Having compiled a list of twenty children’s animated series from the 1980’s (Part 1 and Part 2), and following on with our retrospect of the nineties (so many Disney spin-offs!), we’ve traveled back in time to the 1970s for another nostalgic look at animated kid’s shows that became a staple for the children of the 70s/80s.

The seventies was a busy decade for British TV animation production; with many memorable series’ establishing characters that are still well known today. Note the wide variation of techniques employed: traditional 2D animation, stop motion, cut out, a combination of both… even magic market felt tip on paper (Roobarb)!

Crystal Tipps and Alistair

Crystal Tipps and Alistair is a British cartoon produced for the BBC. The title characters are a girl and her dog who are joined by their friends Birdie and Butterfly. The series has no dialogue but rather is accompanied by a full musical soundtrack. Read more about Crystal Tipps and Alistair

Year: 1971-74
No. of series: 1
No. of episodes: 50
Composer: Paul Reade

Mr Benn

Mr Benn is a character created by David McKee who appears in several children’s books. In the series, Mr Benn leaves his house and visits a fancy-dress costume shop where he is invited by the shopkeeper to try on a particular outfit. He leaves the shop through a magic door at the back of the changing room and enters a world appropriate to his costume, where he has an adventure. Read more about Mr Benn

Year: 1971-72
No. of series: 1
No. of episodes: 14
Composer: Duncan Lamont (under the pseudonym “Don Warren”)

The Wombles

The Wombles is a series about creatures that live underground, collecting and recycling human rubbish. The show was produced by Graham Clutterbuck and directed by Ivor Wood using stop-motion. The characters were all voiced by actor Bernard Cribbins. Read more about The Wombles

Year: 1973-75
No. of series: 2
No. of episodes: 60
Composer: Mike Batt

Bagpuss

Made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate, Bagpuss was “a saggy, old cloth cat, baggy, and a bit loose at the seams”, who comes to life along with various other toys in a shop, when left alone. The girl who owned the shop was Firmin’s daughter, Emily, and the shop window was at the Firmin family home. Read more about Bagpuss

Year: 1974
No. of series: 1
No. of episodes: 13

Roobarb

Roobarb was a British series written by Grange Calveley and animated by Bob Godfrey. The theme is that of the friendly rivalry between Roobarb, the green dog and Custard, the pink cat from next door. The narration of the series was provided by the actor Richard Briers. Read more about Roobarb

Year: 1974
No. of series: 1
No. of episodes: 30
Composer: Johnny Hawksworth

Chorlton and the Wheelies

Chorlton and the Wheelies followed the adventures of Chorlton, a fictional happiness dragon, in Wheelie World. The lead character gets his name from the suburb of Manchester, UK, in which the Cosgrove Hall studio was based. Read more about Chorlton and the Wheelies

Year: 1976-79
No. of series: 3
No. of episodes: 40
Composer: Joe Griffiths

Jamie and the Magic Torch

Jamie and the Magic Torch is a British series made by Cosgrove Hall. The programme was based around the young boy of the title and his torch. When shone on the floor, the torch opened up a hole into a fun dimension called Cuckoo Land. Read more about Jamie and the Magic Torch

Year: 1976-79
No. of series: 3
No. of episodes: 39
Composer: Joe Griffiths

Paddington

Paddington was an animated television programme based on the books by Michael Bond. The series was scripted by Bond himself, and produced by FilmFair. Paddington is animated in stop motion. Paddington himself is a stop motion puppet in a 3D world, whilst other characters are paper cut-outs. Read more about Paddington

Year: 1976-80
No. of series: 2
No. of episodes: 56
Composer: Herbert Chappell, Alfred Bradley, Brenda Johnson

We hope you have been enjoying looking back at all these animated intros from shows gone by – we have one more compilation article coming up in a couple of weeks that looks at the 1960s. Don’t miss it – subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn pages to stay up to date!