Postman Pat

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Postman Pat is a BBC stop motion animated children's television series aimed at pre-school children, concerning the adventures of Pat, a postman in the (fictional) Yorkshire village of Greendale (inspired by the real valley of Longsleddale in Cumbria). The animated series was originally screened in 1981. John Cunliffe wrote the original treatment and scripts, and it was directed by animator Ivor Wood, who also worked on The Magic Roundabout, Paddington Bear, and The Herbs.

Image:Showimage.jpg

1 General
2 2004 series
3 Character guide
4 Songs
5 In other countries
6 See also
7 External links

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General

Pat is the owner of a small black and white cat named Jess, who always travels with him. Other characters include his wife Sarah, the postmistress, Mrs Goggins, Ted Glen, Granny Dryden and the vicar, Reverend Timms. The jaunty theme tune was a big hit, and has enjoyed a revival as a mobile phone ring tone. The theme song has also been parodied for use mainly in school playgrounds.

Several books based around the series were also produced. Merchandise featuring the image of Postman Pat is still popular among children (as well as with parents who grew up watching the programme).

In June 2003, the Beast Banks post office in Kendal, the real-life inspiration for the Greendale post office, closed down due to lack of business. On September 15 2004 a plaque was placed at the former post office to mark its role as the inspiration for the Postman Pat stories.

An overdubbed Postman Pat episode has become an internet meme, replete with foul language [1]. The story is different episodes edited together and follows Pat attempting to collect drug debts from various villagers by threatening them.

[edit]

2004 series

In 2004, a new series of the show was broadcast, with much more fluid animation and even mouth movements. Another series aired in 2006.

It was also the introduction of the first Asian family, The Bains. The Daily Mail commented on this as being a very politically correct move and that the family was put in to promote multi-culturalism to a young age.

In the new series, there is more space for plot, and the new series has so far involved:

Pat having a go on a snowboard.
Pat scoring a goal in a game of football.
Julian (Pat's son) and his friends making a beach out of some sand spilt outside the post office.
An outbreak of chickenpox.
Julian and one of his friends watching a movie while Pat is taking care of a baby.
Ted Glen having invented an ice-cream machine, with some rather messy test runs before the bugs are worked out.
Julian losing the school's hamster (the hamster went on Pat's rounds and kept Jess busy.)
Julian finding "The Greendale Rocket", the village's old steam train.
Pat's cousin, Matt, coming from America to find the Greendale Cup.

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Character guide

Pat Clifton
Jess the Cat
Mrs. Goggins - post mistress
Sarah Gilbertson - schoolgirl
Katy Pottage - schoolgirl; Tom’s twin sister
Tom Pottage - schoolchild - Katy’s twin brother
Charlie Pringle - schoolboy
Lucy Selby (schoolchild)
Bill Thompson (schoolchild)
Julia Pottage (first name not mentioned until 2004)
Reverend Peter Timms (first name not mentioned)
Dorothy Thompson
Ted Glen (handyman)
Rebecca Hubbard (first name not mentioned; axed from 2004)
Sam Waldron (mobile shop owner; axed from 2004)
Alf Thompson (farmer)
Granny Dryden (first name unknown; axed from 2004)
George Lancaster (farmer; axed from 2004)
Peter Fogg (farmer; axed from 2004)
Dr Sylvia Gilbertson
PC Arthur Selby (first name not mentioned until 1997)
Major Forbes (Garner Hall owner; first name unknown; mentioned in 1981; axed from 2004)
Sara Clifton (station café waitress from 2004; surname not mentioned until 2004; referred to in 1981, but first name and surname not mentioned)
Julian Clifton (schoolchild; surname not mentioned until 2004)
Jeff Pringle (teacher; first name not mentioned until 2004)
Ajay Bains (railway owner)
Nisha Bains (station café waitress)
Meera Bains (schoolchild)
Nikhil Bains (baby)

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Songs

Songs by Bryan Daly (1981 series)

Postman Pat (The Magpie Hen)
Farmers (The Sheep In The Clover Field)
Handyman (Thirsty Day)
Mobile Shop (Difficult Day)
Jess The Cat (Takes A Message)
Tuba (The Tuba)
We’ll Win Through (The Barometer)

Songs by Simon Woodgate (2003 on)

What's in his bag? (Opening titles theme, most territories incl USA & JAPAN *not UK)
What's in his bag? (Closing titles 2003 on - all territories)
Back on track (The Greendale Rocket)
We don't need an open road (Postman Pat and The Greendale Rocket)
It's a magical Christmas (Postman Pat's Magical Christmas)
Now it's time to put on a show (Postman Pat Clowns Around)
Sailing on a pirate ship (Postman Pat and the Pirate Treasure)
You can do it (Popstars)
Fruity Feeling (Pink Slippers)
We are the Greendale Knights (Greendale Knights)
Let's get help from Ted Glenn (Incredible Inventions)
What's her name? Mrs Goggins! (several episodes series 3,4&5)
The Greendale Anthem (Spotty Situation)
Follow the music (Pied Piper)
Cooking (Cuisine) (Fantastic Feast)
Arthur Selby (Stolen Strawberries)
In a Rainbow (Pot of gold)
It's Jess the cat! (theme in most episodes)

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In other countries

In Scotland, Postman Pat is broadcast as Pàdraig Post, in the Gaelic language, on BBC Scotland. However, it is still advertised in the programme schedules on the BBC Scotland website as Postman Pat.
In the Netherlands the series was also shown dubbed in Dutch. Here the series is called Pieter Post.
In New Zealand, the series has been broadcast on TV3 in English, and there are now plans to screen the older episodes in Maori as of 2005.
In Catalonia, Postman Pat is broadcast as Pat el carter, in catalan language, on Televisió de Catalunya.
In Australia Postman Pat is on Cartoon Network and ABC kids.
In 2005, Postman Pat was sold to the Japanese division of Disney Channel, finally putting to rest a long-standing misconception in the UK that Japanese television would not take the series because having only three fingers and a thumb on each hand (as Pat does) was a Yakuza symbol. The series is dubbed into Japanese.
In Italy Il postino Pat appears on the RaiSat Ragazzi channel.
TVP 1 in Poland shows the advenures of Listonosz Pat.
Postman Pat is known as Postmand Per in Denmark.
In Norway he is known as Postmann Pat and he has repeatedly been broadcast by the NRK. The 1981 series was narrated by actor Sverre Anker Ousdal, whereas the new series are now dubbed in Norwegian. Some parts of the dubbed series are available as DVDs.
Pósturinn Páll is how Pat is known to the viewers of RÚV television in Iceland.
YLE2 of Finland airs the adventures of Postimies Pate. The original 1981 series were also released on VHS in the mid-80's, in those releases Postman Pat was translated as Posti-Pat.
In the United States, newer episodes of Postman Pat have begun running on the HBO cable network. The episodes are apparently unaltered, leaving intact the accents and other distinctly British elements of the series.
In Iran, Postman Pat was broadcast during the years of late 80's and early 90's. The show was dubbed in Persian by the name of Pat-e Postchi.