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Post by Ryan on Jan 13, 2006 21:39:08 GMT
Ivor was a great series, and it's a shame there wasn't more of the series made.
The plots Oliver Postgate made were endearing, but then again, in some cases, slightly dull and ordinary. If a modern day writer (or writing team as is the norm now!) were to try and resurrect it, they wouldn't do it justice.
However, the last episode of the series didn't provide much closure, and the series was left very open-ended, and there COULD have been another set of episodes made.
I've recently bought the DVD, and I love it to bits, after having an Ivor Marathon with the VHS version before and slighty tedious! But the stories DO have their charm though, I like them! Dai Station is my favourite, uptight old duffer!
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Post by stuart7 on Jan 13, 2006 22:00:18 GMT
Hmmm... I might get the DVD. Sound better than I thought it would be.
Stuart
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Post by Chris on Jan 13, 2006 22:15:56 GMT
I'd recommend it - it's got all the colour episodes on, great picture quality and a nice little animated menu of Ivor chuffing through the countryside with the theme tune playing in the back. It's a bargain really, considering it goes for under £7 at places like play.com
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Post by FlyingScotsman on Jan 14, 2006 17:13:45 GMT
II actually think it could still appeal today if it were brought back, although I suspect Bani might have to be left out... Who's Bani? Is he from some sort of ethnic minority? He was the elephant keeper, as stuart notes, and he was from India. His full name was Bani Moukerjee. Unfortunately, in common with most Asian characters on '70s TV, he fits into the "oh my golly gosh" silly accent stereotype. Also, when Bani is first glimpsed, Evans the song observes that he's "a funny looking fellow- got a boiled pudding on his head!" *** I can finally post some pictures from Sammy the Shunter up. The books were written by Eileen Gibb and illustrated by Jack Atkins. They were quite literally paperbacks, and four decades of rot along with children's tendency not to be over-careful with their books mean that very few copies survive today. Despite being little remembered, they have a certain quaint charm to them, and Jack Atkins' illustrations are splendid. These come from the book 'Sammy and the Old Engines', my personal favourite from the series. Cover. The man with the cloth is Mr Plum, the stationmaster at Sleeping Sunbury. Think Dai Station with an attitude problem. Engines left to right are Comet, Sammy, Daisy and an unnamed character. The man with the broom is Mr Buffin, Sammy's driver. This is Sammy himself who, as you can see, is feeling a little under-the-weather. Interestingly, in some editions of the book he appears as a yellow engine with red lining and purple wheels. When Sammy breaks down, Mr Buffin looks for help. The two of them find the Home for Old Engines, which is fully occupied... Daisy, an engine with a remarkable turn of speed, volunteers to pull Sammy home. But when they arrive back at Sleeping Sunbury, Daisy's appearance excites some unwelcome attention from the express engines and drivers. Note the express engine, which appears to be based on a P2. Note also the failings of 1960s printing.
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Post by Christopher on Jan 14, 2006 17:29:35 GMT
*whistles* Sammy the Shunter - remember seeing something about him on the old SIF. SOunds like a good series...but those old engines kinda scare me!
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Post by FlyingScotsman on Jan 14, 2006 18:07:09 GMT
Here's some more. Mr Plum arrives on the scene, announcing that there's an emergency. One of the express engines has lost a wheel, and so all the express engines will have to be withdrawn while the cause is investigated. In desperation, Mr Plum asks Sammy to take the people to London. Mr Buffin explains that Sammy is not feeling well, but he knows where ten engines can be found... Mr Plum is initially enthusiastic, but becomes less so when the years of mechanical neglect become apparent... The Plymouth Flyer has a near miss in his eagerness to be first into London. Mr Plum does not approve. Incidentally, connoisseurs of locomotive history will note that the Plymouth Flyer appears to be based on a Great Western broad gauge goods engine. Comet runs into problems of his own when his tank develops a leak. As an emergency measure, his driver blocks the hole with his cap and refills the tank using bottles of pop donated by the passengers. And they're away! Incredibly, despite varying degrees of mechanical damage, the engines make it to London. The Chief of Railways promises them a new home in London where everyone can come to see them. Note the rather suspect depiction of the passengers holding the Plymouth Flyer's funnel on. Anyway, if people like these, I can scan in some pictures from the other Sammy books I have. Including 'Sammy Goes to America', a book which is funny for all the wrong reasons.
