Jack's Throwback Attack Podcast - S3 E7 - A Chat With Joe Grossi

It's podcast time once again and this time something a bit different as this podcast explores a BBC Kids TV show from the 1980's.

     

The chat can also be found on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In this edition I chat with actor Joe Grossi. Way back in 1987 Joe played Hopkins, the butler for Lady Fox Custard (played by Carry On star Joan Sims) in the Children's BBC series Simon and The Witch. It was based around a series of books written by Margaret Stuart Barry and featured Simon (played by Hugh Pollard) and his best friend The Witch (played by Elizabeth Spriggs). The Witch would often create havoc with her magic spells. To the delight of the children that went to visit her and annoying teachers and authority figures. 

Hugh Pollard as Simon and Elizabeth Spriggs
as The Witch.

Out of the twenty five episodes made over the two series, Hopkins appeared in almost all of them and became a favourite character with fans of the show. Hopkins would always switch from speaking with received pronunciation around Lady Fox Custard to his original cockney accent when around the children. Often helping them out with their schemes and joining in with the mischief. Especially with Lady Fox Custard's nephew Cuthbert (Played by Ilan Ostrove) who Hopkins would always help sneak off to visit the Witch and distract her ladyship. 

Now if you're a regular listener you will know I normally only focus on UK Kids TV shows from the 90's and 00's as that's when I grew up. I don't normally cover 80's TV shows, however Simon and the Witch did have a repeat run on the now defunct satellite channel BBC Choice. I seem to recall it was the summer of 2000 I saw it and I instantly loved it, so much so I even bought a few of the books which I read over and over. 

VHS copies of the episodes made their way on to Youtube in the late 2000's which gave me the opportunity to watch them again and then fast forward to 2018 when I was originally started this project up and a new facebook group called Simon and the Witch Memory Board appeared, run by none other than Joe himself. So I dropped a message asking if Joe would be interested in answering a few questions about the show, this was back when this project was going to be more of a blog and the podcasts hadn't been thought of. Joe replied back and agreed to and... I forgot to reply back! Ooops!

Joe as Hopkins. This image
was used in the end credits
of the show. 

During the summer of 2020, due to lockdown I was a bit bored one day and one of the things I was doing was going through a bunch of VHS tapes that I'd been given to look for any interesting content to digitise before throwing them away. On one tape from 1993 in an advert break was an advert for Argos featuring Joe. Sporting a white suit with the Argos logo emblazoned all over it. I decided to recontact the group and asked Joe if he had a copy to which it turns out Joe had copies of all the adverts he'd been in... except that one! So I digitised it and forwarded him the clip and off the back of this we got talking again about doing an interview and I said would you be happy to do a podcast and well, here it is!

Joe in a 1993 advert for Argos

It's a wonderful discussion, I love Joe's story telling of his career and some wonderful anecdotes are shared about Simon and the Witch especially about working with Joan Sims and also Ilan Ostrove who unfortunately passed away in 1997 at the age of just 22. Joe also talks about what life is like being an actor and the various other cool things he's been in such as The Da Vinci Code and even starring alongside David Jason in a cigar advert!

Joe with Joan Sims who played
Lady Fox-Custard.

Oh and you no longer have to make do with ropey VHS copies of the show, as it was all released on DVD in 2018. 

Joe's website can be found here. 

Sit back and enjoy the chat!

Jack's Throwback Attack Podcast - S3 E6 - A Chat With Ronnie Le Drew

It's time for another podcast and it's a chat with someone you could subscribe as an absolute stalwart of puppetry. Someone who had a career spanning some fifty years and is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. It's a chat with Ronnie Le Drew. 

   

Jack's Throwback Attack · S3 E6 - A Chat With Ronnie Le Drew

You can also listen to the chat via Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

In this bumper ninety four minute edition of the podcast, Ronnie talks about his career in puppetry. Starting off with a love for puppets as a child and then fresh out of school joining the Little Angel Theatre in London which specialised in puppetry in the mid 1960's. 

Ronnie (Centre) outside the Little Angel Theatre
with John & Lyndie Wright, Christopher Leith,
Joyce Wren and Mary Kenny in 1964. 

From humble beginnings this lead to a varied career in TV and film. Ronnie's best known work is that of being the puppeteer for Zippy on Rainbow. Which Ronnie has been doing since 1973! Roy Skelton was the original voice of Zippy, however Ronnie has also provided the voice since the show was briefly revived twice in the mid 90's after the original Thames version finished in 1992and also during any sporadic appearances on other TV shows such as The Last Leg. 

Ronnie's work as Zippy spans nearly 50 years
as of 2021!

Aside from Rainbow, Ronnie has also had a long association with Sooty. Puppeteering Sweep for the most part as well as occasionally the other characters for a few years during the Matthew Corbett days in the 1970's and also alongside Richard Cadell both in the late 90's and also in 2018. 

