# Potamus Park

Potamus Park is a British pre-school television programme that ran on CITV in the United Kingdom between 3 January 1996 and 31 July 1999. The show centred on a small family of hippopotamuses, Herbie, Hippy, Hazel and Hinkley, this show was sponsored by Hippo Fromage Frais and was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, England.

## Characters

Characters featured included Ticker, (a bird,) Got To Guess, (a blue creature that used sign language to communicate) and Mindy and Mo (two Moles who live in a water well and use a bucket as a lift whenever the hippopotamuses need help). Every episode was introduced by three anthropomorphic flowers, who would explain whatever is to come or what may have been happening in the episode.

### Series 1 - (1996)

* Pleased To Meet You (By Paul Cole) - 3 January 1996
* How Does Your Garden Grow (By Paul Cole) - 10 January 1996
* Litter Bug (By Paul Cole) - 17 January 1996
* Over The Counter (By Paul Cole) - 24 January 1996
* Recipe For Success (By Paul Cole) - 31 January 1996
* Do It Yourself (By Paul Cole) - 7 February 1996
* Too Hot For Hippos (By Paul Cole - 14 February 1996
* Happy Hippos (By Paul Cole) - 21 February 1996
* Crazy Golf (By Paul Endacott) - 28 February 1996
* Name That Tune (By Paul Cole) - 6 March 1996
* This Is Where We Live (By Paul Cole) - 10 September 1996
* Gone Fishing (By Paul Cole) - 17 September 1996
* Spring Clean (By Paul Cole) - 24 September 1996
* Let's Pretend (By Wayne Jackman - 1 October 1996
* Picture This (By Paul Cole) - 8 October 1996
* Nothing Doing (By Peter Corey) - 15 October 1996
* Keep Fit (By Paul Cole) - 22 October 1996
* I Spy (By Nigel Crowle) - 29 October 1996
* Hungry Hippos (By Wayne Jackman) - 5 November 1996
* You Must Be Joking (By Peter Corey) - 12 November 1996
* Nice To Be Nice (By Paul Cole) - 19 November 1996
* Secrets (By Wayne Jackman) - 26 November 1996
* Got To Guess Goes Missing (By Wayne Jackman) - 3 December 1996
* Ticker Takes Off (By David Treloar) - 10 December 1996
* The Show Must Go On (By Peter Corey) - 17 December 1996

### Series 2 - (1997)

* Washday Blues (John Lee) - 7 January 1997
* If Only (By Paul Cole) - 14 January 1997
* Doctor Doctor (By John Lee) 21 - January 1997
* Do Your Best (By John Lee) 28 - January 1997
* Things That Go Bump In The Night (By Chris Noulton) 4 - February 1997
* Every Mole Has His Day (By Chris Noulton) 11 - February 1997
* Lonely Bird (By John Lee) 18 - February 1997
* I Talk To The Trees (By Paul Cole) 25 - February 1997
* Bedtime Story (By Paul Cole) 4 - March 1997
* Buried Treasure (By Paul Cole) 11 - March 1997
* Mums Day Off (By Paul Cole) 11 - September 1997
* Home Again (By Paul Cole) 18 - September 1997
* Bookworm (By Paul Cole) 25 - September 1997
* Where Shall We Go (By Paul Cole) 2 - October 1997
* Turn and Turn About (By Paul Cole) 9 - October 1997
* If At First (By Wayne Jackman) 16 - October 1997
* Bits and Bobs (By Peter Corey) 23 - October 1997
* We Have No Bananas (By Wayne Jackman) 30 - October 1997
* Table Manners (By Paul Cole) 6 - November 1997
* Early One Morning (By Paul Cole) 13 - November 1997
* Hip Hippo Ray Day (By Paul Cole) 20 - November 1997
* Different (By Nigel Plaskitt) 27 - November 1997
* Ticker Tells All (By Paul Cole) 4 - December 1997
* Dressing Up (By Paul Cole) 11 - December 1997
* Abracadabra (By Paul Cole) 18 - December 1997

### Series 3 - (1998)

* Send For Got To Guess (By Paul Cole) 6 - January 1998
* Family Favourites (By Paul Cole) 8 - January 1998
* Mr Mystery (By Paul Cole) 13 - January 1998
* Garden Fete (By Paul Cole) 15 - January 1998
* Parade (By Paul Cole) 20 - January 1998
* To Each His Own (By Paul Cole) 22 - January 1998
* Party Time (By Paul Cole) 27 - January 1998
* Secret Garden (By Paul Cole) 29 - January 1998
* Band Together 09 (By Paul Cole) 3 - February 1998
* Time For A Change (By Paul Cole) 5 - February 1998
* Dreams (By Paul Cole) 10 - February 1998
* Growing Up (By Paul Cole) 12 - February 1998
* Invitations To The Dance (By Paul Cole) 17 - February 1998
* Up And Running (By Paul Cole) 19 - February 1998
* Jungle Bungle (By Paul Cole) 24 - February 1998
* Lucky Fried Chicken 016 (By Paul Cole) 26 - February 1998
* I Can You Can (By Paul Cole) 3 - March 1998
* Wows (By Paul Cole) 5 - March 1998
* We Know What We Like (By Paul Cole) 10 - March 1998
* What's In a Name By Paul Cole) 12 - March 1998
* Pretty Bubbles (By Paul Cole) 19 - March 1998
* Why Oh Why (By Paul Cole) 24 - March 1998
* Sing Along (By Paul Cole) 26 - March 1998
* Picnic (By Paul Cole) 31 - March 1998
* Snow (By Paul Cole) 02 - April 1998

### Series 4 - (1999)

* Episode 001 (By Paul Cole) 08 - May 1999
* Episode 002 (By Paul Cole) 15 - May 1999
* Episode 003 (By Wayne Jackman) 22 - May 1999
* Episode 004 (By Paul Endacott) 29 -May 1999
* Episode 005 (By Peter Corey) 05 - June 1999
* Episode 006 (By Peter Corey) 12 - June 1999
* Episode 007 (By Paul Cole) 19 - June 1999
* Episode 008 (By Nigel Plaskitt) 17 - July 1999
* Episode 009 (By Nigel Plaskitt) 24 - July 1999
* Episode 010 (By Paul Cole) 31 - July 1999

## Video Tapes

Various episodes of the series were released on VHS by Carlton Video in the United Kingdom.
| Title | Release Date |
| Pleased To Meet you VL 1 | 1996 |
| This Is Where We Live VL 2 | 1996 |
| Name That Tune Vl 3 | 1996 |
| Hungry Hippos VL 4 | 1997 |
| Secrets VL 5 | 1997 |
| Bedtime Story V11 | 1998 |
| Dressing Up V7 | 1999 |
| Hip Hip Ray Day V6 | 1999 |
| Where Shall We Go V10 | 1999 |
| Abracadabra V9 | 1999 |
| Buried Treasure V8 | 2000 |

## Trivia

Carlton Home Video issued many video cassettes in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although the television series was genuinely well received, ITV decided to cut the series in 1999 due to the rival show Bananas in Pyjamas, which received higher ratings. Even though the series ended in 1999, CITV continued to air the show until January 2000.