The Shoe People

infobox television
show_name = The Shoe People


caption =
format = Animated television series
runtime = 5 mins
voices = Philip Whitchurch
country = UK
network = TV-am
first_aired = April 1987
last_aired = 1988
num_episodes = 26
imdb_id = 0862624|

"The Shoe People" is an animated television series which was first broadcast in the UK in April 1987 on TV-am, a breakfast show made by the ITV Channel in the UK. The Shoe People went on to be broadcast in 62 countries around the world.

It was the first series from the West to be shown in the former Soviet Union and became so popular there that they sold over 25 million Shoe People books.The Shoe People - The Complete Series DVD, The Shoe People Fact Files, Revelation Films Ltd., 2004]

The Shoe People was created by James Driscoll, who got the inspiration for the show from noticing that the style and appearance of peoples shoes told you about their owners personalities. He then wondered what stories these shoes could tell about themselves when they were new and had gradually worn out.

The theme song for The Shoe People was written and sung by Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues.

The story

In a Shoe Repairs Shop, not too far away. The Shoe Mender tries to repair all the shoes he gets, but sometimes he cannot repair them all. But he does not throw away these shoes, he puts them in the back room of the shop.

These join the other shoes and boots he could not bear to throw away and the ones where their owners never came back for them but this room has a secret. Every night when the Shoe Mender locks up the shop, he makes sure the back room door is shut. This door does not shut very easily and when he slams it shut, the strangest thing happens. A large cloud of dust from the room fills the air and when it settles, the Shoes come to life and the back wall disappears and Shoe Town appears.

Just below Toecap Hill is Shoe Town, where all the Shoes and Boots live.

The characters

* P.C. Boot - He is the policeman of Shoe Town and lives in 'Shoe Street Police Station'. He likes to over-explain things, to the annoyance of others. He talks with a little bit of a lisp.
* Charlie - On the corner of Shoe Street lives Charlie. He is a Clown. He lives in a circus tent called 'The Little Big Top'. He likes to perform magic tricks and juggling, but best of all, he likes to make people laugh. The Shoe People have to be careful when talking to him, as he either pulls a face, or squirts water at them through his fake flower. He seems to have lots of unusual ideas that are useful for helping others in Shoe Town.
* Trampy - He is a worn out Irish boot that has a hole in its toecap and he is a bit scruffy. He lives next door to Charlie in a house, with a crooked chimney, called 'Tumbledown House', which has not been painted or maintained in years and the garden is overgrown. He loves to relax and enjoy his natural garden and likes to keep the peace between the other inhabitants of Shoe Town. He likes to go on walks in the country with Margot and Baby Bootee and tell them stories. Plus he likes his friends from the countryside to come for tea. He has had a soft spot for Margot, ever since he laid eyes on her.
* Sergeant Major - He lives in 'Drill Hall' and still thinks he is in the army; he was in the Foot Regiment. He likes everything to be neat and tidy and shouts a lot. The grass in his garden is mown in perfect lines, he even measures the width of them, and all the plants stand to attention. The trouble is, he lives next door to Trampy, and gets very cross when he sees the overgrown garden next door, and crosser when it grows into his garden. At least once a day he complains to Trampy about it. He keeps saying to Charlie, "Stupid Clown", but he always comes to watch his circus act. He hates being called Sarge.
* Margot - She is a ballerina who lives in 'Swan Lake Cottage' and she loves to dance. She looks after Baby Bootee. When she first arrived at the Shoe Repair Shop, she had a big tear in her side and she thought she would never dance again. Luckily for her the Shoe Repairer had other ideas and he fixed her. She was then put back into the window of the shop to wait for the little girl who brought her in, to collect her, but she never came back. Now she has a new life in Shoe Town and she loves to put on shows for everyone.
* Wellington - He loves being wet and lives in 'Puddle Villa'. He loves water so much that he has drilled holes in the guttering of his house and stands underneath it when it rains. He hates being called a Welly.
* Baby Bootee - She is looked after by Margot at 'Swan Lake Cottage'. She does not do much else, apart from loving the Teddy that Charlie won for her at the fair.
* Sneaker - He likes to sneak around and he takes things without asking people, hence why he looks like a burglar. He also likes to do odd jobs for people. If you look closely, there is a wanted poster of him on the outside of 'Shoe Street Police Station'. He has his own yard.
* Guilder Van Der Clog - She is a Dutch clog who lives in a windmill.
* Flip Flop
* Mr Potter
* Sid Slipper

Episodes

# Can You Keep a Secret
# Sergeant Major
# A Day at the Seaside
# Trampy
# Trampy's Birthday Surprise
# Margot
# Charlie
# A Rainy Day Problem
# Tea at the Little Big Top
# Fun and Games in the Park
# Charlie's Car
# P.C. Boot to the Rescue
# Trampy's Dream
# The Fair Comes to Shoetown
# Delay at Shoetown Railway Station
# Sneaker
# The Windmill Has Stopped
# A Job for Wellington
# Margot's Mirror
# The Missing Jumble
# The Paper Chase
# Where's Baby Bootee
# Trampy Mows the Lawn
# The Great Sledge Race
# The Mystery Tour
# Our Very Own Circus

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0862624|title=The Shoe People