Ronnie with a 1970's Sweep puppet which was
a gift from Matthew Corbett

Ronnie also puppeteered for other kids TV shows such as Mortimer and Arabel, Roger and the Rottentrolls and Jay's World. 

Moving on from TV, Ronnie has also done a lot of film work. Helping operate many characters on the likes of Labyrinth, Little Shop of Horrors and The Muppet's Christmas Carol. 

Ronnie now has an autobiography out called Zippy and Me which tells the story of his career and you can also follow him on Twitter. 

A great read! I recommend it

All episodes of Tots TV are coming to Britbox in 2021

 "I'm a tot, je suis une tot, Tilly, Tom and Tiny. We're the tots on Tots TV. 1-2-3 BOO!..."

Earlier this year I wrote that some classic 90's UK children's shows were being released on the streaming service Britbox. This included a single episode of the classic CITV pre-school show Tots TV.

If your memory is fuzzy, it featured the adventures of the tots. Tilly, Tom and Tiny who lived in a secret cottage alongside their pet donkey and a mysterious furry dog-like creature unbeknownst to them called Furry Boo. 

It has been recently been announced that in 2021 the entire series of Tots TV will be available to stream. The show ran for a whopping 276 episodes between 1993 and 1998 originally.

I am pleased at this news. I doubt I'll sit and watch a full episode myself but more so because it can introduce the show to a whole new generation of children. Other 90's kids shows coming to Britbox include Maid Marian and Her Merry Men and The Demon Headmaster. Other classic kids shows from other decades are coming soon too.

Jack's Throwback Attack Podcast - S3 E4 - A Chat With Tim Whitnall

"He came from another demension from a different universe beyond infinity and he fell to earth with a bump *BUMP* in to Mike King's wardrobe. It's not easy, stepping out in to an alien world where anything can happen, but who is the mysterious stranger that answers to the name of Angelo?" 

This months podcast is focused on Mike & Angelo. A wonderfully wacky sci-fi sitcom that aired on CITV between 1989 and 2000 for an amazing 12 series and a whopping 123 episodes. I am very proud to present a chat with Angelo himself, Tim Whitnall.

 

Jack's Throwback Attack · S3 E4 - A Chat With Tim Whitnall

        

You can also listen to the chat via Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Although Tim wasn't actually the first person to play Angelo as the role was originally performed by Tyler Butterworth. Tyler stepped down from the role after just two series so the part had to be recast and this is where Tim came in who stayed with the role for 10 years right up until the very end. 

For those of you who may have fuzzy memories or aren't familiar with the show. Mike & Angelo featured the adventures of Mike, who had moved to England from America and his crazy alien pal Angelo. Who had landed in Mike's new home one day when he was escaping his home planet that was self destructing. This then leads to 12 series of crazy adventures featuring Angelo's many bonkers inventions, walking on the ceiling and lots and lots of juggling. That's the basic premise of the show but it's worth noting Mike & Angelo went through A LOT of cast and character changes during it's run. With none of the original cast being present by the final series. However, this did not stop the show from being the success it was or being an enjoyable watch. Thanks to the wonderful performances of those involved, the behind the scenes crew and the writing talents of the shows creators, Lee Pressman and Grant Cathro. 

I have enjoyed every interview I have recorded for this project but I have to say this one was very special to me. Mike & Angelo started in 1989 which was a few years before I was born so my introduction to the show was very much at the tail end. I'd say the last three series or so based on the fuzzy memories I have, but I did have a VHS tape which contained a few episodes that were recorded off the telly which I watched again and again. So many times in fact that I'm surprised I never worn the tape out. With the dawn of Youtube and people uploading various episodes they recorded it's given me a chance to see a lot of the ones I missed and of course CITV repeated two episodes in 2013 as part of their 'Old Skool' weekend which I excitedly got myself up at the crack of dawn to watch despite being about 19 at the time. I am a huge fan and I really wanted to learn to juggle off the back of the show. I eventually did teach myself some years later. 

Off the back of all this, Tim was someone I'd wanted on my podcast pretty early on. It's taken me until recording my third series to finally pluck up the courage to ask if he'd like to take part. I still find it daunting to email people I am a fan of and ask them for their time. I sent off an email to Tim's production company 'Feather Productions' and got a speedy reply from Tim's partner Anna Murphy who very kindly passed the message on to Tim's email for me and said we should be able to record something once Tim had finished writing his latest project. So a few weeks went by and I emailed Tim directly and got a lovely reply back and the date was set. It's been a while since I had proper nerves doing a podcast but I did have them for this one. 

