1 9 5 6 – 1 9 5 8 (UK)
9 x 10 minute episodes
1 9 7 2 – 1 9 7 5 (UK)
26 x 10 minute episodes
Larry the stuttering young lamb and his Germanic best friend Dennis the Dachsund lived in Toytown
The pair got up to all kinds of innocent mischief around the town, much to the chagrin of the egocentric Mayor, Ernest the stout policeman, Mr Inventor, miserable miser Mr Growser, the bumbling Magician, Mr and Mrs Noah and the rest.
The townsfolk visited their local theatre, got up to “dreadful doings” in Ark Street, regularly ran into Highwaymen on the Toytown Road, and set sail with the haughty Captain Salt of the good ship Mermaid.
They were also unctuous and dismissive of their ghastly neighbours from nearby Arkville.
The Toytown stories and characters were originally created by Sydney George Hulme Beaman just after World War I and had been broadcast as a successful radio series before coming to the small screen.
The BBC produced a series of 20-minute marionette plays (produced by Gordon Murray) which aired between 1956 and 1958: Portrait of the Mayor, The Great Toytown Mystery, Dreadful Doings in Ark Street, How the Wireless Came to Toytown, The Great Toytown War, The Enchanted Ark, The Tale of the Magician, The Frightfulness at the Theatre Royal and The Cruise of the Toytown Belle.
A new series of 26 animated shows were made in colour for Thames Television between 1972 and 1975.
Larry
Patsy Blower (voice)
Other voices
Peter Hawkins
Wilfred Babbage
Paul Bura
Episodes
1956 – 1958
Portrait of the Mayor | The Great Toytown Mystery | Dreadful Doings in Ark Street | How the Wireless Came to Toytown | The Great Toytown War | The Enchanted Ark | The Tale of the Magician | The Frightfulness at the Theatre Royal | The Cruise of the Toytown Belle
1972 – 1975
Toytown Goes West | The Tale of Captain Brass the Pirate | The Extraordinary Affair of Ernest the Policeman | The Disgraceful Business at Mrs Goose’s | Golf (Toytown Rules) | The Arkville Dragon | The Tale of the Inventor | The Tale of the Magician | The Theatre Royal | The Toytown Treasure | Tea For Two | Mr Noah’s Holiday | The Toytown Mystery | A Portrait of the Mayor | Pistols For Two | How the Wireless Came to Toytown | The Brave Deed of Ernest the Policeman | The Tale of Ernest the Policeman | The Showing Up of Larry the Lamb | Larry the Plumber | The Mayor’s Sea Voyage | Dreadful Doings in Ark Street | The Great Toytown War | Mr Growser Moves | Mr Mayor | Dirty Work at the Dog & Whistle