Jimbo and the Jet Set is a British animated

Animation

Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...

 cartoon series broadcast in the 1980s, featuring the adventures of the eponymous Jimbo, a talking aeroplane. Created by Maddocks Cartoon Productions, it originally ran for 25 episodes between 1985 and 1986.

The premise of the cartoon is that Jimbo was originally intended to be a Jumbo Jet

Boeing 747

The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...

, but his designer could not tell the difference between inches and centimetres, resulting in his diminutive size.

The television series features various talking airport-type ground vehicles: Tommy Tow-Truck, Claude Catering, Amanda Baggage, Phil the Fuel Truck, Sammy Steps and Harry Helicopter. Other plane characters appear from time to time, such as Old Timer, a Vickers Wellington

Vickers Wellington

The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...

 bomber who gets into the story while flying to or from an airshow

Airshow

An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....

. The story is based at a fictional "London Airport", under the command of an irate controller who frequently ends episodes screaming "I want words with you, Jimbo!".

Some printed material and toy merchandise featured Gloria Gatwick, a female counterpart to Jimbo, but she did not appear in a speaking role within the TV episodes, except one brief appearance in one episode, where she can be clearly seen from a top-viewed angle.

Credits

Created, Written and Produced by: Peter Maddocks
Music: Roger Greenaway

Roger Greenaway

Roger Greenaway , is a popular English songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Roger Cook.-Career:...

, Gavin Greenaway

Gavin Greenaway

Gavin Greenaway is a music composer and conductor. He is the son of Roger Greenaway.Educated at Strode's College and Trinity College of Music. He started working with his father before leaving school...

Series Animation by: Clive Dawson, Julian Gibbs, Neil Salmon, William Mobberley
Backgrounds: Kevin Smith
Camera: Chris Williams
Editing: Keith Learner
Trace & Paint: Guy Maddocks, Vivienne Dempsey, Simon Maddocks
Directed by: Keith Learner
Jimbo Voices: Peter Hawkins & Susan Sheridan

