Wikipedia

Potamus Park

Potamus Park is a British pre-school television programme that ran on CITV in the United Kingdom between 3 January 1996 and 31 July 1999. The show centred on a small family of hippopotamuses, Herbie, Hippy, Hazel and Hinkley, this show was sponsored by Hippo Fromage Frais and was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, England.[1]

Potamus Park
Created byChristopher Noulton
John Lee
Paul Cole
Voices ofSimon Buckley
Philip Eason
Rusty Goffe
Atalanta Harmsworth
Stroma Inglis
Mark Jefferis
Nikki Mclnnes
Nigel Plaskitt
Jo Manning Wilson
Opening theme"(We're On Our Way To) Potamus Park" by Geoff Robinson
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes85
Production
ProducersJohn Lee
Chris Noulton for ITV Central
Production locationPinewood Studios
Running time10 minutes per episode (approx.)
Production companiesCarlton UK Productions, Zoo Gang Productions, Central Television
Original release
NetworkITV (CITV)
Release3 January 1996 (1996-01-03) –
31 July 1999 (1999-07-31)

Characters

edit

Characters featured included Ticker, (a bird,) Got To Guess, (a blue creature that used sign language to communicate) and Mindy and Mo (two Moles who live in a water well and use a bucket as a lift whenever the hippopotamuses need help). Every episode was introduced by three anthropomorphic flowers, who would explain whatever is to come or what may have been happening in the episode.

Series 1 - (1996)

edit
  1. Pleased To Meet You (By Paul Cole) - 3 January 1996
  2. How Does Your Garden Grow (By Paul Cole) - 10 January 1996
  3. Litter Bug (By Paul Cole) - 17 January 1996
  4. Over The Counter (By Paul Cole) - 24 January 1996
  5. Recipe For Success (By Paul Cole) - 31 January 1996
  6. Do It Yourself (By Paul Cole) - 7 February 1996
  7. Too Hot For Hippos (By Paul Cole - 14 February 1996
  8. Happy Hippos (By Paul Cole) - 21 February 1996
  9. Crazy Golf (By Paul Endacott) - 28 February 1996
  10. Name That Tune (By Paul Cole) - 6 March 1996
  11. This Is Where We Live (By Paul Cole) - 10 September 1996
  12. Gone Fishing (By Paul Cole) - 17 September 1996
  13. Spring Clean (By Paul Cole) - 24 September 1996
  14. Let's Pretend (By Paul Cole - 1 October 1996
  15. Picture This (By Paul Cole) - 8 October 1996
  16. Nothing Doing (By Peter Corey) - 15 October 1996
  17. Keep Fit (By Paul Cole) - 22 October 1996
  18. I Spy (By Nigel Crowle) - 29 October 1996
  19. Hungry Hippos (By Wayne Jackman) - 5 November 1996
  20. You Must Be Joking (By Peter Corey) - 12 November 1996
  21. Nice To Be Nice (By Paul Cole) - 19 November 1996
  22. Secrets (By Wayne Jackman) - 26 November 1996
  23. Got To Guess Goes Missing (By Wayne Jackman) - 3 December 1996
  24. Ticker Takes Off (By David Treloar) - 10 December 1996
  25. The Show Must Go On (By Peter Corey) - 17 December 1996

Series 2 - (1997)

edit
  1. Washday Blues (John Lee) - 7 January 1997
  2. If Only (By Paul Cole) - 14 January 1997
  3. Doctor Doctor (By John Lee) 21 - January 1997
  4. Do Your Best (By John Lee) 28 - January 1997
  5. Things That Go Bump In The Night (By Chris Noulton) 4 - February 1997
  6. Every Mole Has His Day (By Chris Noulton) 11 - February 1997
  7. Lonely Bird (By John Lee) 18 - February 1997
  8. I Talk To The Trees (By Paul Cole) 25 - February 1997
  9. Bedtime Story (By Paul Cole) 4 - March 1997
  10. Buried Treasure (By Paul Cole) 11 - March 1997
  11. Mums Day Off (By Paul Cole) 11 - September 1997
  12. Home Again (By Paul Cole) 18 - September 1997
  13. Bookworm (By Paul Cole) 25 - September 1997
  14. Where Shall We Go (By Paul Cole) 2 - October 1997
  15. Turn and Turn About (By Paul Cole) 9 - October 1997
  16. If At First (By Wayne Jackman) 16 - October 1997
  17. Bits and Bobs (By Peter Corey) 23 - October 1997
  18. We Have No Bananas (By Wayne Jackman) 30 - October 1997
  19. Table Manners (By Paul Cole) 6 - November 1997
  20. Early One Morning (By Paul Cole) 13 - November 1997
  21. Hip Hippo Ray Day (By Paul Cole) 20 - November 1997
  22. Different (By Nigel Plaskitt) 27 - November 1997
  23. Ticker Tells All (By Paul Cole) 4 - December 1997
  24. Dressing Up (By Paul Cole) 11 - December 1997
  25. Abracadabra (By Paul Cole) 18 - December 1997

