Bagpuss (series)

Bagpuss is a British series by Smallfilms. It premiered on the BBC on 12 February 1974 with the first episode, "Ship in a Bottle". The main character is Bagpuss, an old plush cat. Other characters include the mice ornaments from the mouse organ, Madeline the rag doll, Gabriel the toad, and Professor Yaffle, a wooden bookend shaped as a woodpecker. They all live in an old-fashioned shop owned by a girl called Emily. The shop is full of lost or broken items so the original owners can come and find them again. Whenever Emily finds something new, she brings it into the shop and recites a verse that brings the characters to life to explore and repair the object:

"Bagpuss, dear Bagpuss Old fat furry Catpuss Wake up and look at this thing that I bring Wake up, be bright, be golden and light Bagpuss, oh hear what I sing."

Although only 13 episodes of the show were made, it remains fondly remembered, and has often been repeated in the UK. All of the puppets used are also preserved and often travel around various museums.