Flower Pot Men

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For other uses, see Flowerpot Men.
For other uses of the names "Bill and Ben", see Bill and Ben.
Flower Pot Men
"Flower Pot Men".jpg
Still from original BBC series, with Little Weed centre.
Created by
Starring
Opening themeBill and Ben Theme (2001)
Ending themeBill and Ben Theme (2001)
Original language(s)English
No. of series3
No. of episodes78
Production
Producer(s)Francis Vose
Running time14-16 minutes (Watch With Mother) 10 minutes (reboot)
Release
Original network
Original release18 December 1952 (1952-12-18) –
4 September 2002 (2002-09-04)

Flower Pot Men is a British children's programme, produced by BBC television, first transmitted in 1952, and repeated regularly for more than twenty years.[1] A reboot of the show called Bill and Ben was produced in 2001.[2]

Original series[edit]

Originally, the programme was part of a BBC children's television series titled Watch with Mother, with a different programme each weekday, most of them involving string puppets; the Flower Pot Men was the story of Bill and Ben, two little men made of flower pots who lived at the bottom of an English suburban garden. The characters were devised by Hilda Brabban, she wrote three original stories of the three characters (Bill, Ben and Little Weed) which she sold to the BBC for one guinea each. The stories were originally broadcast on the radio programme Listen with Mother in 1951.[3]

The rights to the stories were later sold to Ben Productions which turned the radio programme into the hugely popular television show; the puppeteers were Audrey Atterbury and Molly Gibson. The voices and other noises were produced by Peter Hawkins, Gladys Whitred and Julia Williams; the narration for all episodes was done by Maria Bird.

The plot changed little in each episode; the programme always took place in a garden, behind a potting shed. The third character was Little Weed, of indeterminate species, somewhat resembling a sunflower or dandelion with a smiling face, growing between two large flowerpots; the three were also sometimes visited by a tortoise called Slowcoach, and in one particular episode, the trio meet a slightly mysterious character made out of potatoes called Dan the potato man. While the "man who worked in the garden" was away having his dinner the two Flower Pot Men, Bill and Ben, emerged from the two flowerpots. After a minor adventure a minor mishap occurs; someone is guilty. "Which of those two flower pot men, was it Bill or was it Ben?" the narrator trills, in a quavering soprano; the villain confesses; the gardener's footsteps are heard coming up the garden path; the Flower Pot Men vanish into their pots and the closing credits roll. The final punch-line was, "and I think the little house knew something about it! Don't you?"

The Flower Pot Men spoke their own, highly inflected version of English, called Oddle Poddle, which was invented by Peter Hawkins (who also voiced the Daleks and Captain Pugwash). An icicle was an "ickle-kickle", and Ben would say "flobabdob".[2] At the end of each adventure, they would say bye-bye to each other and to the Little Weed – "Babap ickle Weed" – to which the Weed would inevitably reply with tremulous cadence "Weeeeeeeeeeed"; this language, like that of the Teletubbies in the 1990s, was criticised for hindering children from learning proper English.[2]

2001 reboot[edit]

On 4 January 2001, a reboot[4] named Bill and Ben began on CBBC on BBC Two, this time involving stop-motion animation, 35mm film style and full colour, and made by Cosgrove Hall Films with a team of ten animators;[5] this reboot features the voices of John Thomson (who also serves as the narrator), Jimmy Hibbert and Eve Karpf.[5] The series aired in Ireland on RTEjr and formerly aired on CBeebies in 2002-2008.

Many additions were implemented:

  • A mean female rosebush with two talking buds in the neighbour's garden named Rose.
  • A mischievous female prickly plant named Thistle.
  • A female magpie named Pry, obsessed by shiny treasures, often just bottle caps.
  • A male hedgehog named Boo.
  • Slowcoach remains in the series, with few changes to his characteristics. He gets angry at Bill & Ben for ruining his things.
  • A male frog named Tad.
  • A female squirrel named Scamper.
  • A male baby squirrel named Scuff. He is Scamper's baby nephew.
  • A female spider named Whimsy.
  • A male worm named Whoops.
  • A male talking tomato named Ketchup.
  • Another male tortoise called Lightning. He is Slowcoach's brother.
  • Weed is no longer a weed, but an enormous sunflower. Rather than just saying "Weed!", she speaks normal English, playing an "earth mother" role to Bill and Ben and often assisting them. However, she does mutter that word in her sleep sometimes.

