Sugarball the Little Jungle Boy

1 9 6 8 – 1 9 6 9 (UK)
15 minute episodes

Jungle Jangle, Jungle Jangle, In the forest dark and green
Big Chief Bilbo and his friends are the craziest tribe you’ve ever seen

This children’s puppet series from Yorkshire Television about the adventures of a young jungle boy was produced by Jess Yates (of Stars On Sunday fame,) directed by Geoff Hall (1st series) and Bill Cole (2nd series), and broadcast in black and white.

Big Chief Bilbo was an angry black marionette who wore a bowler hat and had a bone through his nose.

The puppets were made and operated by Eric Bramall and Chris Somerville of The Harlequin Puppet Theatre in North Wales. Juliet Cooke told the stories and Kenny Lynch sang the songs.

The same team went on to produce Jimmy Green and his Time Machine (1968) and Hubble Bubble (1969).

Definitely a product of its time, Sugarball would certainly fall squarely in the Non-PC category today.

Big chief Bilbo’s getting very cross, umalakawee
Don’t you know that he’s the boss, umalakawee?

Voices
Juliet Cooke
Puppetry
Eric Bramall
Songs
Kenny Lynch

Episodes

The Arrival of Sugarball | The Jumble Sale | Whiteman | The Aeroplane | Bilbo’s Birthday Surprise | The Giant Plant | The Weighing Machine | The Alarm Clock | The Stranger | Treacle Toffee Is Good | Chief Bilbo’s Holiday | The Water Diviner | The Jungle Village Concert | Bilbo’s Big Nose | The Hypnotist | Chief Bilbo’s Surprise | Bilbo Keeps Fit | The Blackboard Jungle | A Tale of Bilbo’s Head | The Artist | The Magic Wishing Stick | Hunting, Shooting and Fishing | Bilbo Washes Whiter