a mess in Mr. Curry's front room to test the new vacuum cleaner he received, when the neighbour suddenly bursts in and points out that the reason for the lack of electric sockets in the house is that he uses gas! 
16 "Trouble at No.32"  23 December 1976 (1976-12-23)
Paddington engages in a snowball fight in the garden with Jonathan and Judy, but a stray snowball goes through Mr. Curry's bedroom window and melts in the middle of his bed. Later, Paddington helpfully shuts Mr. Curry's back door and locks him out of his house. Eventually, Paddington has to disguise himself as a snowbear to escape his neighbour's wrath. 
17 "Paddington and the Christmas Shopping"  4 May 1976 (1976-05-04)
Paddington goes on a Christmas shopping expedition. 
18 "Paddington's Christmas"  29 December 1976 (1976-12-29)
Paddington's first Christmas with the Browns is a success: he is showered with presents, and has also bought some lovely gifts for all the family. 
19 "Mr. Curry Takes a Bath"  5 May 1976 (1976-05-05)
The Browns have had a sauna installed as a present for Mr. Brown. However, Mr. Curry decides to try it out. In an attempt to keep him out, Paddington buys a combination padlock and puts it on the door, but Mr. Curry beats him to it, and pays the price when he finds himself locked in. In the meantime, Paddington tries to work out why the pre-set combination of the padlock — which is the date of his birthday — doesn't seem to open it! 
20 "Paddington Turns Detective"  6 May 1976 (1976-05-06)
One night, while using his torchlight, Paddington notices that the light flashes back, and decides to investigate. 
21 "Paddington and the Cold Snap"  7 May 1976 (1976-05-07)
Paddington attempts to mend Mr. Curry's frozen pipes, when the plumber, whom Mr. Curry still owes for his last job, refuses to help. 
22 "Trouble at the Wax Works"  10 May 1976 (1976-05-10)
Paddington goes on an outing with Mr. Gruber, and is mistaken for one of the statues in the museum. 
23 "Paddington Makes a Clean Sweep"  11 May 1976 (1976-05-11)
Paddington has some misdemeanours attempting to clean a chimney. First he breaks a chimney brush and then gets his head stuck. 
24 "A Sticky Time"  12 May 1976 (1976-05-12)
Paddington makes some toffees. However, he accidentally gets a bit of his fur stuck in the process. 
25 "Paddington Hits the Jackpot:"  13 May 1976 (1976-05-13)
Paddington appears on the quiz show Lucky For Some, and wins the money in a rather unorthodox way. 
26 "Paddington Hits Out"  17 May 1976 (1976-05-17)
Paddington attends Mr. Arnold Parker's golf tournament. Mr. Curry is there too, and Paddington is surprised when he wins because his ball landed on a train track. 
27 "A Visit to the Hospital"  14 May 1976 (1976-05-14)
Paddington visits Mr. Curry in hospital, but decides to have his head checked first. When Dr. Heinz tells Paddington to say the opposite of what the doctor says, Paddington gets the better of him and opposes every word Dr. Heinz says. 
28 "Paddington Recommended:"  18 May 1976 (1976-05-18)
Paddington is mistaken for a famous gourmet in a restaurant. He enjoys a gargantuan meal, but then has to take the consequences. 
29 "Fortune Telling"  19 May 1976 (1976-05-19)
Paddington visits the funfair where he has his fortune told by Madame Zaza. 
30 "An Unexpected Party"  20 May 1976 (1976-05-20)
Paddington was coming downstairs for tea, when he soon found himself with everyone holding a special party in his honour. Mr. Gruber gives Paddington a book on paper tearing, and in the process, he accidentally tears one of Mr. Curry's pound notes. 
31 "Paddington in Court"  22 October 1979 (1979-10-22)
Mr. Gruber takes Paddington on an outing to the Royal Courts of Justice to watch a case. But while waiting, a misunderstanding ensues when the court nearest the bench Paddington is at call a "Mr. Brown" to the stand. 
32 "Paddington Bakes a Cake"  7 November 1978 (1978-11-07)
Paddington tries to bake a cake for Mr. Curry, but when it comes to getting it in and out of the oven, it seemed far too beyond Paddington's control, and so he decides to decorate the oven – to look like a cake. 
33 "A Picnic on the River:"  25 October 1979 (1979-10-25)
The Browns decide to go punting, but disaster strikes when Paddington is put in charge of the pole. 
34 "Paddington's Patch"  26 October 1979 (1979-10-26)
Paddington builds a rock garden. 
35 "In and Out of Trouble"  29 October 1979 (1979-10-29)
Paddington has trouble using Mr. Curry's old hammock. 
36 "Paddington at the Tower"  1 November 1979 (1979-11-01)
Mr. Gruber takes Paddington on an outing to the Tower of London on his day off. 
37 "A Visit to the Bank"  2 November 1979 (1979-11-02)
Paddington goes to the bank to withdraw his life savings, but doesn't know exactly what to do as it is his first time. 
38 "Paddington Clears the Coach"  5 November 1979 (1979-11-05)
Paddington manages to empty a restaurant car in a train by telling them that the fish they are eating is off: he misunderstood a chef's comment when he said it was off the menu. 
39 "Picture Trouble"  8 November 1979 (1979-11-08)
Paddington decides to have his picture taken at the seaside. 
40 "Trouble at the Beach"  2 January 1979 (1979-01-02)
Paddington tries to enjoy another day at the beach, but it goes wrong with his sandcastle making. 
41 "Keeping Fit"  9 January 1979 (1979-01-09)
Paddington takes up bodybuilding, but it's harder than he thinks. 
42 "Paddington in the Hot Seat"  9 November 1979 (1979-11-09)
Paddington visits a studio of a TV show, Sage of Britain, and finds himself in the hot seat, and in the free-for-all section, he somehow finds many people phoning and asking Paddington to be the Sage of Britain. 
43 "Paddington and the Mystery Box"  23 January 1979 (1979-01-23)
Paddington sees some people bury a box. 
44 "Paddington's Puzzle"  30 January 1979 (1979-01-30)
Paddington uses the neighbours' painting to make a puzzle. 
45 "Paddington Weighs In"  12 November 1979 (1979-11-12)
Paddington visits a health centre. 
46 "Paddington Takes a Snip"  15 November 1979 (1979-11-15)
After seeing an amazing magazine article about plants shaped to everyday things, Paddington tries snipping Mr. Curry's hedge into a peacock, and has a lot of trouble tidying the loose ends, until he wakes up to discover the whole escapade has been a dream. 
47 "A Visit to the Theatre"  16 November 1979 (1979-11-16)
Paddington goes to see a play with the Browns, and lends a hand when actor Sir Sealy Bloom forgets his lines. 
48 "Paddington Buys a Share"  8 April 1980 (1980-04-08)
Paddington buys a share in the Portobello Rd Oil Company. 
49 "Paddington in a Hole"  6 March 1979 (1979-03-06)
Mr. Curry assigns Paddington to make him a serving hatch, all is fine until the end... 
50 "Paddington and the Finishing Touch"  13 March 1979 (1979-03-13)
Paddington decides to thank Mr. Gruber for his kindness by finding him a finishing touch for his patio. When it comes to bringing it home, however, Paddington finds some surprises. 
51 "Trouble in the Bargain Basement"  14 April 1980 (1980-04-14)
Paddington visits a bargain basement in a shopping store, in order to find something that was very good value. When he tries a demonstration at making pancakes with a frying pan, he accidentally flips the batter all over the audience. 
52 "An Outing in the Park"  27 March 1979 (1979-03-27)
Paddington goes to the local park to see a brass band concert, and he discovers how Schubert hadn't finished his symphony. 
53 "Paddington Dines Out"  8 April 1980 (1980-04-08)
The Browns go out to a posh restaurant to celebrate Paddington's birthday. 
54 "Paddington Takes the Stage"  10 April 1979 (1979-04-10)
Paddington helped the Drama Society with a performance called The Secret Plan, but during the interval, the actor seems to have lost the actual plans. 
55 "Paddington in Touch"  15 April 1980 (1980-04-15)
Paddington goes to a rugby match to see the Peruvian Reserves against the Portabello Wanderers, and Aunt Lucy joins in the match, too. 
56 "Comings and Goings at No.32"  18 April 1980 (1980-04-18)
Paddington's Aunt Lucy comes on visit, but trouble ensues when she goes to Barkridge's to buy Mr. Brown a thank-you present. 

