The Adventures of Twizzle

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The Adventures of Twizzle
Format children's adventure
Created by Roberta Leigh
Starring Denise Bryer
Country of origin Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
No. of episodes 52 of 13 minutes duration.
Production
Running time 15 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel ITV
Original run November 13, 1957[1] – 10th June 1959

The Adventures of Twizzle (or simply Twizzle as it was known in some territories) was the very first television show produced by AP Films and specifically Gerry Anderson, after being approached by author Roberta Leigh (who also co-produced with Anderson) and her colleague Suzanne Warner. Sources vary as to who directed the series. In addition to his production duties, Anderson also directed the action[1] whilst photography was directed by Arthur Provis, Anderson's founding partner at AP Films. Music was scored by Barry Gray, art direction came from Reg Hill and special effects (which at the outset amounted largely to scenery painting[1]) were by Derek Meddings, all of whom would become long-time collaborators with Anderson.

Twizzle - from whom the series gets its name - is a boy doll with the ability to extend (or "twizzle") his legs and arms and wears a pixie like hat and has a cat companion known as "Footso". Although a boy, he was voiced by a woman, Nancy Nevinson who also narrated the series. Denise Bryer did Footso and the other voices.

The series follows his adventures as he uses his abilities to get out of trouble. In all, 52 episodes were made in black and white , although only the first, Twizzle and Footso, is believed to survive and was included as an additional feature on the boxed set of the entire series of Space Patrol released in 2003. In 2006, however, it was claimed that a compilation of various episodes exists on betamax format video tape, found on sale in the Middle East (notably Jeddah). Trivia at the Internet Movie Database,

Contents

[edit] Overview

Twizzles legs looked suspiciously like drinking straws with lines around them in a swirling pattern and undoubtedly the figure was pushed up from below while the straw-like legs were twisted around to give the "Twizzle" effect. Twizzle originally lived in a toy shop and was sold to a naughty girl named Sally Cross. He escapes her that night and hides in a dog kennel where he finds Footso who has runaway from home.

Twizzle proved useful in a fire by saving a child on a high window when no ladder was available for which he was given a racing car as a reward but after crashing it he swapped it for a breakdown truck which he uses for rescuing toys. Footso had large feet which sometimes trip him up, so his name. Later came Jiffy the Broomstick Man (a cross between a broom made of twigs and a man who could sweep the floor on his own) who Twizzle and Footso rescued from the clutches of a stereotypical evil witch (who had threatened to burn him) when he flew up the chimney to escape her. The witch returned in a later episode and there was another narrow escape by all. Jiffy could fly by laying horizontal and would fly other people out of trouble. Twizzle and Footso built Straytown where stray toys (misfits) could live and lived in a cabin there. This theme was later carried over to Torchy the Battery Boy.

All had their songs which were entertaining time wasters, with Footso "dreaming of herrings and kippers and creamy cream" after which he'd say ; "Purr! Purr! Purr! Meowwll!", the latter loudly and then the show would continue (a theme Anderson later carried into Four Feather Falls). The songs were written by Roberta Leigh. There was also Chawky the white faced Golliwog who would complain : "Who wants a white faced golliwog" and Candy Floss, a "Mamma Doll" who could not say "mamma" as well as Bouncy, a ball who had lost his bounce. There was also a thin Teddy Bear as well as a China Doll and a Jack in the Box. An occasional visitor to Straytown was The Toy Inspector who would check on the toys living there.

[edit] Episode Guide

  1. Twizzle and Footso
  2. Twizzle and Footso get Caught
  3. Twizzle Saves the Doll
  4. The Breakdown Van
  5. Footso is Stolen
  6. Twizzle and the Golliwog
  7. Jiffy and Chawky Quarrel.
  8. Footso Disappears
  9. Twizzle and the Broken Down Toy
  10. Twizzle Builds Stray Town
  11. A Flag for Stray Town
  12. Jiffy's New House.
  13. Twizzle and Footso go Fruit Picking
  14. Twizzle has some Fun
  15. TWIZZLE AND CANDY OPEN A CAKE SHOP.
  16. TWIZZLE SAVES THE BROKEN DOWN TOYS.
  17. TWIZZLE GETS LOST.
  18. JIFFY OPENS A BARBER SHOP.
  19. ANOTHER RACING CAR.
  20. TWIZZLE AND HIS FRIENDS GO TO THE CIRCUS.
  21. THE TOYS GO TO SCHOOL.
  22. . BOUNCY THE BALL.
  23. JACK IN THE BOX.
  24. TWIZZLE CATCHES COLD.
  25. THE NAUGHTY GIRL.
  26. JIFFY'S NEW TWIGS.
  27. TWIZZLE AND THE SNOWMAN.
  28. TWIZZLE AND THE THIN TEDDY BEAR.
  29. THE LAZY BROOMSTICK MAN.
  30. TWIZZLE AND POLLY MOPPET.
  31. . FOOTSO AND THE MAGIC SEEDS.
  32. . JIFFY AND POLLY MOPPET QUARREL.
  33. . FOOTSO GETS A NEW TAIL.
  34. . TWIZZLE IS NAUGHTY.
  35. . TWIZZLE IS STOLEN.
  36. . CHAWKY GETS A PRESENT.
  37. . TWIZZLE AND THE TOY INSPECTOR.
  38. TWIZZLE AND THE NAUGHTY BREAKDOWN VAN.
  39. ORANGE AND THE BANANA TREE.
  40. JIFFY'S BIRTHDAY.
  41. POLLY MOPPET DISAPPEARS.
  42. . NAUGHTY POLLY MOPPET.
  43. FOOTSO AND THE NAUGHTY GIRL.
  44. . STRAY TOWN THIEF.
  45. . TWIZZLE PAPERS THE CABIN.
  46. . TWIZZLE AND FOOTSO GO CAMPING.
  47. . TWIZZLE GOES TO THE SEASIDE.
  48. . TWIZZLE GOES TO THE FAIR.
  49. TWIZZLE GOES FISHING.
  50. TWIZZLE GOES TO THE ZOO.
  51. . CANDY FLOSS'S BIRTHDAY.
  52. FOOTSO HAS TOOTHACHE

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Biography by Simon Archer and Stan Nicholls; ISBN 0-09-978141-7

[edit] External links

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