Episode listing

Title	Air Date	Summary
(1) The Little Big Problem	6th January 1986	The origin of how Jimbo came to be starts out at the Aircraft Factory, where the technicians use centimetres instead of inches, resulting in "half a Jumbo"! * NOTE: The first appearances of Jimbo, the Chief, Tommy Towtruck, and Amanda Baggage.
(2) Trouble at Sea	7th January 1986	Out at sea, Jimbo comes across a ship in distress and frantically does all he can to gather help to save it.
(3) First Time Flyers	8th January 1986	Jimbo is to take a class of children on their first ever flight. Despite the Chief's warnings to behave, Jimbo gives the kids a ride they'll never forget - much to their poor teacher's displeasure! * NOTE: The first appearance of Sammy Steps.
(4) The UFO	13th January 1986	One stormy night, Jimbo claims to have seen a flying saucer Flying saucer A flying saucer is a type of unidentified flying object sometimes believed to be of alien origin with a disc or saucer-shaped body, usually described as silver or metallic, occasionally reported as covered with running lights or surrounded with a glowing light, hovering or moving rapidly either...  hovering above London Airport. The Chief thinks he is playing another joke until he experiences a Close Encounter...
(5) April Fool's Day	14th January 1986	Today is the Chief's birthday which, ironically, is on April Fools Day. He has a bit of fun with Jimbo whilst testing out fire safety with Captain Squirt of the Fire Department Fire department A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district... , but Jimbo gets the last laugh. * NOTE: This is Freddy Firetruck's first debut episode.
(6) The Old Timer	15th January 1986	One misty day, Jimbo comes across a Wellington bomber plane (the Old Timer) who has lost his way in the fog. Jimbo offers to guide him home but weather (rain, snow, fog) constantly causes the pair to be diverted to one airfield after another. * NOTES: 1. The first appearance of The Old Timer. This episode seems to be played out of order as the Old Timer seems to remember Jimbo long before "The Bermuda Triangle". 2. The Scottish Chief looks remarkably like McToot from The Family Ness, also created by Peter Maddocks.
(7) The Royal Visitors	20th January 1986	The Chief flies everyone in a blind panic when he hears word that royal visitors are due to arrive at the airfield. Unfortunately for him, the visitors (who turn out be 'DOGS!') aren't as royal as he was expecting...
(8) Jet Lag	21st January 1986	Poor Jimbo suffers jet lag Jet lag Jet lag, medically referred to as desynchronosis, is a physiological condition which results from alterations to the body's circadian rhythms; it is classified as one of the circadian rhythm sleep disorders...  after an uncomfortable flight. The Flying Doctor has to get Jimbo to gain his confidence in order to fly again; but when all his methods fail, Tommy Towtruck suggests a bold solution... NOTE: The first appearance of the Flying Doctor.
(9) Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud	22nd January 1986	Jimbo is low on fuel and wants to get home but finds himself in a "queue" with other planes waiting to land. With help from a large cloud, Jimbo pretends to be Concorde Concorde Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...  in order to slip in quietly, which causes great confusion on terra firma...
(10) Holiday Weather	27th January 1986	Fed up with the cold and wet in Britain United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... , Jimbo flies to Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...  for his holiday Holiday A Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...  for some fun in the sun. All is well until a volcano Volcano 2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...  really heats things up! * NOTE: This marks the only appearance of Gloria Gatwick. Although she only appears in this episode, she was merchandised with many other Jimbo memorabilia.
(11) Winter Wonderland	28th January 1986	Jimbo is sent to take champion skiers to Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....  for an important championship and even shows off a few of his own winter sports!
(12) Jimbo Down Under	29th January 1986	Jimbo, tired and weary after a long flight, accidentally lands in the middle of the Australian outback. However, he is rescued by a fellow Australian and a herd of kangaroo Kangaroo A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country... s. * NOTE: The Australian that helps Jimbo is obviously characterised to look and sound like Rolf Harris Rolf Harris Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the... .
(13) Jimbo and the Astronaut	3rd February 1986	Flying a little too high, Jimbo finds himself out in far space Outer space Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....  where he helps a stranded astronaut Astronaut An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....  back to Earth. * NOTE: The final appearance of Freddy Firetruck, who, unusually, is not properly introduced since "April Fools Day".
(14) Jungle Jimbo	4th February 1986	The Africa Africa Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area... n airfields begin using computer technology to keep their airport running. Jimbo realises how useful computers and elephants are when he helps to put out a forest fire.
(15) Jimbo and the Whale	5th February 1986	Jimbo's engines are acting up as he flies over the North Pole North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface... , causing him to become stranded. But he gets airborne again with help from a whale. * NOTE: The last appearance of the Flying Doctor.
(16) The Bermuda Triangle	10th February 1986	Jimbo is to escort the Old Timer to a wartime convention Convention (meeting) A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...  in Miami, Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... , USA. but ends up becoming trapped in the mysterious Bermuda Triangle Bermuda Triangle The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances.... .
(17) The Chief Gets a Rocket	11th January 1986	Jimbo is sent on a Top Secret mission to help with the launching of a rocket. The Chief, Control Tower and all, are also sent to launch it, but they end up launching the Control Tower by mistake! NOTE: The final appearance of Sammy Steps.
(18) The Controller's Apprentice	12th February 1986	The Chief brings along his nephew to teach him how to be a proper airfield chief, much to Jimbo's dismay. but the apprentice's cockiness becomes his downfall...
(19) Chinese Panda-monium	17th February 1986	Jimbo is sent, along with an animal trainer, to try and capture a rare panda Panda Panda or Panda bear most often refers to:*Giant panda, an animal in the Bear familyPanda may also refer to:*Red panda, the only living member in the Ailuridae family-In biology:* Species related to the Giant panda...  from China. Much to his embarrassment he is disguised as a panda as camouflage Camouflage Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly... , but the Chief ends up laughing on the other side of his face when Jimbo returns with a live Chinese dragon Chinese dragon Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs... ...
(20) The Penn and Inca Story	18th February 1986	Jimbo sets off with a tropical explorer to find an ancient ink well that writes with pure gold. However, the result isn't entirely successful...
(21) Quiet Please	24th February 1986	A little old lady who lives near the runways is complaining about the noise, which means that Jimbo's engines are constantly muffled. However, the Chief realises his mistake when he does some investigating: the noise nuisance came from a radio-controlled model plane.
(22) Jinglebells Jimbo	23rd December 1986	When Father Christmas Father Christmas Father Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries for a figure associated with Christmas. A similar figure with the same name exists in several other countries, including France , Spain , Brazil , Portugal , Italy , Armenia , India... 's sleigh is stolen, Jimbo is sent to help deliver presents all over the world in time for Christmas.
(23) The Great Air Race	17th January 1987	A round-the-world air race is set and Jimbo wishes he could take part. He gets his chance when he has to hurry the race judge to the finishing line when he arrives at the start by mistake! Low on fuel, Jimbo relies on rocket power to get to the finish in time. * NOTE: The only appearance of Sidney Shuttle.
(24) The Little Red Devil	23rd January 1987	A special display of Red Devil Planes are prepared for a retiring Admiral, but when one of them is unavailable, Tommy Towtruck tries to masquerade Jimbo to look like one of them. However, the paint is not entirely waterproof when a storm breaks... * NOTE: The final appearance of Amanda Baggage.
(25) The Computer Clanger	6th February 1987	The Airfield Administration decide to build another "Jimbo" for their fleet. To avert another mishap, the Aircraft Factory decide to build the new plane using computers - only this time, they mistake centimetres for yards! * NOTE: The last ever episode of the series and the last ever appearances of Jimbo, the Chief and Tommy Towtruck.

