Snug & Cozi was a children's slapstick comedy which aired on CITV for two series between 1996 and 1997. The two title characters were spacemen who crash landed on earth and tried to adapt to human life. With the help of their earth friend Emily, who discovered them and hid them in her fathers shed. Obviously her father must have hated gardening then, to not notice two full grown men living in the shed the whole time.
You could describe the pair as bumbling, inept and down right clumsy. Causing chaos wherever they go and speaking a strange gibberish language. Slapstick shows seemed to be all the rage on Kids TV in the 90's. With Zzzap! and Chucklevision never being off the air.
A total of sixteen episodes were made. All of which were ten minutes in length and featured the two crazy spacemen getting in to a variety of farcical situations. From flooding their home with soap suds during bath night. To making a birthday cake containing sticks of dynamite instead of candles.
The show actually aired when I was three years old, so it's amazing I remember it. I say remember but it's more vague recollections. Years ago I did ask on forums if anyone remembered a show with two clumsy bald men, one with a moustache and no one had a clue what I was going on about. It was only when some time later someone messaged me asking me if I remembered a CITV show called Snug & Cozi and I said I didn't. Until they shown me an episode on Youtube and it all came back to me. This was the show I remembered!
In fact the Youtube uploads are all by the very man who not only played Snug in the show. But also created the entire thing. Richard Vobes. Who I have been in contact with ever since, over the last ten years. We've never met in person but exchanged many emails about his time on the show. As well as the various other CITV shows the two characters appeared on to promote it. Such as Scratchy & Co and Timmy Towers. The fact Richard has worked alongside the late great Mark Speight makes me very jealous!
Not only that but Snug and Cozi even released their own album of pop tunes! You can listen to one of the tunes here.
Richard has told me in previous conversations that the show was very much Laurel & Hardy in spacesuits. Seeing as I am a fan of those too. I can definitely see the influence. It's nice that particular style of humour was re-introduced to a new generation of children.
I can still remember one of the very first things I asked Richard back in 2009. I had this vague picture in my mind of Snug & Cozi entering a carwash on a bed. Naturally I thought I'd dreamt the whole thing up and gone mad. It sounded bizarre. Thankfully I wasn't, as Richard confirmed that yes, that really did happen. The scene in question, has since made an appearance online.
What's interesting to learn, from my many discussions with Richard. Is that his time having his idea made for TV wasn't always a happy one. With his vision of the show not being what the final product ended up being. Before being axed suddenly after just two series. A great shame. Due to the short run, the show has sadly been largely forgotten and doesn't pop up on nostalgia websites very often.
What's more positive though. Is since then, Richard has a new found love of producing videos and podcasts for the internet. Until the title The Bald Explorer where he explores Britain's history and heritage. You can find out more here https://baldexplorer.com/ and you can also follow Richard on Twitter.
Why not go on Youtube right now and enjoy some silly fun with Snug & Cozi? To get you started. This episode is a favourite of mine.
Also Richard has very kindly taken the time out to record a chat with me about his time working on the show. The podcast interview will be available very soon!
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