Pogle’s Wood

The charming stop motion animation Pogle's Wood debuted on 7 April 1966. It was created by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, who had already succeeded with Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog. The stories were written and told by Postgate, while Firmin provided the puppets and settings. Postgate was aided by Olwen Griffiths and Steve Woodman, with atmospheric music from Vernon Elliott.

Viewers came to love Mr and Mrs Pogle as a regular part of the Watch with Mother strand, along with Pippin, his woodland creature friend Tog, and the Plant. Plant was fond of a drop of bilberry wine, but could be relied on to tell a diverting story.

Pogles Wood began its life the previous year as The Pogles, six short films included in the children's show Clapperboard. However its story of a menacing witch who tries to steal the son of the Fairy King from Mr and Mrs Pogle was deemed too frightening. Postgate was asked to rework the show. He added Pippin – the re-imagined fairy child – and Tog, along with a fresh focus on country life, interspersing the animation with live sequences.

Only 26 episodes of Pogles' Wood were made, but the success of the show was such that it spawned its own comic, Pippin, which featured all the BBC Children’s favourites and lasted until 1986. Postgate and Firmin’s company Smallfilms went on to create Bagpuss.