Written by Norman Dahl and produced by Tyne Tees Television, this puppet series for children was narrated by Lance Percival and starred Oscar the rabbit.
In the first episode (broadcast on Monday 28 March 1977, the same day that Jamie and The Magic Torch debuted), Oscar tumbled into a dustbin and found himself in the weird and wonderful world of Rubbidge.
There, he met G-Nashers (a naughty pterodactyl who constantly plotted to make a meal of Oscar and had several pairs of false teeth hanging on a washing line in his cave); Zaggy (a smoke-blowing dragon); Marlene (a pretty ragdoll) and amateur inventor Sir Feathersqueak, whose inventions included a tooth-extracting machine, a jumbo jet (shaped like an elephant), and a lie detector.
Episodes aired on ITV every weekday for a month between 28 March and 22 April at 11.45 am.
The puppeteers were Lyndie Wright, Mary Edwards, and Nicola Howard-Jones.
A South African version of the series was later produced as Oskar en Knersus, set in Asblikfontein (“Trashcanville”). Oscar’s pterodactyl nemesis was now called ‘Knersus’, Sir Feathersqueak became ‘Prins Poggenpoel’, Zaggy was renamed ‘Snorkie’, and Marlene the doll was now called ‘Marietjie’.
A second series of the SA production introduced a dog named Wonderwoef, who had a love of dancing and many magic tricks in his magician’s hat.
Narrator
Lance Percival
Episodes
Intro to Rubbidge | Damsel in Distress | Party Games | Flying Carpet | The Clown | Toothache | No Escape | Carrot Nightmare | Watch The Birdie | Amnesia | Flying Kettles | Hot Air Balloon | Super Memory | Carrots | Snapdragon | Stick Up | Package Holiday | Hide-and-Seek | Whopper Stopper | Zaggy Disappears
In the first episode (broadcast on Monday 28 March 1977, the same day that Jamie and The Magic Torch debuted), Oscar tumbled into a dustbin and found himself in the weird and wonderful world of Rubbidge.
A South African version of the series was later produced as Oskar en Knersus, set in Asblikfontein (“Trashcanville”). Oscar’s pterodactyl nemesis was now called ‘Knersus’, Sir Feathersqueak became ‘Prins Poggenpoel’, Zaggy was renamed ‘Snorkie’, and Marlene the doll was now called ‘Marietjie’.
