The Incredible Fidgety River Posted Thu Dec 14 20:32:08 GMT 2000 by Mr Griffiths

There used to be a kids' cartoon show called "Dr Snuggles" on ITV. Dr S was an avunucular, mad-inventor type character aided by the cynical and workshy Nobby Mouse. It was fairly boring stuff in the main, but I remember one story in it being written by Douglas Adams (possibly with John Lloyd). It featured a cowardly anthropomorhic river and a race of water-based aliens called the Sloppies.

I think (being vague as usual because most of my books are in another country) it's mentioned in Neil Gaiman's "Don't Panic" book, as is the concept of a river with a strange "attitude" being an abandonned Hitch-Hiker idea.

Does anyone remember this show - or even own a copy?

Not quite the same league as "Out of the Trees", I grant you. But I'm the sorta guy who finds this shit interesting.




Subject: Re: The Incredible Fidgety River [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Steven on Thu Dec 14 20:45:58 GMT 2000:

Indeed Adams did work on the show, I think he wrote two shows, I use to like it when I was about 5 or 6 years old, there use to be a website at http://www.doctor-snuggles.com/ but it seems to be down right now.


Subject: Re: The Incredible Fidgety River [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Joe4SOTCAA on Thu Dec 14 22:51:23 GMT 2000:

I do remember it, although it was translated into Welsh ('Dr Snwgwl'). I gather it was a bit of an European thing anyway, intended to be translated to all manner of different languages.

Bit of a rarity.


Subject: Re: The Incredible Fidgety River [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Steven on Thu Dec 14 23:30:27 GMT 2000:

I remember seeing some Welsh episodes, but generally I use to watch the English version in the mid-eighties, I thought it was quite good in that sort of silly child like way, I remember one episode where they made a rocketship and landed in the clouds to meet the person who controlled the rainbow, who was a giant camel with a monacle and posh accent who drank lots of cups of tea. I remember his assistant was a badger, and of course Nobby the mischevious rat, and Snuggles' secretary was called Ms. Nettles, and he hopped about on a talking duck umbrella/pogostick. That official web site that seems to be defunct now had a lot of information about the show, including interviews with the creator Jeffrey O'Kelly, and went into detail about Douglas Adams' involvement.

Tough Adams does say this on his website:
"I certainly had nothing to do with the creation of Dr Snuggles. But in 1976? 1977? I co-wrote a couple of episodes of it with John Lloyd for TV. My recollection is pretty dim at this point, but I remember we came up with one episode called Dr Snuggles and the Frightened River about a river that was hiding in a cave becasue someone was stealing chunks of the ocean. I can't remember what the other one was called.

I remember dealing with a Dutchman called Joop Visch. We never met the guy who invented the character, which seemed to be cross between Dr Doolittle and Professor Branestawm. There didn't seem to be (or at least we never got to see) very much of substance, and we were encouraged to invent freely. I never saw the episodes that were made from our scripts. It was just a job for a couple of hungry wannabes, but I do recall that we had a lot of fun doing it."


Subject: Re: The Incredible Fidgety River [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Mogwai on Fri Dec 15 03:23:13 GMT 2000:

>Tough Adams

That's what we used to call him in 'D' Wing. Takes me back.


Subject: Re: The Incredible Fidgety River [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Steven on Fri Dec 15 12:31:04 GMT 2000:

Hehe, of course I meant 'though'. But Tough Adams does have a ring to it, at least that's what the stories from the prison shower say.


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