Tales of the Riverbank

Lore & Background

The pilot for Tales of the Riverbank was created in 1959 by David Ellison and Paul Sutherland, who were film editors at the CBC. After the CBC declined to produce the series, Ellison took the pilot to the BBC in London. The BBC initially commissioned thirteen episodes, later extending the order. The original black-and-white series was first shown by the BBC on 3 July 1960 at 4:50 pm, narrated by Paul Sutherland, but the BBC replaced his Canadian-accented narration with voices provided by Johnny Morris for the BBC broadcasts.

Reader's Guide

The programme's format involved human voices synchronized with the actions of live animals, who lived in a place called 'The Riverbank' and operated toy sailboats, cars, and a diving bell. Techniques such as smearing jam on objects were used to prompt the animals. Each episode ended with the narrator alluding to an event but refusing to elaborate, saying 'But that is another story.' A second series in colour was made in the 1970s, narrated by Johnny Morris, and a later remake was produced by Canada's YTV and Channel 4 in 1995, running for three years. A feature-length film using puppets was released in 2008. The series is ranked 79th in Channel 4's 2001 poll of the 100 Greatest Kids' TV shows.

Did You Know?

• The pilot was created by CBC film editors David Ellison and Paul Sutherland in 1959.
• The BBC initially commissioned thirteen episodes but later extended the order.
• A feature-length film using puppets rather than live animals was released in 2008.
• In the United States, Once Upon a Hamster aired in a late-night slot and developed a cult status.