Fimbles

Fimbles
Created by	Sarah Hayes
Developed by	BBC Broadcast
Written by	Simon Davies Alan MacDoanld Jan Page Lucinda Whiteley Toby Rushton Mike Watts Sarah Hayes Tamsin Heatley Christopher Lillicrap
Directed by	Helen Sheppard (50 episodes, 2002 to 2003) Jamie Langton (3 episodes, 2002) Vivienne Cozens (1 episode, 2002) Julian Kemp (1 episode, 2002) Ursula McCulloch (1 episode, 2002)
Voices of	Aidan Cook Shelley Longworth Kate Harbour Tamsin Heatley Wayne Forester
Theme music composer	Paul K. Joyce
Composers	Paul K. Joyce Kick Production Philip Pope Lester Barnes
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	200
Production
Executive producers	Clare Elstow Mike Watts David Hamilton
Producer	Lucinda Whiteley
Production location	Bray Studios
Camera setup	Ian Baldwin Alan Beal Paul Freeman Steve Jellyman and others
Running time	20 minutes approx
Production companies	Novel Entertainment Novel Finders Limited
Original release
Network	BBC Two CBeebies
Release	23 September 2002 (2002-09-23) – 24 September 2004 (2004-09-24)
Related
The Roly Mo Show

Fimbles is a British-Irish children's television series created and produced by Novel Entertainment. The series has 200 episodes, airing from 2002 to 2004 with repeats airing until early 2012 on CBeebies. The Fimbles are Fimbo, Florrie and Baby Pom, three magical characters who all live in a bright, lush, and colourful place called Fimble Valley. The production of the show itself was filmed at Bray Studios in Berkshire.

The programme has been broadcast in over 100 countries, including the countries Canada, China and all the countries in mainland Europe.

Overview

The series features three magical hippo/pig/tapir-like hybrid creatures called the "Fimbles", who are portrayed by "skin" actors in complex, fluffy animatronic suits and all look quite similar apart from their colour and size. The characters explore Fimble Valley and can find things through a special "sixth sense". When the Tinkling Tree tinkles its bell-like blossoms, it makes the nose, fingers and topknot of one or more Fimbles twitch as they get the "Fimbling Feeling". This tells the character(s) that they are going to find something. It may be a natural phenomenon - a patch of sunlight for example, an everyday object, e.g. a tambourine, or something which would be totally inexplicable in the real world, such as a puddle of blue "galoo". Whatever is found becomes the catalyst for the episode's adventures and the trigger for the Fimbles' creative play. The other characters featured are large-scale puppets who normally help out the Fimbles with something.

The snouted and concentrically-ringed appearance of the Fimbles was based on the eponymous antagonists of Lucy Anna and the Finders, written and illustrated by Sarah Hayes. Although Hayes is cited in the credits of Fimbles, and she was involved in adapting the characters for the television series, the implacably omnivorous Finders (who, throughout the book, threaten to eat Lucy Anna) have nothing else in common with the Fimbles.

Characters

• Fimbo - A yellow Fimble with green stripes. Fimbo is the oldest, tallest and only male of the trio. He likes to play his Shimmi Shaker and eat crumble crackers. He is operated by John Tobias, Steve Poole and Adam Blaug and voiced by Aidan Cook.
• Florrie - A blue Fimble with purple stripes. She likes to sing songs and is normally seen with a doll that resembles a Fimble called "Little One". She is operated by Jenny Hutchinson, Leah Green and Holli Hoffman and voiced by Shelley Longworth (Series 1) and Kate Harbour (Series 2).
• Baby Pom - A green Fimble with pink stripes. Being the youngest and smallest, she has a personality similar to that of a toddler. She generally follows the other Fimbles around their world and normally pushes a yellow wagon called the "Trundle Truck". She is operated by Samantha Dodd and Denise Dove and voiced by Tamsin Heatley.
• Bessie - A plump pink bird who lives near the waterfall with Ribble. She normally gives out a summary at the end of the programme of what the Fimbles did in the episode and she shows the Fimbles what the found items are. The episode, "Yodelling Echo", reveals she knows how to yodel. She is puppeteered by Neil Sterenberg, Steven Kynman and Robert Skidmore (assistant) and voiced by Tamsin Heatley.
• Roly Mo - A purple and green striped mole. He has a huge underground library, where he finds a book to show off to the Fimbles in every episode. He is puppeteered by Neil Sterenberg and Iestyn Evans (assistant) and voiced by Wayne Forester.
• Rockit - A blue tree frog who is normally seen hopping around and being quite inquisitive and energetic. He is puppeteered by Simon Buckley and Katherine Smee and voiced by Wayne Forester.
• Ribble - An orange male fluffball chick with a light blue beak who is Bessie's son. He makes squeaks that the other characters can understand. He was given black eyes in later episodes. He is operated by Garry Rutter, Dan Carlisle and Matthew Lyons and voiced by Tamsin Heatley.

