The Woodentops was first shown 9 September 1955. It featured stories about a family of wooden dolls who live on a farm. The Woodentops joined Andy Pandy, The Flowerpot Men, and Rag Tag and Bobtail on Watch with Mother, the weekday afternoon slot that formed the much-loved heart of programmes for pre-school children on the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.
Every episode of The Woodentops introduced the family sitting in front of a curtain: Mummy and Daddy Woodentop with Baby Woodentop, the twins Jenny and Willy, and Spotty Dog. They were joined by domestic help Mrs Scrubbitt and Sam, who worked on the farm. The Woodentops was created by Frida Langstrom and Maria Bird. Bird wrote the scripts and the music as well as doing the narration. Eileen Brown, Josefina Ray and Peter Hawkins provided the other voices. The puppets – with their easily visible strings - were operated by Eileen Brown and Molly Gibson.
The last Woodentops was made in 1958, but they ran for many years on Watch with Mother. Other programmes - like Pogles Wood and Tales of the Riverbank - joined the strand, but The Woodentops was still going in 1969. Today children’s programmes for the very young on the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ don’t just exist in a narrow timeframe in the schedule, but are available all day on Cbeebies.
September anniversaries
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              Close down of Television service for the duration of the War1 September 1939
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              The Morecambe and Wise Show2 September 1968
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              Chamberlain announces Britain is at war with Germany3 September 1939
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              Start of first series of Porridge5 September 1974
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              Droitwich transmitter becomes operational6 September 1934
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              The News Quiz6 September 1977
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              Casualty6 September 1986
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              Only Fools and Horses8 September 1981
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              The Woodentops9 September 1955
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              First live Children's ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ from 'the Broom Cupboard'9 September 1985
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              The Saga of Noggin the Nog first transmitted11 September 1959
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              Crackerjack14 September 1955
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              The Royle Family14 September 1998
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              Opening of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Bristol18 September 1934
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              First episode of Fawlty Towers19 September 1975
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              First episode of I, Claudius20 September 1976
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              The Old Grey Whistle Test21 September 1971
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              The Shock of the New21 September 1980
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              CEEFAX: world's first teletext service23 September 1974
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              Pride and Prejudice24 September 1995
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              ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Television for Schools begins24 September 1957
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              Question Time25 September 1979
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              The Epilogue26 September 1926
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              Start of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ European Service, News in French, German and Italian27 September 1938
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              ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Singers28 September 1924
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              The beginning of The Third Programme29 September 1946
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              Have I Got News For You28 September 1990
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              War and Peace28 September 1972
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              First episode of Come Dancing29 September 1950
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              Start of Radios 1, 2, 3 and 430 September 1967
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              Chamberlain returns from Munich30 September 1938