I'll never forget picking up my phone and hearing "It's Angelo!" on the other end of the line. Followed by a big laugh and "I haven't said that for 20 years!". There was a slight cockup my end to start of with as I had given Tim the wrong phone number for the recording studio I was in. I'd actually given him the number for the reception desk. Luckily he had my mobile number to let me know he couldn't get through, one quick redial later and we were away. We then ended up chatting off the record for 20 minutes like we were old mates before realising we should probably start recording. 

What then followed was an enjoyable hour of discussion and reminiscing and a lot of laughter. What I love is Tim's energy and enthusiasm really shines and sometimes the spirit of Angelo comes through I feel. We discuss everything from Tim's musical theatre background, his eventful audition for Mike & Angelo and working with the likes of Katy Murphy, Michael Benz, Elizabeth Estensen, John Savident and Steven Geller to name a few. Oh and we also learn learn the wonderful story of the link between Mike & Angelo and Tim meeting Anna, his partner of over 20 years. I do also have to thank Tim for being kind enough to even being late for dinner as we were having such a good time and had so much to discuss!

Please do sit back and enjoy this one, and afterwards why not stick an episode on. There's plenty of episodes online via this channel. 

A big thanks to Tim and Anna and check out their current work at Feather Productions and on Twitter too.

Jack's Throwback Attack Podcast - S3 E3 - A Chat With Jamie Rickers

 It's podcast time once again and the third episode of this series is a chat with Jamie Rickers.  

  

Jack's Throwback Attack · S3 E3 - A Chat With Jamie Rickers

You can also listen to the chat via Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

If you grew up during the noughties decade and regularly watched either CITV or CBBC, there was a high chance you'd have seen Jamie as he was a regular fixture on both for a good 10 years. 

Jamie's presenting break was the early morning GMTV kids show Up on the Roof which aired between 2002 and 2005. Jamie presented the links between the cartoons featuring a wide array of comedy sketches. This was then replaced by Toonattik which Jamie presented alongside Anna Williamson between 2005 and 2010. 

Jamie shares some great anecdotes including getting stopped by police while filming a comedy sketch, on the grounds of anti terrorism charges and that time when Charlie Brooker had a go at presenting Toonattik as part of his Screenwipe show. 

He also talks about presenting the factual shows The Yuk Show and Prove it. As well as the gameshow All or Nothing. 

Jamie can be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Jack's Throwback Attack Podcast - S3 E2 - A Chat With Leah Charles-King

Once again it's podcast time. For the second episode of series three I present to you a chat with Leah Charles-King. 

 

Jack's Throwback Attack · S3 E2 - A Chat With Leah Charles-King

You can also listen via Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

Leah presented the continuity links (or the bits in-between the programmes) on CITV between 2001 and 2003. Along side Michael Underwood, Stephen Mulhern, David Leon and Leigh Morrison. This was before the days of the CITV channel, when it was a block of programmes that went out on the main ITV channel between 3:25pm and 5:00pm. 

I was really pleased to finally get a CITV presenter on the podcast as I was always more a CITV watcher. Leah presented the links very much in the era I watched, back when links were broadcast from ITV Central's studios in Gas Street, Birmingham. In this hour long chat she talks about how she went from being in a girl band called Kleshay to presenting on CITV and all the great moments she had along the way including presenting the CITV 20th Birthday Bash. 

The CITV 20th Birthday Bash - 3rd January 2003

Leah also talks about her departure from CITV in 2003 when numerous changes were brought in, Leah then went on to present for The Disney Channel. Soon after this CITV left Birmingham after broadcasting live links there since the 1980's and continuity eventually went to voiceover only for the second time which has remained ever since. 

Leah is on Twitter and Instagram. She also runs the Red Carpet Academy where she teaches people how to improve their presenting skills on camera. 

Brum and Bob The Builder - Now available on BBC iPlayer

 Earlier this year I wrote about how some 90's Children's TV classics were appearing on Britbox. In a continuing trend for old content to be made available on demand. The BBC have now released Brum and Bob The Builder on BBC iPlayer. 

All three series of Brum are available, 56 episodes in total. This is the original Ragdoll Productions version. The first and second series were made in 1991 and 1994 respectively. The show was revived for a third series in 2001. 

All nine series of the original series of Bob the Builder are available to stream which originally aired between 1998 and 2004. This doesn't include Project Build It or Ready Steady Build or any of the other spin off's or recent revival. 

I did have a watch of the first episode of Brum, living fairly close to Birmingham and visiting regularly it always interests me to see places I recognise on TV shows. Maybe one day I'll document the great 90's Kids TV that came from the UK's second biggest city. 

I for one, welcome these shows being made available. I wonder if this is now the future? Instead of DVD releases and repeats on TV, classic shows can be made available to stream whenever. I certainly hope that over time more content is posted. Bodger & Badger and Chucklevision certainly get my vote to be made available on demand.