14 September – 22 December, 1989
The Poddington Peas is a British animated television series that was created by Paul Needs and Colin Wyatt of Cairnvale Productions for Poddington PLC; it has thirteen five-minute episodes, and was aired on BBC One as part of the Children's BBC strand (as it had been known from its inception on 9 September 1985 until 4 October 1997) from 14 September to 22 December 1989. The series was regularly repeated throughout the 90s and early 00s until 2002. The series' theme song, composed by Geoff Stephens, describes the eponymous group of Peas living "down at the bottom of the garden". Human-sized garden objects, enormous in size to the Peas, are often seen, such as upturned flowerpots which serve as most of their buildings. Humans themselves are never seen or mentioned (with the single exception of Christmas gift-giver Santa Claus, who left his gifts at Creepy Castle in the last episode). All thirteen episodes were released on VHS by Palace Video in 1990 (HPV0018), but this is now out of print. As with the majority of other older BBC children's series, it has also never made it to DVD.
In 1992, writer Phil Gardner was employed by Poddington PLC to help them write a prospective second series of episodes, which were to include one with the intention of piloting the series in the United States, and feature a new group of characters known as the "Bugz" as well as the mischievous but well-intentioned "Podd Twins". However, these episodes were never published.
Sound Effects Used
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, ROOSTER - ROOSTER: TWO CALLS, ANIMAL (Heard once in "Dump-Pea's Diet" and "Creep-Pea's Christmas Surprise".)
- Sound Ideas, Cartoon, Whooshes: Comedy - One whoosh, two whooshes 1, 1 - 1967 (7D, reprocessed) (Used whenever Zip-Pea zips and enters the scene in "Bubble Trouble".)
- Sound Ideas, COYOTE - SHORT HOWL, ANIMAL (Heard once in "The Poddle Island Mystery".)
- Sound Ideas, COYOTE - SHORT WHINE, ANIMAL (Heard once in "The Poddle Island Mystery".)