Pigeon Street
Encyclopedia
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...
children's television series originally shown on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1981 as part of its 'See-saw' strand for pre-schoolers. There were two series with eight and five episode
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s respectively, each programme lasting fifteen minutes. The series has been repeated a number of times.
The animation was created by Alan Rogers and Peter Lang of the Cut-Out Animation Co., who later went on to do a nursery rhyme series with similar animation called Rub-A-Dub-Dub
Rub-a-Dub-Dub (TV series)
Rub-A-Dub-Dub was a British nursery rhyme TV series animated by Peter Lang and Alan Rogers of the Cut-Out Animation Co. They were previously famous for Pigeon Street. The title is a reference to the nursery rhyme Rub-a-dub-dub....
. Voices were performed by George Layton
George Layton
George Layton is an English actor, director, screenwriter and author. He was educated at Belle Vue Boys' Grammar School in Bradford and later studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where he won the Emile Littler award. He went on to leading parts at Coventry and Nottingham and...
, with additional voices by John Telfer. Music was by Benni Lees, and played by Soulyard.
The shows featured the everyday adventures of a group of characters living on Pigeon Street, an area of flats
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
and terraced housing in a British city, also home to several pigeons which appeared in each show but only occasionally featured in the plot.
Characters included Clara the long distance lorry driver, her cohabiting partner Hugo the chef, Mr Baskerville the detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
, Mr Jupiter the astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
, Mr Macadoo the petshop owner and two twins, Molly and Polly, who were only distinguishable by the letter M and P on their jumpers.
Episode Listing
- All in a day's work
- A light in the sky
- Pigeon at sea
- Can I have my ball back?
- Noisy neighbours
- Pigeon post
- A cold day
- Somewhere to eat
- Down with the car park
- The flood
- Hobbies
- Springtime for Hugo
- Getting away
Alan and Peter went on creating many animations for programmes like Words and Pictures, Numbertime
Numbertime
Numbertime is a BBC educational television series for primary schools that was first aired on BBC2 in 1993. It was originally presented by Lolita Chakrabarti...
, Rosie and Jim
Rosie and Jim
Rosie and Jim was a British children's television programme which appeared, on and off, on CITV since the early 1990s. The programme was the creation of John Cunliffe, in collaboration with Anne Wood and Robin Stevens, Robin Stevens] also played the character Jim...
, Hotch Potch House
Hotch Potch House
Hotch Potch House is a TV show from the 90s aimed at preschool children. Hotch Potch House featured Richard Coombs as Raggs, Francis Wright as Shelley and Rebecca Nagan as Woolie. It was directed by Vivienne Cozens. It was shot at Grip house Studios...
, Rat-A-Tat-Tat and The Number Crew.
Credits
- Written by: Michael Cole
- With the Voices of: George Layton, John Telfer
- Music Composed by: Benni Lees
- And Played by: Soulyard
- Sound by: Andrè Jaquemin, Peter Hodges, Rod Guest
- Edited by: Grahame Scoular, John McNelly, Alec Jeakins
- Animation by: Peter Lang
- Design by: Alan Rogers
- Production by: David Yates, Alan Rogers
- A David Yates Production
- © BBC MCMLXXXI