ATV  VTR  No.   1688 / 75    PAL


PIPKINS
"The Toy Makers"
by Susan Pleat




CAST

Hartley Hare, Tortoise & Narrator NIGEL PLASKITT
Pig HEATHER TOBIAS
Topov & Pigeon LORAIN BERTORELLI
Johnny WAYNE LARYEA




PRODUCTION TEAM

Music & Lyrics CHRIS HAZELL
Film Cameraman MARTIN BELL
Film Sound PETER DODSON
Film Editor STEVE SINGLETON
Senior Cameraman MIKE WHITCUTT
Sound Director LEE PENFOLD
Senior Vision Control JIM REEVES
Puppets JANE TYSON
Graphics ALASTAIR McMURDO
Designer MICHAEL EVE
Education Adviser RONALD GULLIFORD
Producer/Director MICHAEL JEANS









TK: ATV IDENT




TK: PIPKINS OPENING TITLES


Sung Lyrics
# Here come the Pipkins
# there go the Pipkins
# and they've got another job to do.
# Topov the monkey
# Pig's always hungry
# in the Pipkin puppet van
# in the Pipkin puppet van


TK: EXT. DAY. PIGEON FLIES ACROSS THE SKY
Narrator:
Sometimes, when Pigeon flies through the sky, she stops to look through a window.




TK: EXT. DAY PIGEON ON A WINDOW LEDGE


TK: INT. DAY. HOSPITAL CHILDREN'S WARD
Narrator:
These children are in bed, because they're ill, and this place is a hospital. They come here to get better. This lady is a nurse. The nurse looks after the children. She helps them to get well again.


TK: EXT. DAY. PIGEON ON A WINDOW LEDGE


Narrator:
Pigeon feels very sorry for the children.
Pigeon:
Oh, jolly bad luck old things. Jolly bad luck. It must be frightfully boring for you being ill, lying in bed, nothing to do. Oh, no wonder you all look so fed up. Oh, jolly rotten for you, what?


Narrator:
Pigeon felt so sorry for the children,


TK: EXT. DAY. PIGEON FLIES ACROSS THE SKY
Narrator:
...she flew away again...


STUDIO: INT. DAY. PIPKINS WORKSHOP
Narrator:
...and came to Pipkins.
Pigeon is at the window. Hartley is asleep at the table.
Pigeon:
Wakey wakey, rise and shine. Come on get up, ding-dong, it's Pigeon!
Hartley wakes up. Johnny enters.
Johnny:
Hey Pigeon, what's all this about, you've woken Hartley up now.
Hartley:
You haven't bumped into an aeroplane?


Pigeon:
No, no, no, nothing like that old man. It's the children. I feel sorry for them. They're ill in hospital. They can't go out to play until they're better you know, and all their toys are at home, and their friends, and [sniff] well, they must be so lonely.
Johnny:
Maybe we could help them.
Pigeon:
Oh yes please, do think of something. Oh yes do help, but I must fly off now.
Hartley:
Won't you stay for tea?
Pigeon:
Oh no I can't, I'm in a flap - I'll have to stretch my wings a bit. Chase a few clouds or something. Cheerio.
Hartley:
Don't get upset. Don't worry.


TK: EXT. DAY. PIGEON FLIES ACROSS THE SKY


Narrator:
So, once more, Pigeon flew away.


STUDIO: EXT. DAY. PIPKINS YARD


Narrator:
And as she flew, Pig watched her go.


Pig is peering through an empty can.


Johnny:
Pig, what are you up to?
Pig:
I'm watching Pigeon flying away. I'm looking through a telescope.
Topov:
It's not a real telescope you know.
Pig:
No, it's just pretend. It's just a toy.
Topov: Johnny, he didn't buy it. He made it himself out of an empty packet.
Pig:
It's just a tin.
Johnny:
No, hang about Pig. I think I've got it. I know how we can help the children. You just thin what Pigeon said.


Johnny thinks back.


Pigeon [flashback]:
They can't go out to play you know, not until they're better. And all their own toys are at home.
Topov:
I know! I know! We can make the children their toys. Make them some toys to play with.
Johnny:
Right Topov, that's what I think.
Topov:
Oh good, when do we start?
Johnny:
Right now.


Q Grams: Song


Sung Lyrics
# I've got some scissors that go
# Cutting cardboard
# Cutting cardboard
# If you want to cut some cardboard
# use some scissors
# use some scissors
Johnny:
Round ones though, like that. Not pointy ones.
Johnny has finished cutting and folds the cardboard into a cone shape. He sticks it onto Pig's telescope.
Pig:
Hoi, what are you doing with my telescope?
Johnny:
I'm making it into something else, Pig. I'm going to make it into a lighthouse.
Topov:
A lighthouse? What's a lighthouse? What does a lighthouse look like?


