Happy Families is a children's television series made in the late 1980s based on the Happy Families

Happy Families (books)

Happy Families is a series of children's books written by Allan Ahlberg, inspired by the traditional card game Happy Families. Ahlberg worked with a number of illustrators and the books were published by Puffin Books. The series form a transition for children between picture books and chapter books...

series of books by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Janet and Allan Ahlberg are the creators of many popular children's books, which regularly appear at the top of the 'most popular' lists for public libraries. Husband and wife, they worked together for 20 years until Janet died of cancer on 13 November 1994, aged 50. Allan wrote the books, and...

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Each tale is about a family of characters (father, mother, son and daughter) which in turn is based on the Happy Families

Happy Families

Happy Families is a traditional card game played in the UK, usually with a specially made set of picture cards, featuring illustrations of fictional families of four, most often based on occupation types. The object of the game is to collect complete families. The player whose turn it is asks...

 card game.

The cast played several different characters throughout the series with many recurring roles for the main cast including Milton Johns, Annette Badland and Elizabeth Estensen.

Happy Families ran for two series, 24 episodes in all, and was shown on Children's BBC in 1989 and 1990.

Series One (1989)

• Mrs Wobble the Waitress
• Mr. Tick the Teacher
• Mr. Creep the Crook
• Master Bun the Baker's Boy
• Mrs Plug the Plumber
• Mr and Mrs Hay the Horse

Series Two (1990)

• Mrs Lather's Laundry
• Master Salt the Sailors' Son
• Miss Brick the Builders' Baby
• Master Money the Millionaire
• Mr. Biff the Boxer
• Miss Jump the Jockey

Characters and Cast

• Mr. Clarence Creep, Mr. Ding, Mr. Cross the Inspector, Mr. Alphonso - Milton Johns
  Milton Johns
  Milton Johns is an English actor whose thin features and talent for obsequious or oily characters has often influenced the many television parts he has received. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.Johns was born in Bristol...
  
  
• Mrs. Wobble the Waitress, Mrs. Plug the Plumber, Mrs. Lather - Annette Badland
  Annette Badland
  Annette Badland is an English actress best known for her work in children's television.-Biography:Her training took place at East 15 Acting School, London...
  
  
• Mrs. Clara Creep, Mrs. Tick the Teacher, Miss Trump - Elizabeth Estensen
  Elizabeth Estensen
  Elizabeth Estensen is an English actress, mainly known for work in the popular television dramas The Liver Birds and Emmerdale.-Career:...
  
  
• Mr. Tick, PC Arntby, Mr. Bun, Mr. Plug, Mr. Harry Hay, Captain Salt, Mr. Cash, Mr. Jump - Richard Hope
  Richard Hope (actor)
  Richard Hope is a British actor.-Career:Born in Kettering and brought up in Norfolk, Mr. Hope attended Oakham School in Rutland from 1967–1971 and trained at the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain from 1972 - 1976. He is a member of the National Youth Theatre Association and an Associate...
  
  
• Mrs. Jump, Mrs. Bop, Mrs. Brick, Mrs. Salt - Tamsin Heatley
  Tamsin Heatley
  Tamsin Heatley is a British actress and voice artist. She has appeared on The Bill, The Young Ones. Her more recent roles have been in Horrid Henry, Fimbles, Tweenies and various other childrens television shows. Her father was Norman Heatley, a biochemist who helped pioneer early penicillin...
  
  
• Master Money, Master Salt, Teddy Tick - London Kim
• Mr. Brick, Mr. Bop, Mr. Toad, Mr. Wallis the Warder - Ben Thomas

External links

• Happy Families page at classickidstv.co.uk