Mr Benn

MR BENN
Made by: Zephyr Films
Shown on: BBC
Years shown: 1971 onwards

Whenever you discuss vintage children’s television with a group of people, somebody always thinks it’s big and clever that they remember Mr Benn. David McKee made only thirteen episodes of this little gem, but the face of kids’ TV would be very drab without this dapper, quintessentially British, adventurer. As everyone knows, Mr Benn lived at 52 Festive Road (based on McKee’s home on Festing Road); he dressed as though he was heading for a job in the city, but instead, he made his way to a costume-hire shop. This little shop was chock-a-block with weird and wonderful outfits and, “as if by magic”, the shopkeeper appeared, to help Mr Benn decide what he would like to try on. Whenever he emerged from the dressing room in his new costume, he found himself in a world which corresponded to it - for instance, when he wore his suit of armour, he found himself in medieval times, with a dragon to engage in battle. During his jaunts, Mr Benn became - deep breath - a Red Knight, a hunter, a cook, a caveman, a balloonist, a zoo keeper, a diver, a wizard, a cowboy, a clown, an Arabian Knight, a spaceman, and a pirate. But the great thing was that he didn’t have to pay for any of it! The shopkeeper, a strange man with a fez and a dubious moustache, never charged Mr Benn for trying on the costumes and entering these magical lands - which is just as well, as Mr Benn plainly didn’t go to work and therefore couldn’t afford it. Unless he had a private income. To add to this, Mr Benn always took home a keepsake from his exploit, such as a hat, but no money ever exchanged hands - which is part of why Mr Benn has such an enchanting, mystical charm.

SQUARE EYES RATING: 10/10

(Thanks to www.jedisparadise.co.uk for the borrowed pic)

Motormouth

MOTORMOUTH
Made by: ?
Shown on: ITV
Years shown: 1988-92

This was another show in the long line of attempts that ITV made to steal BBC1’s Saturday morning thunder - and, once again, it was unsuccessful. Motormouth was hosted by presenters who were basically rejects from other kids’ shows, when either they or the programme had lost their appeal. There were Andrea Arnold and Neil Buchanan, both from Number 73, and, later, Andy Crane from children’s BBC’s broom cupboard; plus Terry Wogan’s favourite, Gaby Roslin, and Tony Gregory. There’s really not a lot to say about Motormouth, except that it was loud and fast-moving, which ITV bosses in the eighties obviously thought would win them the hyper-active vote from the more staid SaturdaySuperstore and Going Live! One memorable aspect (by memorable, don’t automatically read ‘good’) was Mousetrap!, the board game which was played on a life-sized board, where contestants added pieces to the puzzle, and were then usually trapped at the end by their own making. Sandi Toksvig (also of Number 73) cropped up in Spin Off, a spoof soap supposedly based in the production offices of Motormouth, which also starred Joe Greco, Roger Sloman, Pippa Michaels and Richard Waites - little did she know that she only had years of Call My Bluff ahead of her….

SQUARE EYES RATING: 2/10

(Thanks to www.paulmorris.co.uk for the borrowed pic)

The Movie Game

THE MOVIE GAME
Made by: BBC
Shown on: BBC1
Years shown: mid 80s to mid 90s

Philip Schofield was hot property when he took the reigns of this film-themed children’s quiz show. The board on which the game was played was a length of film reel, and according to the squares they landed on, the teams had to answer film questions or take on one of the challenges. The challenges usually involved the kids dressing up in silly costumes, and - thanks to the ‘magic of television’ - riding a stagecoach, sailing on a magic carpet or driving a racing car, while simultaneously trying to throw as many beanbags into a chute as possible. The winning team was the one who reached the end of the reel first, and they were presented with an Oscar-like trophy to treasure, along with the usual Movie Game keyrings, pens etc. For a children’s game show, it was actually fairly original, and it bucked the trend of the time, by keeping gunge and slime to a minimum; but it lost momentum when Schofield was replaced as host by Jonathan Morris (of the sitcom, Bread), who, incidentally, followed in Pip’s footsteps again, when he took on the technicoloured mantel of Joseph in the Lloyd-Webber/Rice stage show. Spooky. The series final was always quite entertaining, mainly because about 8 different teams had to crowd themselves onto the board - much mirth to be had when they landed on the same square and someone inevitably ended up on the floor.

SQUARE EYES RATING: 7/10

(Thanks to www.ukgameshows.com for the borrowed pic)