Comics[edit]

The show was the basis for a comic strip of the same name in the children's magazine Robin.[6]

Episodes[edit]

Flower Pot Men (1952–1953)[edit]

  1. "Seeds" (18 December 1952)
  2. "Musical Vegetables" (25 December 1952)
  3. "Cabbages" (1 January 1953)
  4. "The Potato Man" (8 January 1953)
  5. "Tiny Men" (15 January 1953)
  6. "Stickmen" (22 January 1953)
  7. "Shavings Men" (29 January 1953)
  8. "Stilts" (5 February 1953)
  9. "Steamroller" (12 February 1953)
  10. "Scarecrow" (19 February 1953)
  11. "Slowcoach Flies" (26 February 1953)
  12. "Mud Pies" (5 March 1953)
  13. "Bath In Hat" (12 March 1953)
  14. "Babies" (19 March 1953)
  15. "Babies Grow Up" (26 March 1953)
  16. "Live Chicks" (2 April 1953)
  17. "Icicles" (9 April 1953)
  18. "Boot Race" (16 April 1953)
  19. "Acrobats" (22 April 1953)
  20. "Bellows" (29 April 1953)
  21. "Water Lilies" (6 May 1953)
  22. "Turnip Faces" (13 May 1953)
  23. "Umbrella" (20 May 1953)
  24. "Fairy Queen" (27 May 1953)
  25. "Weathercock" (3 June 1953)
  26. "Flying Boots" (10 June 1953)

Bill and Ben series 1 (2001–2002)[edit]

# Episode title Writer Summary Original airdate
1 The Tortoise and the Pots Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben challenge Slowcoach the tortoise to nut-gathering contest. 4 January 2001
2 Go Fly A Kite Jimmy Hibbert Pry has lost her favourite green milk bottle top. Bill and Ben try to find out but end up stuck in a rubbish tip. How will they get home? 11 January 2001
3 A Piece Of Sky Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben look for something to cheer up Weed's part of the garden. They think a piece of sky might be just the thing. 18 January 2001
4 The Hottest Day Chris Allen Bill and Ben look for something to protect Weed from the sun. 25 January 2001
5 Litterhog Chris Allen When Bill and Ben wake up to find the garden full of litter, Weed suggests a competition to see who can clear up the most mess. 1 February 2001
6 Sticky Problems Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben find something very useful, but it turns out to be a hindrance than a help. 8 February 2001
7 In Search Of Lettuce Pete Reeves While Bill and Ben search the garden for some lettuce for Slowcoach, Thistle seizes the chance to play a trick on them. 15 February 2001
8 The Big Time Band Jimmy Hibbert Weed is unhappy, so Bill and Ben try to cheer her up. Nothing seems to work - until they find inspiration in Whimsy the spider's web. 22 February 2001
9 One of Our Spiders is Missing Jimmy Hibbert When Whimsy gets a fright and runs away, Bill and Ben set off a mission to find her. 1 March 2001
10 Here Comes The Sun Chris Allen Confusion reigns in the garden when the sun keeps coming out for short periods during the night. 8 March 2001
11 Phwoooar Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben are looking for the source of a horrible smell. 15 March 2001
12 Around & Around Chris Allen Bill and Ben have fun with a strange round object they find in the garden, but Pry and Scamper can't see the funny side. 22 March 2001
13 The Big Sleep Jimmy Hibbert Boo the hedgehog settles down for Winter, so Bill and Ben try to keep the garden as quiet as possible. 29 March 2001
14 Ben Has A Visitor Chris Allen Returning home one evening, Ben finds that something has taken the root in his pot. Slowcoach celebrates his birthday - over 3 days. 5 April 2001
15 A Night To Remember Jimmy Hibbert Slowcoach has an uninvited guest: A Spectacle Thief! So that night, Bill and Ben try searching for the missing spectacles. 12 April 2001
16 A Picture For Slowcoach Chris Allen One morning, something interesting blows into the garden, but Bill and Ben misplace it and start searching for it. 19 April 2001
17 Treasure Garden Jimmy Hibbert Weed suggests a game of treasure hunt, leading Bill and Ben to find something they're not too familiar with. 26 April 2001
18 The Jumping Jar Chris Allen Tad, next door's friendly frog, gets himself into a very sticky situation. Bill and Ben hop to it and uncover the mystery. 3 May 2001
19 The Great Worm Hunt Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben are having fun with the garden hose, when they notice that Whoops the worm is missing. 7 September 2001
20 The Singing Cobwebs Chris Allen Bill and Ben awake to discover that Whimsy the spider has spun beautiful new webs around the garden. 14 September 2001
21 Game For A Laugh Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben enjoy playing a new game they have invented, until things mysteriously disappear. 21 September 2001
22 Tears Before Bedtime Chris Allen Bill and Ben set out to discover the true identity of an object that Scamper believes to be a big nut. 28 September 2001
23 Weed Sees The World Chris Allen Weed discovers there's more to life than the garden, and wants to the travel the world. 5 October 2001
24 The Snow Castle Chris Allen Bill and Ben make a snow castle in the garden, but when they wake up the next day, the castle is not quite how they remembered it. 1 January 2002
25 Two New Flowerpot Men Chris Allen One snowy morning, Tad learns there's another frog living in next door's pond, so Bill and Ben investigate. 2 January 2002
26 The Shiny Man Chris Allen Bill and Ben make something out of snow to give to Weed: A shiny snowman. 3 January 2002

