Hi all you blog fans out there. I want to talk to you today about something which I adore very much, retro children’s television. With all the debate about dumbing down, I got to thinking about a show I used to watch, and occasionally watch now and again, named Bertha.
Bertha was a stop motion animation by Ivor Wood’s Woodland Animations. While the company’s big hitter Postman Pat got a lot more attention, I think it is something which needs to be highlighted. Bertha followed a factory machine and its workers. It is perhaps one of the most boring premises for a show ever, but somehow it is both charming and intriguing. Not only are there the usual stereotypical characters, the stories are in a way realistic but still have that zany element about them. Not only this, but it makes a lot of social statements about the society we live or lived in back in the 80s when it was conceived. For example, Mr Duncan is a Scotsman through and through, with a beard and understandable Glaswegian accent. Panjit is an Indian wearing turban, who works in the back warehouse. It is very controversial, the BBC would never have this on now.
I loved its story structure. They would announce what the machine was making then a whole story would be built around it, or be part of the solution to the problem, solved at the end of the show. There is this underlying message of togetherness and teamwork within the show. Everyone helps each other and there is a true friendliness about it. Somehow I can’t imagine a real factory being this gelled together.
The animation in the show was top class, very similar to Charlie Chalk, when looking at the models of the characters. Sadly the colours are rather bland, but it is to be expected when thinking about the programme premise and location. How can you make a factory look colourful and bright? Answer, make the machine, which is the focus of it green and make the Indian’s forklift yellow. This doesn’t really solve the problem; the colours are still rather bland even though the animation is spot on. As a side note, the narrator of the late Roy Kinnear is truly inspiring. Shelia Walker, the female voices is also brilliant!
Thinking about how little this show is remembered in the eyes of the media, it’s saddening really. It had so much potential but ran for around 13 or so episodes. I suppose the best series have very short life spans. I think it is time it got a rerun on some channel somewhere.
Hopefully this post has jogged a few memories for some, if you have any comments on this show, please feel free to leave them!
Bertha was a stop motion animation by Ivor Wood’s Woodland Animations. While the company’s big hitter Postman Pat got a lot more attention, I think it is something which needs to be highlighted. Bertha followed a factory machine and its workers. It is perhaps one of the most boring premises for a show ever, but somehow it is both charming and intriguing. Not only are there the usual stereotypical characters, the stories are in a way realistic but still have that zany element about them. Not only this, but it makes a lot of social statements about the society we live or lived in back in the 80s when it was conceived. For example, Mr Duncan is a Scotsman through and through, with a beard and understandable Glaswegian accent. Panjit is an Indian wearing turban, who works in the back warehouse. It is very controversial, the BBC would never have this on now.
I loved its story structure. They would announce what the machine was making then a whole story would be built around it, or be part of the solution to the problem, solved at the end of the show. There is this underlying message of togetherness and teamwork within the show. Everyone helps each other and there is a true friendliness about it. Somehow I can’t imagine a real factory being this gelled together.
The animation in the show was top class, very similar to Charlie Chalk, when looking at the models of the characters. Sadly the colours are rather bland, but it is to be expected when thinking about the programme premise and location. How can you make a factory look colourful and bright? Answer, make the machine, which is the focus of it green and make the Indian’s forklift yellow. This doesn’t really solve the problem; the colours are still rather bland even though the animation is spot on. As a side note, the narrator of the late Roy Kinnear is truly inspiring. Shelia Walker, the female voices is also brilliant!
Thinking about how little this show is remembered in the eyes of the media, it’s saddening really. It had so much potential but ran for around 13 or so episodes. I suppose the best series have very short life spans. I think it is time it got a rerun on some channel somewhere.
Hopefully this post has jogged a few memories for some, if you have any comments on this show, please feel free to leave them!
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