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Post by Christopher on Jan 14, 2006 18:25:08 GMT
Be looking forward to that, FC!
Also, whilst browsing on eBay, I came across another Engine Series called "Chuffalong". I've got this feeling that it could be by the same person who wrote "Sammy the Shunter". The cover art looks the same as those from the Sammy Books...but can anyone viery me on this one?
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Post by FlyingScotsman on Jan 15, 2006 21:10:10 GMT
The Chuffalong books were by the same illustrator and publisher, were in the same format as the Sammy books (which in turn were the same shape and size as the RS- hmmm), but were written by Pamela Hawken. I have one of them, Chuffalong in the Snow. The others in the series, as far as I'm aware, were The Little Engine who wouldn't pull the Milk Train, Chuffalong at the Seaside and Chuffalong Loses his Job. I'll put up pics from Chuffalong in the Snow after the Sammies. I don't think they were as good as Sammy, but then Sammy had more volumes to develop.
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Post by reno on Apr 23, 2006 16:40:43 GMT
I did have a lot of books about trains as a child also the odd video of Ivor The Engine.
Heres some of the thing of trains I liked other than Thomas & Friends. Chuffalong Ivor The Engine Puffer (Tugs) Train from the Magic Round About Sammy The Shunter.
None of these can beat Thomas & Friends though!
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Post by StarTodd on Apr 25, 2006 21:31:27 GMT
Looking forward to the other Sammy scans! =)
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Post by sammy01116 on Apr 29, 2006 18:26:56 GMT
I have a sammy the sunter book its quite funny
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douglas
Main Line Engine
Posts: 2,256
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Post by douglas on Apr 29, 2006 18:43:55 GMT
Funny nobody mentioned Ernest the Egnine car yet! JK I liked the Polar Express, and Tootle too.
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Post by FlyingScotsman on May 1, 2006 0:50:33 GMT
Man, you show Ernest the Engine Car to kids, you got a lawsuit on your hands...
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Post by Casey Jones on May 23, 2006 10:26:43 GMT
Why
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Post by FlyingScotsman on May 23, 2006 13:55:03 GMT
The parents would sue. Have you watched those things?
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Post by dragonfox on May 25, 2006 16:14:16 GMT
Watch them and *chuckles* and *chuckles louder* s- *goes into a fit of laughter*
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Post by reno on May 27, 2006 19:08:46 GMT
I have a sammy the sunter book its quite funny That they are. I like the way the engines in the storys of Sammy The Shunter and Chuffalong depicted the engines with human hands rather then buffers which was quite unique. Sadly I lost the books I had of them years ago.
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Post by 01Salty on Aug 29, 2006 8:53:22 GMT
Here's something I found recently: A Japanese version of Pip & Emma it seems!
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Post by Christopher on Sept 17, 2006 13:46:21 GMT
Recently, I found this rather good 3D Animation Short called "LOCOMOTION". It was part of a DVD of Computer Animated Shorts, mde by PIA in 1990, before Dreamworks bought the rights to the company. I thought it was terrific because it had several nods towards Thomas and, as an added bonus, had the classic braking sound FX, too! ;D
For anyone whose intrested, you can watch it here:
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Post by FlyingScotsman on Sept 18, 2006 9:54:34 GMT
I remember that! It was shown on Rolf's Cartoon Club in the UK (anyone remember that?). It totally blew me away when I first saw it, I'd never seen CGI before.
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