Review: Bagpuss
DVD & Blu-ray: Bagpuss – The Complete Series.
Bagpuss…surely one of the most beloved kids shows for people of a certain age and here in its entirety on both DVD & Blu-ray, now fully restored in HD from the film negatives.
Bagpuss made its debut on British television on February 12th 1974, and the synopsis is a simple one: Bagpuss lives in a “shop” belonging to a girl called Emily where nothing is for sale. Emily brings home broken or lost toys which she puts in the window of her shop where Bagpuss sleeps. When Emily leaves, Bagpuss awakes along with his friends Professor Yaffle, Gabriel Croaker (of the “Tea Time Toads”), Madeleine the rag doll and the musical mice on their magical mouse organ.
Bagpuss was originally going to be a ginger cat, but the company dyeing the material made a mistake and so the bright pink Bagpuss was born and beloved forever, with the gentle phrase of “Bagpuss, dear Bagpuss, old fat furry cat-puss, wake-up, and look at this thing that I bring, wake-up, be bright, be golden and light. Bagpuss, oh hear what I sing” awakening him every episode…of which, can you believe there were only 13 episodes made!?
The stop motion animation by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin is delightful, which along with the gorgeous set design, brings to life a magical world that kids loved being a part of.
Whether you’re an older viewer who remembers this from your childhood, or maybe you’re younger and have never seen it before, Bagpuss is the visual equivalent of wrapping a warm blanket around yourself and curling up on the couch.