Bill and Ben series 2 (2001–2002)[edit]

# Episode title Writer Summary Original airdate
1 All Quiet On The Flowerpot Front Jimmy Hibbert Slowcoach is fed up with the noise the Flowerpot Men make, so Weed invents the "Keeping Quiet and Still Game". 8 October 2001
2 Looking After Ben Chris Allen Ben stays up late to see the new moon and catches a nasty cold. Bill and Tad do their best to look after Ben. 19 October 2001
3 Slowcoach's Brother Jimmy Hibbert Slowcoach's brother Lightning comes to stay, but proves to be an unwelcome guest. 26 October 2001
4 Meeting Lulu Chris Allen The arrival of a doll causes trouble for Bill and Ben as they compete for her affections. 2 November 2001
5 Two Angry Men JImmy Hibbert Bill and Ben fall out with one another while playing Hunt the Carrot. 9 November 2001
6 Whoops Takes a Trip Chris Allen A remote-control car appears in the garden, and Bill and Ben decide to give Whoops the ride of a lifetime. 16 November 2001
7 The Rainbow Chris Allen Bill and Ben try to catch a rainbow - but it is not easy as it first appears. 23 November 2001
8 Tin Can Telephones Chris Allen Bill and Ben learn how to make a telephone with tin cans and string, and use it to rescue Boo. 30 November 2001
9 The Magnet Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben find a way into the cellar beneath the house and find a magnet in there. The magnet is useful to find Slowcoach's spectacles. 7 December 2001
10 Home Sweet Home Chris Allen Tad the frog next door moves in and soon tires Bill and Ben out. 14 December 2001
11 Down In The Cellar Jimmy Hibbert While Bill and Ben are playing hide and seek, Ben falls into the cellar beneath the house and explores it. 21 December 2001
12 A Gnome's Best Friend Chris Allen Bill and Ben search in the shed, the cellar and next door's garden to find a best friend for the garden gnome. 28 December 2001
13 Water Water Everywhere Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben rescue Rose from a garden sprinkler, but things go wrong when they accidentally flood Slowcoach's house. 22 August 2002
14 Balloon Tricks Chris Allen Tad has played a trick on Bill and Ben, so when they find a hot air balloon in the cellar they get their own back. 23 August 2002
15 Bubble Trouble Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben find a washing-up liquid bottle. They decide to mix the contents with water, and Whoops gets stuck in a big bubble! 24 August 2002
16 The Perfect Nut Chris Allen Bill and Ben find a new game to play and have great fun playing it. But they're supposed to be looking after Scuff the baby squirrel. 25 August 2002
17 Flowerpot Band Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben hear lots of musical noises in the garden. When they put them all together, they make some wonderful music. 26 August 2002
18 Slowcoach Gets Cross Chris Allen When Bill and Ben accidentally smash Slowcoach's piece of art, they try to find another one in the cellar. 27 August 2002
19 Every Cloud Has A Silly Lining Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben decide to make a cloud, so they slide into the cellar to look for something. 28 August 2002
20 Whimsy The Brave Chris Allen Bill, Ben and Tad go on a climbing adventure. When Tad climbs up lots of things next to the cellar entry, he gets stuck on the roof. 29 August 2002
21 Weed's Birthday Jimmy Hibbert Bill, Ben and their friends prepare a special birthday surprise for Weed. 30 August 2002
22 A Cellar Full of Noise Chris Allen Scamper's baby nephew Scuff slides down the cellar slide entrance and makes a lot of noise in the cellar. 31 August 2002
23 Snow Place Like Home Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben make a curly slide out of snow and build an igloo. 1 September 2002
24 Bouncing Cobwebs Chris Allen Bill and Ben make a sledge, get thrown into the cellar and bounce on really bouncy cobwebs. 2 September 2002
25 The Big Thaw Jimmy Hibbert Bill and Ben decide to play a game of football, but it's gone missing and the snow's thawing. 3 September 2002
26 Winter Sports Chris Allen Bill, Ben and Tad slide down the ice on a fallen bit of roof and Pry decides to have their own Grand Winter Sports Day. 4 September 2002