Specials

A 21-minute special in which Paddington goes to the movies. On leaving, in the street outside complete with umbrella, he performs Gene Kelly's famous dance routine from Singin' in the Rain. Original Air Date: 15 March 1983

A 25-minute special in which Paddington is forced to go to school when a truant officer says that he must go since he is "of age". Includes a scene in which he performs Flight of the Bumblebee on a violin. In this episode colour has been added to all the 2-D animation and backgrounds. Original Air Date: 3 January 1985.

A 24-minute special in which Paddington finds himself in trouble as he becomes a one-man band to raise money to buy Mr Brown's birthday present. Unfortunately, things don’t go to plan... In this episode colour has been added to all the 2-D animation and backgrounds. Additionally, this is the first and only episode where the animated characters' mouths actually move when they speak. This is also the series finale. Original Air Date: 26 December 1987

In popular culture

Paddington is seen in four adverts for Marmite in the late 2000s.[3][4]

DVD releases

In Region 2, Abbey Home Media Group released the entire series on DVD in the UK on 23 June 2008. The 2-disc set features all 56 shorts as well as the 3 specials.[5]

In Region 1, Mill Creek Entertainment (under license from Cookie Jar Group) released the complete series on DVD on 15 February 2011 in a 3-disc set entitled Paddington Bear- The Complete Classic Series.[6]

References

  1. ↑ The Disney Channel Magazine, Vol. 7, no. 4, July/August 1989: p. 57.
  2. ↑ The Disney Channel Magazine, Vol. 9, no. 6, November/December 1991: p. 34.
  3. ↑ Rajan, Amol (20 September 2007). "Paddington Bear 'compromised by Marmite ad'". Independent (London). Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Breakdown, Ad (13 September 2007). "Love it or hate it". BBC. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  5. ↑ The Complete Paddington Bear [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Paddington Bear: DVD. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  6. ↑ Paddington Bear DVD news: Announcement for The Complete Classic Series and Marmalade Madness. TVShowsOnDVD.com (25 May 2007). Retrieved 30 April 2011.

External links

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