David McKee sadly died about a month ago. He was 87, which is a good innings in anybody's book.
You're probably thinking... who?
To tell the truth, I'd have been doing the same.
If you'd mentioned the name "Michael Bond" to me I'd automatically have a mental picture of... "Paddington Bear".
Oliver Postgate (good name!)... the Clangers and Bagpuss...
oh and Noggin the Nog...
and Ivor the Engine... and others (Mr Postgate was prolific!).
Gordon Murray... Trumpton, Chigley, Camberwick Green (love 'em!)
But David McKee? I wouldn't have known which programme he was responsible for.
And yes, I know I've just ended that sentence with a preposition but "I wouldn't have known for which programme he was responsible" just sounds a smidge pompous... so I thought I'd bend the English rule.... aren't I a little rebel???
Anyway, shame on me...
because David McKee was the creator of one of the iconic children's programmes of my childhood.
It was a firm favourite in the lunchtime slot.
For some reason those programmes didn't ever transition into the main afternoon slot or vice versa.
For example, can you imagine Rainbow being on at 4.15? Makes me feel a tad queasy just thinking about it... it would be plain wrong.
OK... so iconic lunchtime programme... on the BBC.
It seems to be on every week of my childhood and yet it was a bit like Fawlty Towers in that not that many of them were ever made.
They only ever made 13 (of this programme in question... there were only 12 Fawlty Towers).
Any guesses?
There were 2 main characters in this animated series...
I was just about to talk about the "main protagonist" but, according to Wikipedia that wouldn't make sense because protagonist already means "main character of the story"... I cringe to think how many times I've made that error.
Anyway... the characters were...
the main person...
and a shopkeeper (who didn't ever sell anything in any of the programmes from what I remember)...
and a changing room...
and numerous dressing up outfits...
and a magic door...
If you don't know by now then either you're from a different decade (in which case I apologise for wasting your time!) or you weren't a fan of the iconic...
Image source: ScreenDaily
MR BENN SOURCE: (C) DAVID MCKEE 2021. LICENSED BY FACTORY RIGHTS LIMITED
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