So who remembers Chish 'n' Fips? This mid-80s kids' show is a rarity and a half, and it centres on the lives of two garden gnomes: the wheelbarrow-holding Mr Wheeler, and the fishing-rod-holding Mr Fisher. I do believe that this is the only full episode currently 'out there', and after a bit of detective work, I suspect it may be the third instalment of the first series. That would mean it was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 21st November, 1984 - but I'm more than willing to be corrected on any of that.
To remind you, Mr Wheeler is the happy, optimistic one who takes the Code of the Gnomes to help those in need very seriously. Mr Fisher, on the other hand, is rather more uptight and irritable, always finding something to complain about. You might think of them as living in a sort of Toy Story type of universe, where they're very much alive and busy having their own adventures, but then suddenly have to freeze back into position as soon as the "Big Ones" - the humans who live nearby - come along.
The plot of this particular episode involves a football coming over the fence and Henrietta the Tortoise coming out of hibernation. After a bit of a mix-up, they end up having to break their reptilian friend back home next door in the dead of night, with the help of clockwork toy Bleep the Robot (whose looks were surely based on the BBC's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and Chips the Cat. It's all very gentle and charming, and that's by no means meant to be a criticism - I have fond memories of watching the show back then, and was delighted to finally get to see it again all these years later.
On a quick technical note, it looks to me like the actors are on actual oversized sets, to create the illusion of their shortness, while the only blue screen work is to put the "Big Ones" on top when necessary. Again, I could be wrong, and am willing to be corrected.
As for the stars, well, Tony Aitken seems to still be working, and boasts loads of credits in serious Shakespeare and Agatha Christie stuff, along with the far more impressive role of the minstrel during the end credits of Blackadder II. Round these parts, we're more interested in his appearances in The Queen's Nose, Jossy's Giants, and as the Postman in No 73. Mike Grady, meanwhile, was Ken in Citizen Smith, Uncle Mike in Woof, and Dr Stark in Bernard's Watch. He also has very recent credits in Midsomer Murders and Thomas and Friends. We should probably take this opportunity to give a mention to writer David Wood and director Glyn Edwards - the latter of whom was a producer on Tiswas and directed two of the later series of T-Bag.
Many thanks to Lee for providing this recording.
(To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)
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