That was the opening line to every edition of Rosie and Jim presented by it's first host, John Cunliffe. In my opinion, John was the perfect face for children's television. A kind looking grandfather or uncle figure, with a softly spoken voice with a Yorkshire twang that you could listen to for hours and who never talked down to children.
Although his name is sadly not a household one. John was responsible with bringing two of the best known children's television shows to life. Alongside Rosie and Jim. John was responsible for Postman Pat. John had created Pat based on his childhood growing up in rural Cumbria (although he later moved to Ilkely in Yorkshire) and his previous work as a mobile librarian. John came up with the characters and wrote the original Postman Pat series which first aired in 1981. As well as writing numerous story books too. All these years later. Postman Pat is still widely recognised and enjoyed by many. Yet not so many people know the name behind the creation. Which I feel is a massive shame. In fact this article here sadly explains why.
My introduction to John Cunliffe came from Rosie and Jim. A show I enjoyed all through childhood. The series began in 1990. Before I was born. So I saw the early editions through repeats and borrowing the many VHS releases from my local library. I always enjoyed the gentle approach of those shows. It wasn't in your face.You were learning about the world and at the same time having a giggle at the antics of Rosie and Jim. I always enjoyed that fact that John was the only host of the show to talk directly to the camera and explain exactly what was going on. But like I said, it was never condescending. It felt engaging. How many children's shows are there where you could learn how glass was made? Or how canal locks work? Or how narrowboats are produced and that years ago horses were used to tow them? Hence the name towpath. You learnt all sorts from how things are made to bits of local history.
The very first episode of the show about canal locks was repeated in 2013 as part of CITV's 30th anniversary celebrations. I recall seeing tweets describing it as "boring". Which I found greatly annoying. It was just different. It was gentle. It wasn't trying to push merchandising in your face. It was an alternative to the American CGI cartoons and the manic gunge fueled gameshows of the time.
I guess my great affection for the show also comes from the very West Midlands feel of the show. Which is where I reside. There's a lot of canals around Birmingham and The Black Country and narrowboats are still very commonplace. So for those two things to be featured in a TV programme is incredibly cool to me. Also many of the editions (certainly the early ones) were filmed in locations I know very well. Even to this day if I am walking along Gas Street Basin, The Merry Hill Shopping Centre or Stourport Funfair, I think "Rosie and Jim and John were here".
So yeah, you could say I have a great affection for the show. Also of course Rosie and Jim was produced by the fantastic Ragdoll Productions based in Stratford-Upon-Avon who I credit as creating some of the best children's content out there during the 90's and 00's and should be up there with the other greats such as Cosgrove Hall and Small Films.
For whatever reason. John only presented the first two series of Rosie and Jim something I feel is a great shame. While both Pat Hutchins and Neil Brewer did a decent job. I don't think you could match those early editions personally. The show of course went on to run all the way until 2000. Clocking up 8 series.
I always wanted to meet John and interview him. In fact a few months back I emailed the company which represents his literary works. But had no response. Sadly it's not to be now. From what I gather online John was a very kind and humble man. Something I am not surprised to learn as that always shone through for me. It also appears that John didn't make a fortune from either of his famous works or any of the other books he wrote. Which is a shame. But that didn't bother him. He did it for love and not the money. He enjoyed making children happy and teaching them and that is a really awesome thing to do.
Episodes are easy to watch. Plenty of them online. Most of which ripped from the VHS tapes released in the 1990's. A few DVD's of the later series exist but are now deleted. In 2016, a DVD with a few of the John Cunliffe editions was released. Hopefully more come out in time.
John's death was incredibly sad news to me. But it gives me a great excuse to watch a few editions of Rosie and Jim again and remember the good times. With the death of Pat Hutchins in 2017. That leaves only Neil Brewer as the sole surviving presenter of the show.
 |
| John Cunliffe 1933-2018 |
No comments:
Post a Comment