Television TV

Round the Bend

Round the Bend was a TV show featuring puppets, from the same creators of Spitting Image, but it was for kids! The show was broadcast between 1989 and 1991 on ITV. It was like a fictional comic that was published in a sewer by Doc Croc, and 3 rats, Vince Vermin, Jemima Green, and Louschetti Bruschetti(Lou Brush). Lou was a bad Italian artist, Jemima did the interviews with celebrity toilets, and Vince was given the usually dangerous tasks and generally beaten about by Doc Croc with or without his boxing gloves on!

Each episode had a main storyline involving the characters down in the sewer, but would contain various sections. Spoof cartoons based on mostly 80s cartoons, for example, Wee-Man, Transformerloids(featuring Octopus Slime), Fatman and Thunderpants(with my personal favourite Bum-Ra, who had a bum for a head obviously).

The shows contained their own various cartoons with names like: Wooly the Wonder Sheep, Psycho the Magnificent(a psychotic magician), and Tommy's Magic Time Trousers (a bit like Bill and Ted but with talking trousers). Vegetables was a take on Australian soaps with stupid vegetable jokes and then there was the spoof 50s B-Movie animation False Teeth From Beyond The Stars, and 70s Japanese spoof Attack of the Atomic Banana (like godzilla but a giant banana with Stallone's voice).

You had sport reports from David ColeMole and John Potato's Newsround and finally, there were the pop videos with such artists as, Binanarama, Sneezy Wonder, Swill Collins, Elton The John, Stink, Kylie Manure and Jason Dungovan. Basically a very close to the original version of the real artists' songs but being as gross as possible for kids TV. I would put it in my top 3 shows of all time from when I was growing up. If only I could get a copy of the show!


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Do You Remember Round the Bend?

Do You Remember Round the Bend?

  • Fido815
    on
    Episodes can be watched (graciously provided by one of the creators) at http://www.tonyhusband.co.uk/rtbvideowall.html
  • InGen
    on
    Absolutely loved this show! "False Teeth From Beyond The Stars" starred Roger Prentice - The Apprentice Dentist! Loved Doc Croc's voice too, very menacing!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    This was one of the best kids tv shows of all time. I used to love wee man and thunderpants.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    This was sheer genius and very brave for its time. My mom always used to switch it off if she caught me watching it. Anyone remember the 'this little piggy' cartoon? Will it ever be released on dvd? I'd buy a copy for sure. Bum-Ra, thats going to make me laugh for days now:)
  • patrick gallagher
    on
    Glad you all liked Round the Bend. I co-created and co-wrote it along with Tony Husband and Mark Rodgers (Mark,sadly deceased). I was also the graphic designer and the puppets, made by Spitting Image, were based on my drawings.
    • Anonymous user
      on
      I hope you still check this thread occasionally! I have been looking for dvd's of this show ever since it disappeared off the screen and I was told recently that there are dvd's that have been released. Can you tell me if this is true and where I could get copies from please. I have to say that my children and I used to cry with laughter at this show and would love to do so again
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Greatest Kids show EVER. Episodes were posted on Youtube before the Copyright-Nazis in ITV found out. :(
  • Anonymous user
    on
    for a while itv ruled friday afternoons with this followed by the equally brilliant "palace high"
  • Anonymous user
    on
    An awesome sunday morning tv show for children but i loved it! A croc who lived around the u bend..and shows such as.wee man,flyin lo lord of the thunderpants..soo funny.