ROSTRUM: LIGHTHOUSE DRAWINGS 
Tortoise:
A lighthouse looks like this. You can see a lighthouse at the seaside. A lighthouse flashes a big light and all the ships can see the light. It says "watch out, there's land ahead. Don't you bump into any rocks". A lighthouse helps the boats. This boat says "thank you".
Q Grams: Ship's hooter


STUDIO: INT. DAY. PIPKINS WORKSHOP
Hartley:
I'm going to make the children a toy boat. Now, as you can see, erm, if I knock this chimney, it falls down. So, what must I do?
Pig:
Stick the chimney on with glue!
Hartley:
Stick the chimney on with glue.
Pig:
That's what I said.
Hartley:
Yes well, I should get out of the way if I was you Pig. There's going to be some glueing going on!
Q Grams: Song
Sung Lyrics
# Oh I've got a brush for sticking glue on things
# sticky glue
# sticks to you
# If you want to stick some things on things
# then you must
# use a brush


Hartley has been glueing away at the table during the song.


Pig:
Er, you've got glue on the newspaper, what for?
Hartley:
Well, I was just practising old boy, you know, getting into the swing of it! Ha Ha!
Pig:
But what about the chimney on the boat.


Hartley puts both his front arms on the table.


Hartley:
Yes, yes, yes. I'm going to stick that now.


He realises that he has stuck himself to the table and tries in earnest to get free - unsuccessfully.


Hartley:
Pig, help me. I can't move.
Pig:
You've stuck yourself to the table.


Hartley:
I can't be! Yes, it's true! I am! I'm glued to the table! Help me somebody please!


With an almight effort Hartley breaks free, but there are bits of newspaper stuck to his arms.
Goodness. Oh thank my lucky leeks. What an escape.
Pig:
Oh, you've got newspaper stuck to your hands. Hold 'em up and I'll have a read.
Hartley:
Oh, Johnny Johnny Johnny!


Johnny appears.


I've got newspaper stuck to my arms.
Johnny:
Oh never mind that Hartley, look. I've made some packages and parcels to go in the boat.
Hartley:
Yes but don't you see, I'll have it on forever.
Johnny:
It'll wash off.
Hartley:
...and people will look at me, and point.
Johnny:
Hartley, it'll wash off. Just soak your arms in water.


Johnny turns and goes.


Hartley [shouting after him]:
How long? How long for?
Pig:
Oh shut up Hartley will you? Just look what Johnny's made. Packages and parcels.


ROSTRUM: DRAWINGS


Tortoise:
Packages and parcels. This boat carries packages and parcels. This tall crane picks the parcels up. It lifs the parcels up in the air and then it puts the parcels down on the lorry.



STUDIO: INT. DAY. PIPKINS WORKSHOP


Johnny:
And what do you think I'm making now? A crane.
Topov:
And I'm making a lorry. Look, I made a bottom but, well, I dunno what to do next.
Tortoise:
Wheels. A lorry must have wheels.
Johnny:
Hmmm. These tins will make wheels, Topov. There.
Topov:
Oh great. What about an engine?
Johnny:
How about this block of wood. Hmmm, no. I know! Yes, this paper cup can be the engine and this block of wood can be the cab where the driver sits.
Topov:
Smashing. Cor.
Johnny:
Just stick it to the wood Topov.
Topov:
Right. Oh, now that's the hard bit isn't it. Oh I can't do it.
Pig:
Never mind Topov. I'll find Pig. He can help you.


Johnny goes off to look for Pig.


Pig!
Topov:
Sometimes, when you can't do things on your own, you need somebody to help you. But don't worry, because it doesn't matter. I mean, I don't mind Pig helping me.


STUDIO: INT. DAY. PIPKINS KITCHEN

Pig is eating the contents of a tin of cocoa.


Narrator:
Pig was in the kitchen.
Johnny:
Pig? Honestly Pig, really. Why don't you help?
Pig:
Well, I am helping.
Johnny:
You're not. You're eating cocoa. It's all gone. You've emptied two whole cans!
Pig:
That is what I meant to do. We can make something from these cans.
Johnny:
Like what?
Pig:
Well, I have been thinking.

ROSTRUM: DRAWINGS
Pig:
This lorry carries parcels. It takes parcels away. But how? what makes the lorry go? What drives the engine? Petrol! The lorry gets petrol from these pumps. And how do the pumps get the petrol? The pumps get petrol from this big thing here. This is a petrol tanker. The tank is full of petrol.