Series 3 - (1998)

edit
  1. Send For Got To Guess (By Paul Cole) 6 - January 1998
  2. Family Favourites (By Paul Cole) 8 - January 1998
  3. Mr Mystery (By Paul Cole) 13 - January 1998
  4. Garden Fete (By Paul Cole) 15 - January 1998
  5. Parade (By Paul Cole) 20 - January 1998
  6. To Each His Own (By Paul Cole) 22 - January 1998
  7. Party Time (By Paul Cole) 27 - January 1998
  8. Secret Garden (By Paul Cole) 29 - January 1998
  9. Band Together 09 (By Paul Cole) 3 - February 1998
  10. Time For A Change (By Paul Cole) 5 - February 1998
  11. Dreams (By Paul Cole) 10 - February 1998
  12. Growing Up (By Paul Cole) 12 - February 1998
  13. Invitations To The Dance (By Paul Cole) 17 - February 1998
  14. Up And Running (By Paul Cole) 19 - February 1998
  15. Jungle Bungle (By Paul Cole) 24 - February 1998
  16. Lucky Fried Chicken 016 (By Paul Cole) 26 - February 1998
  17. I Can You Can (By Paul Cole) 3 - March 1998
  18. Wows (By Paul Cole) 5 - March 1998
  19. We Know What We Like (By Paul Cole) 10 - March 1998
  20. What's In a Name By Paul Cole) 12 - March 1998
  21. Pretty Bubbles (By Paul Cole) 19 - March 1998
  22. Why Oh Why (By Paul Cole) 24 - March 1998
  23. Sing Along (By Paul Cole) 26 - March 1998
  24. Picnic (By Paul Cole) 31 - March 1998
  25. Snow (By Paul Cole) 02 - April 1998

Series 4 - (1999)

edit
  1. Episode 001 (By Paul Cole) 08 - May 1999
  2. Episode 002 (By Paul Cole) 15 - May 1999
  3. Episode 003 (By Wayne Jackman) 22 - May 1999
  4. Episode 004 (By Paul Endacott) 29 -May 1999
  5. Episode 005 (By Peter Corey) 05 - June 1999
  6. Episode 006 (By Peter Corey) 12 - June 1999
  7. Episode 007 (By Paul Cole) 19 - June 1999
  8. Episode 008 (By Nigel Plaskitt) 17 - July 1999
  9. Episode 009 (By Nigel Plaskitt) 24 - July 1999
  10. Episode 010 (By Paul Cole) 31 - July 1999

Video Tapes

edit

Various episodes of the series were released on VHS by Carlton Video in the United Kingdom.

Title Release Date
Pleased To Meet you VL 1 1996
This Is Where We Live VL 2 1996
Name That Tune Vl 3 1996
Hungry Hippos VL 4 1997
Secrets VL 5 1997
Bedtime Story V11 1998
Dressing Up V7 1999
Hip Hip Ray Day V6 1999
Where Shall We Go V10 1999
Abracadabra V9 1999
Buried Treasure V8 2000

Trivia

edit

Carlton Home Video issued many video cassettes in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although the television series was genuinely well received, ITV decided to cut the series in 1999 due to the rival show Bananas in Pyjamas, which received higher ratings. Even though the series ended in 1999, CITV continued to air the show until January 2000.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ "The information about Potamus Park on John Lee's website that includes a filming location".
  2. ^ "The Guardian - 22 Jan 2000".
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Potamus_Park&oldid=1229069686"