UK VHS and DVD releases[edit]

VHS or DVD title Release date Episodes
Bill and Ben Flower Pot Men (BBCV 4208) 6 February 1989 Musical Vegetables, Scarecrow, Flying Boots, Icicles
Bill and Ben Flower Pot Men 2: Tales from the Bottom of the Garden (BBCV 4362) 4 June 1990 Bath in Hat, Cabbages, Bellows, Stickmen
The Very Best of Bill and Ben Flower Pot Men (BBCV 5106) 6 September 1993 Stickmen, Scarecrow, Bath in Hat, Musical Vegetables, Cabbages
Bill and Ben: Flobbadobba Fun! (BBCV 7141) 2 April 2001 The Tortoise and the Pots, The Hottest Day, One of Our Spiders is Missing, Sticky Problems, Litterhog
Bill and Ben: Garden Games (BBCV 7188) 17 September 2001 Weed Sees The World, Phwoooar, Here Comes The Sun, Ben Has A Visitor, Treasure Garden
Bill and Ben: Flowerpot Friends (BBCV 7313) 20 May 2002 Around and Around, A Night To Remember, Game For A Laugh, The Great Worm Hunt, Two New Flowerpot Men
Bill and Ben: Here Comes the Sun and Other Stories 2006 Here Comes the Sun, Treasure Garden, Weed Sees the World
Bill and Ben: Go Fly a Kite (2EDVD0431) 8 September 2008 Go Fly a Kite, The Tortoise and the Pots, A Piece of Sky, The Hottest Day, Litterhog, Sticky Problems
Bill and Ben: Here Comes the Sun (2EDVD0432) 8 September 2008 Here Comes the Sun, In Search of Lettuce, The Big Time Band, One of Our Spiders is Missing, Phwoooar, Around and Around

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Flowerpot Men (1952)". BFI.
  2. ^ a b c "BFI Screenonline: Flowerpot Men, The (1952-54)". screenonline.org.uk.
  3. ^ Penny Legg; James Marsh. A 1950s Southampton Childhood. Stroud: History. ISBN 9780752482859.
  4. ^ Flowerpot Men bloom again, BBC Online, 4 January 2001. Retrieved 28 December 2009
  5. ^ a b "Bill and Ben". www.bcdb.com, 13 April 2012
  6. ^ "Bill and Ben, the Flowerpot Men". comicvine.com.

External links[edit]

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