STUDIO: INT. DAY. PIPKINS KITCHEN


Pig:
These cocoa tins can make...


Johnny takes the tins and places them on Topov's lorry.


Johnny:
A petrol tanker.
Pig:
Yes, I thought they might.
Johnny:
All right Pig. Any more bright ideas?
Pig:
Yes. What happens if you take a bottle top and fix it in the box at the top?

Johnny demonstrates.
Topov:
Oh, it looks like a petrol pump. It can be a petrol pump!
Pig:
Yes, I thought it might.
Topov:
Oh, you're ever so clever Pig. I think we're doing ever so well.
Tortoise:
I don't. You just look. We started making all these toys but we haven't finished any of them. I tell you one thing - we've got a lot to do.


Q Grams: Song


Sung Lyrics
Tortoise:
# There's painting, there's sticking on with glue
# There's hammering, there's threading string through
Johnny, Tortoise, Pig and Topov:
# And we haven't got all night
# And we've got to get right
Topov:
# We're busy
Johnny:
# oh there's plenty
Tortoise:
# to do!
Tortoise:
# There's cutting, there's sawing wood in two
# There's painting, there's drilling holes right through
Johnny, Tortoise, Pig and Topov:
# And we haven't got all night
# And we've got to get right
Topov:
# We're busy
Johnny:
# oh there's plenty
Tortoise:
# to do!
Narrator:
So everyone worked very hard...


TK: ANIMATED BUMPER


Narrator:
...and later, all the toys were finished.
Topov:
Cor, so now what do we do now?
Johnny:
We take them to the hospital, Topov.
Tortoise:
No, whoa! Wait a minute. Somebody isn't here. Somebody is missing.
Pig:
Oh, Hartley.
Johnny:
That's right, where is he?
Pig:
I dunno, I've not seen him in ages.
Topov:
We can't go without Hartley!


STUDIO: EXT. DAY. PIPKINS YARD
Narrator:
Hartley was in the yard. Hartley was at the sink.


Topov:
Hartley, what are you doing?
Hartley:
If you must know, I'm soaking my arms. Soaking them in water.
Johnny:
Come on Hartley, it was only a few bits of newspaper. You must have soaked it off by now.


Indeed, the newspaper has all gone.
Hartley:
It's gone! No newspaper! I'm normal again like everybody else!
Johnny:
Well, if you say so Hartley. Come on, it's...


TK: "TIME" STING




TK: EXT. DAY. PIGEON ON A WINDOW LEDGE


Pigeon:
For the children to play with their toys.




TK: INT. DAY. HOSPITAL WARD




Johnny is playing with the toys, with two children. Topov and Pig watch.


Johnny:
Chug chug chug, and the tug comes chugging into the harbour. What do you think he's got inside? Now, Mr Smith drives a lorry! Brrrmmm! Now what we want to do, Carmel, is to wind it up, that's right, keep going, now swing it over and drop it, right hold it there, hoist away! Up she comes.


TK: INT. DAY. HOSPITAL BED




Hartley is chatting to a small girl.


Hartley:
I helped make those toys.
Girl:
Did you?
Hartley:
Yeah, they're very good aren't they.
Girl:
Very.
Hartley:
I'm very clever you see.
Girl:
Yes.
Hartley:
Hmmm. I've got a very good opinion of myself. That's the one I made over there.
Girl
Oh, it's lovely!
Hartley:
Oh, thank you very much! I think I'll come again.
Johnny:
OK, now let's have a combined effort. Mark if you pull the tug up, and Carmel you can unload it. Can you play with these toys I'm going to talk to someone.


TK: EXT. DAY. PIGEON ON A WINDOW LEDGE



Johnny goes over to see Pigeon.


Johnny:
Well Pigeon is this what you wanted us to do?
Pigeon:
I'm so glad!
Johnny:
Ah-ha ! You're in a flap again!
Pigeon:
Yes, I do flap when I'm happy. I'll have to fly about a bit. I'll simply have to go and have a jolly good flap!
Johnny:
Take care. And you take care. Don't hurt yourselves. And if you do, or if you're ill, you get better quickly. Goodbye.


VT: CLOSING CREDITS




Sung Lyrics
#Out almost every day
#They've been told where to go by Hartley Hare
# and if Johnny knows the way
# it won't be long before they're there
# Pipkins the workers
# Pipkins, Pipkins
# Going where help is needed
# Pipkins the workers
# Pipkins, Pipkins
# Out in the puppet van.

SLIDE: ATV COLOUR PRODUCTION (c) 1976








© 2012 Nigel Plaskitt