''Hattytown Tales'' is a 39-episode

stop motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television show, television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during ...

produced by

FilmFair FilmFair was a British production company and animation studio that produced children's television series, animated cartoons, educational films, and television advertisements. The company made numerous stop motion films using puppets, clay animat ...

for

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

. It aired in the United Kingdom between 1969 and 1973. Creator and writer Keith Chatfield narrated the series, and

Ivor Wood Ivor Sydney Wood (4 May 1932 – 13 October 2004) was a prolific Anglo-French' animator, director, producer and writer. He was known for his work on children's television series. Born in Leeds to an English father and a French mother, his famil ...

directed it. Books were published by World Distributors and it was featured in the Playland Comic (offshoot of Pippin) published by

Polystyle Publications Polystyle Publications Ltd was a British publisher of children's comics and books that operated from 1960 to 1997, publishing such titles as ''TV Comic'', '' I-Spy'', ''Pippin'', '' Countdown/TV Action'', and ''BEEB''. The company's registered o ...

and in children's annuals for 10 years. The residents of Hattytown were anthropomorphic

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

s. The style of hat each character was indicated its ethnicity, attitude, and role in Hattytown society. For instance, Bobby, the constable, resembles the hat of a constable. Buildings in the town are also hat-shaped; each building's form suggests either its primary function or resident. The main character, Sancho, is a Mexican

sombrero A sombrero (Spanish , ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the w ...

with legs and eyes. Carrots, his best friend, is a donkey with a carrot dangling in front of his face. In one episode, an angry bird makes its nest in Sancho's car. Every time the Hattytown residents try to move the bird, it snaps at them. At the end of the episode, the car door opens to reveal a nest of eggs that eventually hatch.

Episodes

Series 1 (1969) # Mr Wimple's Breakfast Rolls # Bobby's Flower Garden # Carrot's Carrot # King Ethelbert # Milko's Day Off # Simon's Magnifying Glass # Going Fishing # The Statue # Sancho's Camera # Posty's Old Boots # You Cannot Please Everyone # Wash Day # The King's Portrait Series 2 (1970) # Saving Time # Up and Away # Creatures of Outer Space # Almost Magic # The Pillar Box # The Royal Hattytown Guards # Friendship # The Picnic # The Cannon # Carrots for the Mayor # Too Much of a Good Thing # Hiccup Buns # Bookworms Series 3 (1973) # Bobby's Security Patrol # Mr. Bun the Master Baker # The Walking Pillar Box # The Fete # A Note for the Milkman # Sneezy Cheese # Mrs. Bagwash and the King # The Secret Tunnel # It Pays to Advertise # The Auction # The Telephone Box # A Taxi for Hire # Mustafer the Hedgehog

International broadcast

In the United States, ''Hattytown Tales'' was also often featured during the television programme '' Pinwheel'' on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

Home releases

VHS

On 17 July 1995, Castle Communications released three videos with five episodes on each one. The copyright year on the back cover and the label is mistakenly printed as 1981 even though all 13 Series 1 episodes of Hattytown Tales were broadcast on ATV in 1969 and the first two Series 2 episodes of Hattytown Tales were broadcast on ATV in 1970. On 14 May 2001, Contender Entertainment Group released a single video it with the first three episodes on it in its 'kult kidz' range of classic children's shows from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s that were released on video.

DVD

External links

Keith Chatfield's website
* {{FilmFair 1969 British television series debuts 1973 British television series endings 1960s British children's television series 1970s British children's television series British children's animated adventure television series BBC children's television shows English-language television shows British stop-motion animated television series Television series by Cookie Jar Entertainment Television series by FilmFair Television series by DHX Media Hats 1960s British animated television series 1970s British animated television series