Clangers creator dies at 83

There goes part of my childhood...

I'll always remember the Clangers cameo on Doctor Who...

I just hope Coolbai don't fuck Bagpuss up- I mean look what's happened to Bill and Ben and Postman Pat (not to mention Pinky and Perky).

FX

FX - Makes whistling sound, descending in pitch.

Ivor before Noggin?

Erm, fact checker: I think you'll find Noggin The Nog was before Ivor The Engine (and possibly Smallfilm's first success, I'm not sure). Early Noggin's were in fact B&W. I can remember watching ItE on first broadcast in the later 70's.

Go to YouTube, there's loads of episodes on there. I found them and introduced my kids to them all, and now they love them almost as much as I still do... :-)

RIP Oliver - and thank you x

Woooooeeeee-ooooeeeeooo-eeeeuuuu

Farewell Mr Postgate,

I could say that 'They don't make 'em like that anymore' but then again I wouldn't really want 'them' too.

His creations are a very special part of my childhood and I for one would like to thank him for that.

Oh dear

"The BBC notes that in October this year company Coolbai acquired the right to many of his characters, and said it "planned to introduce Bagpuss to a new generation"."

Don't think many folks will like the sound of that.

Introduce Bagpuss to a new generation?

Probably fully equipped with an Apache gunship and a Ferrari, given what they've done to postman pat.

Yours,

A. Cynic

Thanks for the wonderful memories Mister Postgate...

you created some of the most memorable of my childhood entertainment.

Bagpuss - The Next Generation

Bet if it does come back, it will be a cartoon.

Hope they cremate him, so he can't spin in his grave over that.

Bagpuss,

Dear Bagpuss,

Old fat furry cat-puss,

Wake up and look at this thing that I bring.

Wake up, be bright,

Be golden and light.

Bagpuss, oh hear what I sing.

Mines the pink and white stripy one.

A bit sad about this

Always loved Postgate's stuff....

"And when Bagpuss was asleep..."

Not a lot of people know...

that Mr Postgate also wrote an occasional column for that (once?) fine organ, the New Statesman.

A lovely example from February this year:

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/oliver-postgate/2008/02/money-devil-god-bank

There's more (much more), and well worth a look, at http://www.oliverpostgate.co.uk/

A proper article might have had at least one of these links in it.

Thank you Mr Postgate, we'll remember you.

Sad, sad day

I always maintained a feint hope that one day CBBC or CBeebies would go to Oliver Postgate, cap in hand, and say "OK, you were right - most of what we're doing IS crap...what have you got?". Sadly the opportunity is gone, but we still have the videos and DVDs of the Smallfilms output to remind ourselves, and show our children, how to tell a story for television.

Lazy Town can shove the Secret Show up the Fimble's collective arse.

God bless Oliver Postgate, god bless Peter Firmin.

In Mr Postgate's memory, lets now boycott the BBCs childrens' channels until they agree to stop purveying the merchandise-led, brainless bottom-gravy that teaches our kids nothing but how to be brash, loud, soulless and dumb.

Weeooo_ooeeeoo_woooeeeooo

Weeooo_ooeeeoo_woooeeeooo, weeooo_ooeeeoo_woooeeeooo

*Sniff*

"Bagpuss gave a big yawn, and settled down to sleep. And when Bagpuss goes to sleep, all his friends go to sleep too. The mice are ornaments on the Mouse Organ, Gabriel and Madeleine are just dolls. And Professor Yaffle is just a carved wooden book-end in the shape of a woodpecker. Even Bagpuss himself, once he is asleep, is just an old, saggy cloth cat - baggy and a bit loose at the seams. But Emily loved him."

Bugger

The man was a genius I tell ya, his work will live on even though he's resting peacefully.

RIP

SWMBO will be gutted - she's a major fan of Bagpuss. Personally, I found it a bit *too* odd at times and besides, were it not for Ivor The Engine I wouldn't have developed an interest in railways and, in particular, industrial steam locomotives. God, I must have been an impressionable youngster :-)

All the same, it's very sad - another cornerstone of my childhood has passed on. Think there's only Brian Cant left now ...

Like many others, I don't hold out much hope for the 'reimaginings' of Bagpuss et.al. given the almighty mess that was made of Postman Pat.

Mine's the hi-vis one with M&LRTCL on the back.

Farewell..

Sorry to hear such a sad loss, his creations kept me a happy boy.

On a lighter (and hopefully not too sick note) - I almost hope, that, when they lower his coffin into the soil, you hear a "heeeeeave, heeeeeeeave, heeeeeeeeeave"..

Bah

Nogin the Nog came *before* Ivor the Engine. I was watching the former sometime around 1959 and I was doing "O" levels when the latter came on.

That said:

How sad. I can only properly express my sorrow at the passing of this great man with the aid of a swanee whistle. He made life bearable for a few minutes each day.

No doubt all the episodes of Clangers were lost when the video tape was re-used for Blankety-Blank, and we shall be denied the definitive DVD collection of his work.

Oliver Postgate dies and Jaqui Smith lives...

...is there no justice?

Thank you, belatedly, Mr Postgate for the huge contribution you have made to British society.

Coolbai to remake Bagpuss?

I for one welcome our new, stripy pink feline overlord!

Is Tux the new Professor Yaffle?

Psht-coof. Psht-coof. Psssssshhhht-cooooof.

Both Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog appeared in 1959: Ivor was the first Smallfilms production. In the seventies, all but the first six of the original Ivors (which explained, inter alia, how he came to sing in the choir) were remade in colour, as were a few Noggins in 1979.

So anyone watching - as I did - in the seventies would have seen nice new coloured Ivors and old black and white Noggins: hence, I think, the confusion about which came first.

These quibbles aside, Oliver Postgate is a sad loss. There is a gentleness, a lyricism and an imagination to the Postgate and Firmin work which is completely lacking from the hyperactive, in-yer-face children's TV of today.

I bought the DVD of the colour Ivors on Saturday, for a friend's 3-year-old son who is laid up with illness. He's enchanted.

A sad loss

Oliver Postgate was a truely inspired and inspirational man and I am sad to hear that he has died.

I remember watching Ivor, Bagpuss and the Clangers when growing up and now my children are fans as well. They watch (nearly) all the modern shows and enjoy them, and are equally happy to sit down and watch Ivor or the Clangers on DVD. This is a true measure of the genius of Postgate and Firmin.

my eye are leaking

'nuf said.

@Tawakalna

Au contraire. There was even a stage version[1] in the early 80's. This I know because one of Dr. Larrington's friends played the role of Graculus. Can anyone remind me which Nog it was who, whenever confronted with something potentially hazardous, would say something along the lines of "I'll stay here and guard the horses"?

However, anyone who bigs up anything other than The Clangers is a menk. I had to spend much of last night comforting my Authentic Whistling Major Clanger, who lives on top of my bedside light.

Bah!

1 - it was this: a rubbish

'nuf said?

mine too

Many thanx Oliver Postgate

... for the wonderful shows you and Peter Firmin made. Noggin the Nog was a bit before my time, but I loved Ivor the Engine, Clangers and Bagpuss from the moment I saw them as a small child. Now, as a small adult I have them on DVD and still enjoy them.

The world is a better place for you having been in it and done the things you did. This goes to show you don't have to conquer nations, wield great power, or harm people to make a difference and be remembered.