Episodes

Series 1 (2002)

1. Hooter
2. Jingly Hat
3. Suitcase
4. Cushion
5. Sock
6. Hoop
7. Red
8. Puzzle
9. Wig
10. Tambourine
11. Tent
12. Pebbles
13. Shiny Button
14. Wind
15. Wellington
16. Red Nose
17. Clockwork Toy
18. Party Hat
19. Blue
20. Pedal Bin
21. Windmill
22. Watering Can
23. Shopping Basket
24. Wooden Spoon
25. Cotton Wool
26. Moon
27. String
28. Russian Dolls
29. Picture Frame
30. Gnome
31. Envelope
32. Sunbeam
33. Reflection
34. Funnel
35. Woolly Hat
36. Postcard
37. Tissues
38. Magic Wand
39. Money Box
40. Shoes
41. Spots
42. Stepping Stones
43. Sleeping Bag
44. Mirror
45. Bubbles
46. Sticky Patch
47. Treasure Hunt
48. Arrow
49. Furry Material
50. Hairbrush
51. Radio
52. Box of Coins
53. Treasure Chest
54. Rainbow
55. Cards
56. Music Box
57. Wrapping Paper
58. Yellow
59. Building Blocks
60. Tune
61. Star
62. Hiccup
63. Glitter
64. Leaf
65. Snowflake
66. Picture Book
67. Keys
68. Triangle
69. Traffic Light

Series 2 (2003)

1. Baby's Rattle
2. Whisper
3. Signpost
4. Scarf
5. Big Box
6. Toy Phone
7. Feather Boa
8. China Plate
9. Tin Tray
10. Sand Timer
11. Box Of Straws
12. Yawn
13. Door
14. Bird Song
15. Jack In The Box
16. Apron
17. Coconut
18. Bucket And Spade
19. Handbag
20. Flag
21. Broom
22. Lunch Bag
23. White Line
24. Glove
25. Trumpet
26. Stripey Towel
27. Coloured Block
28. Silver Foil
29. Smell
30. Purse
31. Bracelet
32. Trousers
33. Alarm Clock
34. Echo
35. Round Mat
36. Quiet Place
37. Maraca
38. Bell Pull
39. Snowman
40. Curtains
41. Feather Duster
42. Ball
43. Egg Cup
44. Horse Shoe
45. Tickle
46. Rose
47. Circle
48. Brown Paper Bag
49. Drum
50. Pick Up Stick
51. Cuddle
52. Kiss
53. Invitation
54. Cactus
55. Chime Bars
56. Dandelion
57. Balloon
58. Whistle
59. Umbrella
60. Comb
61. Fan
62. Scrap Book
63. Musical Baton
64. Bagpipes
65. Plaster
66. Rugby Ball
67. Cloth Bib
68. Smelly Sock
69. Ticket
70. Small Box
71. Hoppy Ball
72. Squeaky Toy
73. Pot of Glitter
74. Raincloud
75. Top Hat
76. Skipping Rope
77. Three Bowls
78. Yellow Flag
79. Acorn
80. Chalk and Board
81. Snow Globe
82. Bean Bag
83. Handbell
84. Kite
85. White Football
86. Red Tree
87. Flowery Hat
88. Shadow
89. Blue Cloth
90. Cowboy Hat
91. Birthday Present
92. Gold Star
93. Teddy Bear
94. Pop-Up Frog
95. Pillow
96. Hole
97. Chequered Flag
98. Dog Basket
99. Tennis Ball
100. Wheelbarrow
101. Shoelaces
102. Cardboard Box
103. Toy Box
104. Yodelling Echo
105. Clockwork Mouse
106. Tinsel
107. Jelly
108. Widget
109. Cold Place
110. Pumpkin
111. Rollerskate
112. Modelling Balloon

Series 3 (2004)

1. Gold Coin
2. Raindrop
3. Castanets
4. Wobbly Board
5. Seashell
6. Kazoo
7. Bead Counter
8. Stethoscope
9. Zills
10. Pop-Up Book
11. Joke Teeth
12. Nodding Dog
13. Wishing Stone
14. Chef's Hat
15. Squiggle
16. Queen's Crown

Related material and spin-offs

In 2004, The Roly Mo Show began airing on CBeebies. As with the original show, this series was also produced by Novel Entertainment and stars Roly Mo and a cast of other characters including Roly's niece Little Bo. The Roly Mo Show concentrates on literacy and books and is made as an educational programme.

