Name: Tales From Fat Tulip's Garden
Genre: Comedy, Family
Released: 1985-05-01

Overview

Tales from Fat Tulip's Garden was a children's TV program in the mid-1980s, starring Tony Robinson. It was produced by Debbie Gates for Central Independent Television and aired on British TV network ITV from 1985 to 1987, in a 4:00pm timeslot, with each episode lasting about 10 minutes. Robinson would tell children's stories directly to camera in an English garden setting, and would put on all the voices himself. The show was written by Debbie Gates and Robinson and carried by Robinson's unique and engaging storytelling style, which was semi-improvised. Robinson hoped to provoke the imagination and produce a sense of immediacy in contrast to the shortcomings he saw in children's television at the time. The majority of the programme was filmed in the house and garden of Little Monkhams, a property in Woodford in the Redbridge Borough of London. Further scenes were filmed in the part of Epping Forest facing the house

Seasons

Season 1

14 Episodes

1985

E01

Tale of two frogs

5/1/1985·11m

Two frogs, Ernie & Sylv go looking for a new place to live after their pond dries up. They end up exploring Fat Tulip's garden and kitchen, where Ern takes an interest in the washing machine.

Fat Tulip Too

14 Episodes

1987

E01

A blackberry fool

6/4/1987·10m

Thin Tim has collected a pyramid of blackberries to make jam and orders Fat Tulip not to touch them. But when Fred the Baddy arrives and squashes all the blackberries, he and Fat Tulip have to go out to pick some more

E02

Smelly socks

6/11/1987·11m

Fat Tulip loves the new pair of glow in the dark socks that he got from Inspector Challoner so much, that he refuses to take them off, even when Thin Tim begs him to do so because of the smell.

E03

The long march

6/18/1987·11m

Ernie and Sylv were going mole riding to practice for the mole jumping competition. But Mary Toad had taken over the stables and replaced all the moles with hedgehogs. Meanwhile, Thin Tim leads Fat Tulip on a long march camping trip.

E04

A fizzy tadpole

6/25/1987·11m

Sylv and Ernie are looking after their baby cousin Bunting the tadpole. But Peter, Paul and Mary drink all of Bunting's water out of her pram. Fat Tulip isn't allowed to turn on his garden hose by order of Inspector Challoner

E05

Lumpy catflap Jack

7/2/1987·11m

The mice are forced to break off their Summer Fair in the cellar when a lumpy cat arrives. Fat Tulip also wants to use the cellar to take a nap because Thin Tim is decorating his bedroom

E06

The hairy strawberry

7/9/1987·11m

Ernie and Sylvie Frog are trying to teach Leon the Spider how to spin a web. Inspector Challoner is staking out in Fat Tulip's house, waiting to catch Fred the Baddy

E07

The great Yorkshire pudding robbery

7/16/1987·11m

Peter, Paul and Mary want the other animals to get them all the parts to build a go-cart. They promise to bake a cake for Bunting the Tadpole's one week birthday so they can steal the wheels off of Bunting's pram

E08

Gravy in the swimming pool

7/23/1987·11m

Fat Tulip has decided to learn how to swim. Unfortunately for him, that day 27 prisoners led by Fred the Baddy have broken out of their cells to visit the local swimming pool as well

E09

The suitcase that spoke

7/30/1987·11m

On the first day of their a seaside holiday, Inspector Challoner and Fat Tulip get themselves stuck in the mud. To the rescue come Dorian the Dog and Fred the Baddie, who stowed away in a yellow suitcase

E10

An extremely long bootlace

8/6/1987·11m

Fred the Baddie hides Inspector Challoner's uniform somewhere around the beach. The Inspector and Fat Tulip enter a fishing competition to win a money prize. Fat Tulip doesn't have a fishing rod, but uses the world's longest worm, whom he calls 'Bootlace'

E11

Big trouble

8/13/1987·11m

During their seaside holiday, Fat Tulip and Inspector Challenor find themselves looking after Dunwoody's key to the pier. But when the little white shell Fat Tulip put it in disappears, they could both end up in big trouble

E12

Rotten milk

8/20/1987·11m

Fred the Baddie has escaped again and is heading for Fat Tulip as usual. Along the way he steals Dunwoody's Milk Float during a traffic jam. But Thin Tim and Fat Tulip have set up a Fred the Baddie trap for his arrival

E13

The blanket from outer space

8/27/1987·11m

Lewis Collins the Tortoise is training himself to defend the garden from Aliens from Outer Space. Inspector Challoner has lost his favourite yellow blanket, on which he had written, amongst other important things, a list of people to invite to the Policeman's Ball

E14

Fat Tulip's fat Christmas

12/25/1987·11m

Thin Tim won't allow any visitors for Christmas except his Auntie Mabel. Peter, Paul and Mary toad invite the other animals to a party so they can nick all their grub

Tales From Fat Tulip's Garden(1985–1987)

Overview

Seasons

Season 1

Tale of two frogs

Fat Tulip Too

A blackberry fool

Smelly socks

The long march

A fizzy tadpole

Lumpy catflap Jack

The hairy strawberry

The great Yorkshire pudding robbery

Gravy in the swimming pool

The suitcase that spoke

An extremely long bootlace

Big trouble

Rotten milk

The blanket from outer space

Fat Tulip's fat Christmas

Where to Watch

Cast

Where to Watch

Fat Tulip Too

A blackberry fool

Smelly socks

The long march

A fizzy tadpole

Lumpy catflap Jack

The hairy strawberry

The great Yorkshire pudding robbery

Gravy in the swimming pool

The suitcase that spoke

An extremely long bootlace

Big trouble

Rotten milk

The blanket from outer space

Fat Tulip's fat Christmas

Cast

Season 1

Tale of two frogs

A load of old rubbish

Meet a dog called Dorian

Swimming in custard

Rip up the roses

Fred the baddy

The tortoise who climbed mountains

Bees know best

No hiding place

Fistful of bluebottles

Mice with Measles

The ugliest possible face

Seven washing machines

Never eat a tortoise