The Poddington Peas

"The Poddington Peas" was a children's cartoon series made for British television in 1986, by Colin Wyatt. The series had 13 episodes and was aired on the BBC.

The theme song describes the peas as being "Down at the bottom of the garden". Human size garden objects, giant in size to them, are seen such as up turned flower pots serving as most of their buildings. Humans themselves are never seen or mentioned.

In 1992, writer Phil Gardner was employed by Poddington plc to help write some new episodes - including one meant to pilot the series in the USA, and featuring a new group of characters, the Bugz.

There were also paper back books by Paul Needs, illustrated by Colin Wyatt and published by Box Tree / Award Publications.

Characters

The cartoon features a cast of anthropomorphic peas, most of their names describe the character's job or their main trait similar to the "Mr. Men", and are plays on words typically "pea" sounding like "-py" such as "Creep-Pea" sounding like "Creepy". The Poddington Peas include:

"(Most of the peas are male. Below, the females are stated, the others are male.)"

* Black-Eyed Pea: mischievous pea with a black eye patch. Darker shade of green than the others and is usually seen with Creep-Pea, together they are often the villains.
* Bump-Pea: Clumsy pea covered in bumps, wears a big plaster.
* Captain Hop-Pea: Nautical captain pea with a wooden leg. Sometimes appears to be in charge.
* Chip-Pea: A female "chippy" or fish and chip shop worker.
* Chop-Pea: Lumberjack pea with stereotype hat and axe.
* Creep-Pea: Creepy looking mischievous pea, with a long pointy nose. Darker shade of green than the others and is usually seen with Black-Eyed Pea, together they are often the villains.
* Dough-Pea: Dopey simple pea and also a cook who wears a big white cooks hat.
* Dump-Pea: Fat greedy dumpy pea, always eating.
* Garden Pea: Pea who likes gardening has a straw hat and a spade.
* G-Pea: A GP or general practitioner, the doctor pea, has white hair, glasses and a stethoscope.
* Grump-Pea: A very grumpy looking pea who likes to moan.
* Hap-Pea: The happy good natured pea often the main character. Wears a red baseball cap.
* Hip-Pea: Musical hippie pea has long blonde hair and a guitar.
* Jump-Pea: Pea with spring like legs who uses them to jump high.
* Nap-Pea: Penela-Pea's baby sits in a push chair and wears a large nappy.
* P.C. Pod: The policeman pea.
* Penela-Pea: Female pea who pushes her baby, Nap-Pea around in a push chair.
* Pop-Pea: Old man pea, has glasses, walking stick and white hair, although he is mostly bald.
* Pup-Pea: Small Puppy pea.
* Scoop-Pea: The Podding Press newspaper editor, wears glasses and a green eyeshade visor.
* Scrap-Pea: The scruffy tool and scrap worker, has blue hat, stubble and a hammer.
* Skip-Pea: Little girl pea with blond hair in pigtails, always skipping with her skipping rope.
* Sleep-Pea: Pea that wears a night cap and sleeps too much.
* Slop-Pea: An artist painter covered in blobs of paint and has messy red hair.
* Snap-Pea: The Poddington Press newspaper photographer, has hat and camera.
* Snip-Pea: A barber with a mustache and smartly combed hair.
* Snoop-Pea: Detective with a Sherlock Holmes style deerstalker hat and magnifying glass.
* Soap-Pea: Always has soapy bubbles covering his head, he often blows bubbles.
* Sweep-Pea:Street sweeper pea, wears cap and carries a broom and bin.
* Sweet Pea: Blonde sweet female pea.
* Tea-Pea: Female pea who is a Tea lady, often has a teapot and teacup.
* Wee McPea: Small pea, stereotype Scot, with ginger mustache and Tam o'shanter
* Weep-Pea: Easily upset pea who always cries.
* Zip-Pea: Fast pea, always running around quickly.

Episode list

"Episode title and original air date:"
# The Vegetable Show (September 14, 1989)
# Creep-Pea Gets Carried Away (September 21, 1989)
# Dump-Pea's Diet aka The Great Escape (September 28, 1989)
# Mound of Trouble (October 5, 1989)
# Hip-Pea's Band (October 12, 1989)
# Well Done Dump-Pea (October 19, 1989)
# Zip-Pea Saves the Day (October 26 or November 2, 1989)
# Poddle Island Mystery (November 9, 1989)
# Dough-Pea Gets Lost (November 16, 1989)
# Zip-Pea's Shadow (November 23, 1989)
# Bubble Trouble (November 30, 1989)
# The Balloonatics (October 26 or November 2, 1989)
# Creep-Pea's Christmas Surprise (December, 1989)

Credits

*Written by: Paul Needs
*Original Designs: Colin Wyatt
*Director: Colin White
*Series Director: Pat Gavin
*Producer: Laurie Frost
*Executive Producer: Ian Green
*Narration: Neil Pearson
*Music and Lyrics: Geoff Stephens
*Production Managers: Muriel MacLeod, Heather Pedley
*Animation Director: Tony Garth
*Animation: Barry Hales, Simon (Jiminy) Turner, Stephen Hales, Billy Allison
*Backgrounds: Ian Henderson
*Painters: Sarah Marsden, Lisa Stephenson, Lynn Durrans, Beverley Allan
*Editor: Keith Holden
*Paint and Trace Supervisor: Henrietta Maslin
*Title Animation: Harold Whitaker
*Checking: Russell March
*A Cairnvale Production for Poddington PLC

ee also

"Podington", a village in Bedfordshire, England.

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE476Yl0GDk&mode=related&search= Four minute episode on YouTube]
* [http://www.classickidstv.co.uk/wiki/The_Poddington_Peas Theme Tune and Episode Guide]
* [http://www.philgardner.net/index.html Phil Gardner's website]
* [http://www.culttelly.co.uk/lyrics/podpeas.html The Poddington Peas' theme tune lyrics]
* [http://www.thepoddingtonpeas.co.uk/ The Poddington Peas' in 3D!]