The Helicopter

**The Helicopter** is the 19th episode of the original series. It first aired on 24th April, 1997.

## Plot

Po plays with the levers and buttons on the control panel inside the Tubbytronic Superdome. Eventually, she suddenly sees The Magic Windmill spinning. Then, they watch Sam have a ride in a helicopter from Penzance to the Scilly Isles. Back in Teletubbyland, Laa-Laa goes out to play with her ball. She bounces it and then throws it. But, she accidentally gets it stuck up a tree. Laa-Laa tries to jump up and reach it, but she isn't tall enough to reach her ball Dipsy tries to reach the ball, but he isn't tall enough either. Even Tinky Winky isn't tall enough to reach the ball even when he tries to. Laa-Laa feels very sad because she can't reach her ball. But however, Po thinks she can reach the ball, even though she is the smallest Teletubby of all. She borrows Tinky Winky's bag, spins it around and releases it. Then, the bag hits the ball and it falls out of the tree. Laa-Laa is overjoyed to have her ball back when she is happy and feels better, Tinky Winky gets his bag back and the Teletubbies and the narrator say "Clever Po!". Then suddenly, the Magic Windmill starts spinning again. The Teletubbies watch the Three Ships sail through Teletubbyland. The Magic Windmill stops spinning and it's time for Tubby Bye-Bye.

Featuring: Barry & Sam Philpott

## Trivia

* In the Scene where Po plays at the Control Panel, there are four coloured hands where the Tubby Sponges would be and some different lights in the middle of the Control Panel.
* When the Teletubbies go and watch the Three Ships, the Baby Sun scene is missing. It also happens in Playing in the Rain.
* This episode also includes a rare animation of the Windmill.
* A fade effect is used after The Three Ships Magical Event. The fade transitions to the Magic Windmill about to stop spinning.
* This is the first time that Tinky Winky, Dipsy, and Laa-Laa laughing at Po for being small.
* The Po plays with controls segment was featured in the VHS The Best of Po.
* The Laa-Laa's Ball stuck in a tree segment was featured in the VHS The Early Days.
* Dipsy was the boo shouter.
* Laa-Laa was the missing Teletubby as well as her getting picked for the TV event.
* The helicopters in the TV Transmission are the British International G-BCEB and the British International G-BFFJ
* This is the first episode where Laa-Laa says 'Bibbly Cheese!'.
* The music in the TV event is later re-used in Hovercraft (another episode that features The Three Ships).
* This is the first episode where Po Plays with the Controls.
* This is the first episode where Laa-Laa's Ball Gets Stuck In A Tree.
* The flight attendant who briefly appeared in the video segment was Pippa Ramage. If you look closely on the badge, you can see her name.
* The first part of the video segment in this episode was filmed at the original Penzance Heliport, which British International Helicopters closed on 31 October 2012, and was torn down in 2013 to make room for a supermarket with a new Penzance Heliport nearby, which is now operated by Penzance Helicopters in conjunction with Sloane Helicopters. The last part of the video segment in this episode was filmed at the Tresco Heliport in the Isles of Scilly.
* The helicopter in the video segment of this episode was a Sikorsky S-61 containing the registration number G-BFFJ with the British International Helicopters logo.

## Goofs

* Tinky Winky would have actually been able to get Laa-Laa's ball out of the tree as he is 10 feet tall and the ball was actually in Tinky Winky's reach as he almost touched it.