Pinky and Perky

"Pinky and Perky" was a children's television series first broadcast by the BBC in 1957. The title characters were a pair of anthropomorphic puppet pigs created by Czechoslovakian immigrants Jan and Vlasta Dalibor. The puppets, who had only very limited movements, looked very alike. Pinky wore red clothes and Perky blue, but this distinction was little use on black and white TV, so Perky often wore a hat. Pinky and Perky spoke and sang in high-pitched voices created by re-playing original voice recordings at a higher speed Fact|date=February 2008. They would often sing cover versions of popular songs, but also has their own theme song "We Belong Together". They had their own TV station "PPC TV".

They also performed comedy sketches usually with a human foil (similar to Basil Brush). Actor John Slater worked with them as a straight man for many years, enduring soakings from water pistols and such pranks. Other human companions included Roger Moffat, Jimmy Thompson, Bryan Burdon and Fred Emney.

Their show included other puppets, such as "The Beakles" (an avian parody of The Beatles), Topo Gigio, a famous mouse puppet who appeared in many later episodes, as well as a female pig. Other puppets included Ambrose Cat, Basil Bloodhound, Bertie Bonkers the baby elephant, Conchita the Cow, Horace Hare and Vera Vixen.

Surprisingly, the puppets also appeared TV in the USA on a number of Ed Sullivan shows — 532 (14 September 1958), 548 (4 January 1959), 573 (5 July 1959), 740 (10 March 1963), 780 (23 February 1964, where they shared the bill with The Beatles and Morecambe and Wise) and 908 (26 February 1967).

The pigs featured in series such as "Pinky and Perky's Pop Parade" and "Pinky and Perky's Island" for 11 years until 1968 on the BBC before transferring to Thames TV until 1971. The characters enjoyed a brief revival in the 1990s on the short-lived children's series "The Pig Attraction". A children's annual was also produced in the sixties featuring their adventures.

The Pinky and Perky Show will reappear in an all-new CGI animated 52 x 13min TV series on CBBC on BBC One beginning in [ November 2008. Some of the old characters such as Vera Vixen and Morton Frog remain, alongside a host of new characters such as K.T. the studio manager cat, Wilberforce, the tortoise security guard, a pair of poodle receptionists called Tara and Tamara. There will also be a steady stream of special `celebrity` guests.

External links

* [http://www.thepinkyandperkyshow.com The Pinky and Perky Show official site]
*imdb title|id=0262982|title=Pinky and Perky
* [http://www.pinkyandperky.com/ Pinky and Perky site]
* [http://www.thechestnut.com Children's television programs]