Tingha and Tucker
Puppet koalas on ITV from 1962 to 1970.
Tingha and Tucker were a pair of koala characters who appeared on ITV children's television in Britain from 1962 to 1970. The programme was produced by Associated Television (ATV), the independent ITV station based in the Midlands. Its typical schedule consisted of short shows on weekdays, plus a weekly Sunday special titled *The Tree House Family*.
The characters began as stuffed toy koalas that host Jean Morton spoke to on air. Later, puppets were created to make them appear more lifelike. The show proved very popular and, like many programmes of the time, had a fan club—the Tingha and Tucker Club—which reached a peak membership of 750,000. The club eventually shut down because it could not manage the volume of mail it received. One of the show's best-known songs was "The Wibbly Wobbly Way". After eight years, the programme was cancelled in 1970. Shortly afterward, the puppets used on air were reportedly stolen from storage and have never been found.
The main characters included host "Auntie Jean" (Jean Morton), the koalas Tingha and Tucker, Willie Wombat, Grandpa Wombat, Kiki Kangaroo, Katie Kookaburra, Ermintrude Emu, Postman Pete Murray (a disc jockey), "Uncle Pat" (Pat Astley, an ATV continuity announcer), and "Uncle Cliff Richard" (the singer Cliff Richard).
Merchandise included an annual children's book released each year from 1967 to 1971, a *Bedtime Book* in 1967, and several records. Among these were a 1964 Pye Records 7" single "Woomerang Boomerang" b/w "Over the Rickety Bridge", a Century 21 Records LP titled *Tingha and Tucker Club Song Book* (catalogue A5), and a more unusual "mini album" from Century 21 called *Tingha and Tucker present the New Wombaville Band*, on which the puppet characters performed covers of several Beatles songs.
The theme tune was written by Tony Hatch, who also composed television themes for *Crossroads*, *Neighbours*, and *Emmerdale*. Tingha's name comes from the town of Tingha, New South Wales, which itself derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "a flat, open land." Despite frequent references to bears in the show's motto and songs, koalas are not bears but marsupials.
- field
- Children's television
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- Puppet koala characters on ITV's Tingha and Tucker show
- years_active
- 1962–1970
- network
- ITV (ATV)
Lore & Background
Originally, Tingha and Tucker were simply stuffed toy koalas belonging to host Jean Morton, who would speak to them on air. Soon, puppets were made of the characters so that they could be more lifelike. The show was a great success and like many shows of its era had a 'club', the Tingha and Tucker Club, which at its height had 750,000 members. The club eventually had to close when it became unable to handle the volume of mail it generated. One of the favourite show songs was 'The Wibbly Wobbly Way'.
The show was eventually cancelled in 1970 after eight years. The Tingha and Tucker puppets used on air were reportedly stolen from storage shortly after and have never been recovered. Characters included 'Auntie Jean' (Jean Morton), Tingha and Tucker (koalas), Willie Wombat, Grandpa Wombat, Kiki Kangaroo, Katie Kookaburra, Ermintrude Emu, Postman Pete Murray (disc jockey), 'Uncle Pat' (Pat Astley, the ATV continuity announcer), and 'Uncle Cliff Richard' (Cliff Richard).
Reader's Guide
Tingha and Tucker represent a notable example of British children's television programming from the 1960s, produced by ATV for the ITV network. The show's format of short weekday episodes and a Sunday special, The Tree House Family, was typical of the era. The Tingha and Tucker Club, which reached 750,000 members at its peak, illustrates the strong audience engagement common to such programs, though it ultimately closed due to the volume of mail it generated. The show's merchandise included annual children's books issued between 1967 and 1971, a 'Bedtime Book' in 1967, and several records, such as the 1964 Pye Records single 'Woomerang Boomerang' b/w 'Over the Rickety Bridge', as well as a Century 21 Records LP called the Tingha and Tucker Club Song Book and a 'mini album' titled Tingha and Tucker present the New Wombaville Band, which featured the puppet characters covering several Beatles songs. The theme song was written by Tony Hatch, known for composing television theme tunes such as Crossroads, Neighbours, and Emmerdale. The show's legacy is also marked by the reported theft of the puppets from storage shortly after cancellation, with no recovery to date.
Did You Know?
- Tingha's name is a reference to the town of Tingha, New South Wales, which gets its name from an aboriginal word meaning 'a flat, open land.'
- Despite many references to bears, koalas are not related to bears but are marsupials.
- The Tingha and Tucker Club had 750,000 members at its height and closed due to the volume of mail it generated.
- The puppets used on air were reportedly stolen from storage shortly after the show's cancellation and have never been recovered.
More in part-1
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record