Spider (TV series)

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Spider
Spider, as seen in the show's opening titles
Genre	Children's
Country of origin	UK
Production
Running time	5 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC1
Original run	September 26, 1991 – December 30, 1991

Spider was a musical children's television series made by Hibbert Ralph Entertainment for the BBC that aired in 1991. It follows the adventures of a spider who only ever wants a quiet life, but is always foiled by a young boy, who is the other main character in the series, along with his friends (both animal and human).

The music for the series was produced by Rick Cassman, with the arrangement, performance and singing done by Jeff Stevenson with his children, Casey and Holly, doing backing vocals. The style of music was often haunting & melancholic.

The series was comprised of thirteen five-minute episodes, which are listed here:

Spider in the Bath (air date September 26, 1991) The small boy finds being friendly to animals easy, with one exception - spiders! When he finds one in his bath, he tries to put him down the drain, but Spider just laughs.
Just a Spider (October 3, 1991) Spider's lot is a tough one, especially when he is being persecuted by the mischievous little boy. After squashings, drownings and downright meanness, Spider manages to escape in an unexpected way.
In My Tent (October 10, 1991) When the little boy finds himself trapped in his own makeshift tent and Spider's on his side of the bedroom door, he musters all his resources by using attack as the best form of defence.
Monkey Business (October 17, 1991) When life is pretty boring and you don’t know what to do...the boy, his older sister and his younger brother create chaos in their bedroom to ward off the rainy day blues. In the process they bring new meaning to the phrase "the little monkeys".
Hedgehog Hunt (October 24, 1991) The boy, his older sister and his younger brother set out on a mock safari - for Hedgehog, while their parents try to pack the car. Little do the kids know that Spider has second-guessed their efforts to track down the elusive prickly animal. Every tactic of the hunt is foiled until they are sent packing.
Spider's Song (October 31, 1991) The little boy builds a house of cards which collapses. Only when he notices Spider's persistence does he realize that "try try again" will get him to his ultimate goal. The boy tops out the completed house of cards with his newly won friend, Spider!
Little Miss M (November 7, 1991) Miss "M" is a fat self-indulgent girl who thinks nothing of scoffing a picnic by herself. However, this time she meets more than her match when Spider decides to spike her greedy pastime, and see her off the premises.
Hamster Chase (November 14, 1991) The little boy opens his hamster's cage and lets him out. The unfortunate creature finds he's sharing a dangerous world with the household cat who looks on him as an excellent supplement to dinner. Luckily, Spider sees the hamster's plight and helps him to escape the kitten's claw and return to the cage.
Frog Change (November 28, 1991) Spider is a witness to a romantic episode about a lady and a frog. Her sadness turns to joy when the frog turns into a handsome man. Unfortunately for Spider, his own affections for the lady are rebuffed rudely - you can't win them all!
Panda Comes to Stay (December 5, 1991) The boy, who is settling down for the night, cannot believe his eyes when he sees a giant stuffed panda in his bedroom. Wonder turns to astonishment as the panda jumps into life and does a song and dance act. Spider joins the panda in creating fantastical entertainment for the boy.
Classroom Distractions (December 12, 1991) The boy's first day back at school is a gloomy one and full of distractions. But with the help of his best friend, Spider, he overcomes the blues to emerge triumphant in front of his classmates.
C-Rocker (December 19, 1991) The boy, his older sister and his younger brother decide to have a concert party. They dress up their favourite animals and give them musical instruments. Their fantasy comes to life as the crocodile becomes a rock singer backed by Hedgehog on the lead guitar, Frog on the saxophone, Panda on piano, Hamsters as backing singers and of course Spider on the drums.
True Friend (December 30, 1991) The boy and Spider have been through so much together, and we see a lyrical sequence telling us about their deep friendship for each other, which is not without its problems. Have you ever tried playing football with a spider?

[edit] Credits

Titles: Brian Stevens
Songs Written and Composed by: Richard Warner
Songs Arranged, Performed and Sung by: Jeff Stevenson
Musicians: Premier Bass, Electra Strings, John Edwards, Jeff Rich, Paul Coppock
Keyboard Arranging: Vyv Hope-Scott
Music Production: Rick Cassman
Animation: Billy Allison, Simon Turner, Steve Hales, Nik Love-Gittins
Additional Animation: Graham Ralph, Kim Stephenson, Allan Bassett, Richard Wake
Original Designs: Hugh Silvey, Walley Jex
Supervising Animator: Tony Garth
Assistant Art Directors: Richard Nye, Corona Maher-Esterhazy
Backgrounds: Dorse Jukes
Paint & Trace: Louise Harding, Sharon Walsh, Fabian White, Karina Stamford, Kate Smith, Lynn Durrans
Camera: Animated Opticals, Peter Jones Rostrums, Rostrum Cameras
Dubbing: Roger Cherrill Ltd.
Recorded at: Triple X Studios Inc.
Edited by: Paul Coppock, Karen Bruce
Production Assistant: Karen Davidsen
Production Manager: Heather Pedley
Executive Producers: Theresa Plummer-Andrews, Iain Harvey
Producer: John Cary
Director: Graham Ralph