Fimbly Songtime, a shortened version of the programme featuring only the songs, has also aired in the past. The programme has also erroneously been listed as Fimbles Songtime.

A radio series titled Rockit's Pocket, featuring the Rockit character, aired on the long-gone CBeebies Radio strand on BBC Radio 7 (now BBC Radio 4 Extra) in 2009.

Horrid Henry, another Novel Entertainment program, has referenced the show and characters frequently throughout the series.

A live touring show produced by BBC Worldwide titled Fimbles Live! - It's A Party toured theatres across the United Kingdom from April–November 2006 and was devised by the playwright and author David Wood CBE. The show focused on the characters planning a party, with CBeebies presenter Sarah-Jane Honeywell as the special guest, being the first human to visit Fimble Valley.

Merchandise

BBC Worldwide signed a master toy deal with Mattel's Fisher-Price subsidiary for the series in May 2002.

International airings

Until the early 2010s, the series' distribution and marketing was handled by BBC Worldwide. After the deal expired, distribution reverted to Novel Entertainment.

In the Republic of Ireland, Fimbles was broadcast on Network 2 (later changed to RTÉ2 in 2004) as part of a lineup of programmes for younger children called The Den and started airing on 20 January 2003.

In Australia from 3 February 2003 to 30 September 2008, Fimbles was broadcast on ABC and its third digital channel ABC2.

Fimbles (핌블핌블) has been extremely popular in South Korea, where KBS 2TV broadcast the programme under a partnership with the BBC from 23 June 2003 to 29 October 2004. Yoo Sang-won directed the Korean dub, which led the show to become well-known and liked among Koreans at the time because of its both fun and educational aspects.

In Spain Fimbles was broadcast on La 2 from March 2004 until Late 2000s during Los Lunnis, Starting from 2005, it was also shown on Playhouse Disney.

As of 1 June 2007 Fimbles (粉宝乐园) is being broadcast in China on Shanghai Media Group's children's network HAHA TV. All 200 episodes are being shown sequentially and dubbed in Mandarin Chinese. As the show in its original format is only 19 minutes long, the show has been lengthened by 5 minutes for the Chinese market.

In Vietnam, since 2008, Fimbles is a part of the show 5 Minutes to Learn English Everyday (5 phút học [tiếng Anh] mỗi ngày), which is produced by HTV4 together with many famous English centres and international schools. However, in VBC, it is a separate show named Những chú heo con Fimbles.

Since June 2008, the show has also been broadcast by Tata Sky DTH in India under a partnership with the BBC on the country's variant of the CBeebies channel.

In Colombia from 2004 and 2007, it was broadcast by Señal Colombia.

In New Zealand, the show was played on TV2.

In South Africa, Fimbles began airing on SABC 1.

In Singapore, it was broadcast by Central and played on their children's block Kids Central. The series aired in Singapore from 2003 to January 2006 and then on Okto in 2011.

In Hong Kong, the series was screened on TVB Pearl.

In Malta, Fimbles was aired on TVM.

In Thailand, the English version of the series was broadcast on Thai cable television TrueVisions (originally known as UBC at the time) on their children's network UBC Spark.

The show has aired on Bang Bang in Albania under the title "Fimbëllsat", with re-runs continuing to air as recently as 2012. It is dubbed in Albanian.

In Israel, Fimbles has been broadcast in Hebrew on the Hop! Channel, One of the voice artists of that dub is Ami Mandelman who also voiced Bert on Rechov Sumsum, and Goofy from The Mickey Mouse Series.

Awards

Award nominations

• BAFTA Children's Awards 2003
  • Nominated for Best Pre-school Live Action Series
• BAFTA Children's Awards 2004
  • Nominated for Best Pre-school Live Action Series

External links

• Fimbles at BBC Online
• Fimbles at Novel Entertainment
• Fimbles at IMDb