Pob's Programme

Infobox Television
format = Children's television series
runtime = 30
creator = Anne Wood
developer = Ragdoll Productions
starring = Robin Stevens
country = UK
language = English
network = Channel 4
first_aired = 1985
last_aired = 1990
num_episodes = 52
imdb_id = 0443399

"Pob's Programme" was a children's television programme, which was broadcast in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 between October 1985 and 1990. The show was presented by a puppet named Pob (played by puppeteer Robin Stevens), who spoke a primitive version of English and who supposedly lived inside the viewer's TV (the casing and red, green and blue electron guns visible behind him). The opening titles of the show would consist of the character breathing on the camera lens (this breathing was often mistaken for spitting, given the loud noise accompanying it and the thick condensation appearing on screen), and tracing his name in the condensation. Each week on the show, a celebrity guest visits Pob's garden, and entertains him — though Pob and the guest never appeared on screen together.

"Pob's Programme" was created by Doug Wilcox and Anne Wood of Ragdoll Productions, which went on to create "Rosie and Jim" and Anne Wood the "Teletubbies".

Content

In a typical episode, the celebrity visitor to the show finds a label attached to a piece of string on the gates of Pob's garden;

:"If in my programme you would be,":"Wind the wool and follow me."

The celebrity guest then follows the woollen string, winding it as they go, and encountering a second label;

:"Wind it slowly, wind it fast,":"A secret you will find at last."

Ultimately the wool is found to be Pob's unravelled jumper, and he is awoken to trace his name on the screen. Over the course of the show, the celebrity guest reads a story, and solves a word puzzle with Pob.

Before the end of the show, the celebrity guest gives Pob a gift, usually related to their story, which they attach to the woollen thread of Pob's jumper. Pob retrieves the gift, and plays with it, stopping periodically to wipe the show's end credits from the camera lens. The episode always ended with Pob blowing out a candle held by a ragdoll. The next celebrity visitor is seen arriving at Pob's garden, realises they are a week too early, and leaves.

Celebrity guests on the show included; Roy Castle (the first), Madhur Jaffrey, Brian Blessed, Hannah Gordon, Kathy Staff and Spike Milligan.

Pob was often accompanied in his mischief by a silent teddy bear called Teddy.

Recognition

In 2001, "Pob's Programme" was number 60 on Channel 4's "100 Greatest Kids' TV shows".