VHS and DVD Releases

In 1986 after its debut on the BBC, 12 episodes were released on BBC Video then Re-Released by 'Paradox Films' distributed Total Home Entertainment under licence from BBC Worldwide Ltd (Cat. No. THE 20003) in 1995

VHS video title	Year of release	Episodes
Jimbo and the Jet Set 1 (BBCV 4074)	1986	The Little Big Problem, Trouble at Sea, First Time Flyers, April Fools Day, The Old Timer, Jimbo Down Under, Jungle Jimbo, Jimbo and the Whale, The Chief Gets A Rocket, Chinese Panda-Monium, Quiet Please, Jingle-Bell Jimbo.

and in 1999 Castle Home Video released all 25 episodes on two separate videos but re-released on DVD by Rights Entertainment in 2004 since the VHS versions got deleted in 2002.

VHS video title	Year of release / Cat.No (VHS)	Year of release / Cat.No (DVD)	Episodes
Jimbo and the Jet Set: The Little Big Problem	1999 (CHV 2016)	2004 (8223728)	The Little Big Problem, The Bermuda Triangle,Jimbo and the Whale, Jungle Jimbo, Jimbo and the Astronaut, Jimbo Down Under, Quiet Please, The Chief Gets A Rocket, The Controllers Apprentice, Jingle-bells Jimbo, The Penn and Inca Story, The Great Air Race, The Little Red Devil, Chinese Pandemonium, The Computer Clanger.
Jimbo and the Jet Set: The Royal Visitors	1999 (CHV	2004 (8228105)	The Royal Visitors, First Time Flyers, Holiday Weather, Every Silver Lining Has A Cloud, Trouble at Sea, The Old Timer, Winter Wonderland, April Fools Day, The UFO.

External links

• Toonhound - Jimbo and the Jet Set
• 80s Cartoons - Jimbo and the Jet Set
• 80sNostalgia.com - Jimbo and the Jet Set
• Jimbo and the Jet Set at ClassicKidsTV.co.uk