Finger Mouse Posted Thu Sep 21 13:33:30 BST 2000 by Ailie

Sorry if this is regarded as part of the 'dumbing down' of the forum, but does anyone remember this low budget kids TV program from the 80s?

More to the point - did anyone ever make their very own 'finger mouse' from the show's instructions?


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Janet on Thu Sep 21 14:15:47 BST 2000:

Ailie, I applaud you for bringing up this show. I remember it, and yes I made my own mouse. The theme song went something like "finger mouse, finger mouse...(repeat ad nauseum). Disturbingly, I also know that it wasn't from the 80s, it was from the '70s. I remember it from about the time of the Moscow Olympics (''76).

I tell you, I'm old.

Around the same time was the truly enchanting Tales From The Riverbank(side?)
With Hammy Hamster, Matty Mouse and GP the WC Fields sound-a-like guinea pig.


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Ailie on Thu Sep 21 14:37:30 BST 2000:

>I also know that it wasn't from the 80s, it was from the '70s.

I wondered about that, but as I'm only old enough to remember the 80s, that's why I didn't know!

I made my own Finger Mouse too! It was in maths class when I was about 16... anything to avoid maths...
Anyway, it turned out pretty good and started a trend!!!

>Around the same time was the truly enchanting Tales From The Riverbank(side?)

I remember the name, but not the show...

Do you remember Orm and Cheep?
I can't remember as much as I'd like, but I had a little Orm and Cheep book when I was a kid which inspired me to call my chicken (it was a real one) Cheep and an orphaned bird I had, Orm.

I like tha name 'Orm.'


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Janet on Thu Sep 21 14:53:59 BST 2000:

Orm and Cheep - nup.
The Double Deckers however, now there was a quality childrens' show incorporating as many stereotypes as was allowable in early 70s Britain. There was the black kid, the brainy kid, the fat kid, the kid who was a girl, the little kid who was a girl who was hopeless...quality stuff.

I'm considering changing my name to Orm now.


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Ailie on Thu Sep 21 14:58:50 BST 2000:

> show incorporating as many stereotypes as was allowable in early 70s Britain. There was the black kid, the brainy kid, the fat kid, the kid who was a girl, the little kid who was a girl who was hopeless...quality stuff.


God, that sounds like the Asda adverts.
Has anyone ever paid attention to them?
Old people, young people, speccy people, black, white, fat, thin, red-heads, etc, etc - they're all in there!

Taking it a bit far, I reckon.

>I'm considering changing my name to Orm now.

Well, it's a good choice!


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By James on Thu Sep 21 15:47:10 BST 2000:

Let's not forget the genius behind the papery spectacle... who was... no, I can't be arsed.

(All right then... Iain Lauchan. Or Lauchlan? Something like that.)


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Sam D on Thu Sep 21 16:17:53 BST 2000:

An old hippy with a bald head, neckerchief and beard presented Fingermouse. That's all I can remember.
And the fat kid out of Double Deckers was called Doughnut.


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Al on Thu Sep 21 18:16:50 BST 2000:

The original show was called 'Fingerbobs' - it was repackaged as 'Fingermouse' in the 80s. The original 'Fingerbobs' did feature a bearded hippy called Yuffy or something like that. It also featured a tortoise called Flash, and some Scampi that were a bit like The Supremes (no, really) It was a favourite of mine at the time but I must admit I haven't seen it since.


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Justin on Thu Sep 21 18:40:41 BST 2000:

>The original show was called 'Fingerbobs' - it was repackaged as 'Fingermouse' in the 80s. The original 'Fingerbobs' did feature a bearded hippy called Yuffy or something like that.

Fingerbobs was made in 1971, Fingermouse fifteen years later. Yuffy was played by a Canadian actor called Rick Jones who had previously been a mainstay of Play School. One of the other characters, a gull called Gulliver, sang a song in which "he" sounded uncannily like Billy Mackenzie of The Associates (RIP).



Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Al on Thu Sep 21 18:42:45 BST 2000:

He did! You be the judge:

"I like to ri-i-ise/And spread my w-i-i-ngs"

Now listen:

"I have a sho-wer/Then phone my broth-er up..."

Uncanny eh?


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By TJ on Thu Sep 21 21:21:15 BST 2000:

Anyone who's interested - I;ve got loads of Fingerbobs/Fingermouse related stuff, so get in touch and I'll see what I can do.

I always thought that the music in the original sounded uncannily like Nick Drake...


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By James on Thu Sep 21 23:18:09 BST 2000:

We nicknamed my friend fingermouse after an incident with a member of the oppersite sex on the dancefloor at my fav nightclub


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Suiii on Thu Sep 21 23:22:20 BST 2000:

#fingermouse.....wondermouse..#

We used to make Fingermeeses out of bus tickets! Orm and Cheep was brilliant, poor Cheep couldn't fly could he?? Bit like that damned Orville.


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By george on Thu Sep 21 23:37:57 BST 2000:

Fingermouse, Fingermouse, Fingermouse that's me! (newer/80's show theme). Te original Fingerbobs were good - haven't seen them for years though. As for Orm & Cheep can't really remember. The Double Deckers...well Anglia were using them as weekend filler as recently as the mid-1990's - and I have to say it was awful. A load of snotty brats (stereotypes indeed!) on board a red LT bus and their crazee adventures with Melvyn Hayes usually dwarfed by the kids making the occasional appearence. 'All aboard, all aboard, all aboard for the Double deckers....' no thanks, I feel travel sick and we haven't even left the studio backdrop.....


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By PJ on Fri Sep 22 01:24:47 BST 2000:

'All aboard, all aboard, all aboard for the Double deckers....'

Honestly, you can't say that to kids nowadays, you'd get locked up!


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Ewar Woowar on Fri Sep 22 12:30:33 BST 2000:

>One of the other characters, a gull called Gulliver, sang a song in which "he" sounded uncannily like Billy Mackenzie of The Associates (RIP).
>


<sings>:"Yuffy spreads his fingers, and a seagull takes the air..."

<sigh>


Subject: Re: Finger Mouse [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Sam D on Fri Sep 22 14:13:29 BST 2000:

>>One of the other characters, a gull called Gulliver, sang a song in which "he" sounded uncannily like Billy Mackenzie of The Associates (RIP).
>>
>
>
><sings>:"Yuffy spreads his fingers, and a seagull takes the air...Could this be Party Fears Too...."
>
><sigh>
>
>



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