First watched : Uncertain
This replaced Trumpton on a Tuesday from 31.12.68 although it had been first broadcast at the other end of the year. By contrast to the previous post I remember loving this very clearly and my mind still makes some of the associations when common herbs are mentioned. I think I once had a jig-saw which featured them and when my mum decided to restore our neglected back garden in 1976 I cajoled her for a little patch in which I could plant ( if not afterwards tend ) a few herbs, a whim that was probably based on lingering affection for this series.
The Herbs was the first thing I watched that had a large cast of characters. Trumpton probably had more puppets but they were largely defined by what they - very predictably - did and had little individual personality. The Herbs was very character-driven ; the stories didn't make much in the way of logical structure . You could have a favourite character and hope the story would feature them. In my case it was Tarragon the dragon.
The Herbs was the creation of Michael Bond most famous for Paddington Bear. His barbed script, the humour being mainly directed at upper class twit Sir Basil, was delivered in a dry sardonic tone by another Play School presenter, Gordon Rollings, and punctuated by the blank stares to camera of main character Parsley the Lion ( who was resurrected for a spin-off series ). Rollings veered between conventional narration and addressing the characters - usually Parsley directly.
Only 13 episodes of the original show were made .The show was repeated until 1975.
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