'80s Actual: Henry's Cat Henry's Cat When the TV broke down, Henry's Cat gave it a thump... The TV set immediately started working, and the Prime Minister came on giving a speech. This seemed worse than not having it working, so Henry's Cat switched it off... Let's start with a joke! Why did the chicken cross the road? To see Gregory Peck! Henry's Cat and Chris Rabbit were told this "joke" by a three-headed dragon. It's actually a mangling of a joke which begins: "Why did the chicken go to the cinema?" But I prefer the three-headed dragon's version! My family, friends and colleagues never laugh when I tell the joke to them. But I always do. You're NOT laughing? Oh, well - suit yourself! Let's press on... First question: what is Henry's Cat's name? Er... pass. Oh well, second question: why is Henry's Cat simply called "Henry's Cat"? Er... pass again.

Actually, in a year 2000 DVD release, creator Stan Hayward gave us the story behind the mysterious absence of a name for our favourite 1980s TV moggy, but back in my favourite decade we had no idea, and it all added brilliantly to the quirkiness of the show. And for those who like the mystery of it all, I won't spoil things! The details are available on the Henry's Cat Special Edition DVD, which sometimes crops up on on-line auction sites. Henry's Cat in book form and on video cassette in the 1980s, and on DVD in the 21st Century. Stan Hayward created Henry's Cat in the early 1980s, and Bob Godfrey (of Roobarb fame) animated, directed and narrated the show. The BBC wanted a new series for its children's programming. Rather than do another series of Roobarb, Bob Godfrey asked Stan Hayward for a fresh idea for the new show. And Henry's Cat was the result.

It started out as a series of five minute shorts on BBC1, first broadcast in the 5.35pm slot, just before the news and weather - made famous by such past greats as The Magic Roundabout and Hector's House - on 12 September 1983. From series three, the episodes were lengthened to fifteen minutes and the stories became rather more elaborate and sophisticated. Henry's Cat hits the box on 12 September 1983. Look at those line-ups! John Craven's Newsround! Fame! Hi-De-Hi! The cuttings from my local newspaper archive were apparently headed "24-HOUR TELEVISION", but we didn't actually have 24-hour telly in those days. The full heading was: "24-HOUR TELEVISION AND RADIO". Yep, you COULD listen to the wireless all day and all night - even way back then! There was a special Christmas Day Henry's Cat episode for 1983, shown on BBC 2 - The Christmas Dinner. The 1985 Henry's Cat Annual...

Sadly, Bob Godfrey died this year, and in the Guardian obituary by Stan Hayward, some useful insights on just who Henry was supposed to be were given: Henry's Cat is never seen in profile, and he doesn't have a name, as the first story was based on Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin. The boy, Henry, got lost in the second story and was never part of the TV series or the published books. Henry's Cat was laid back and liked watching the telly, reading and eating - not necessarily in that order. Anyone for jelly baby sandwiches? He had ambition - often inspired by TV programmes he saw. In 1984, he set out to be World Champion Bender - having seen a spoon bender on the box. But when Henry's Cat bent Big Ben, he found himself on the wrong end of an ear bashing from none other than Margaret Thatcher herself. Never mind. The body-popping Statue of Liberty was a great success, and Henry's Cat set up "Wally Tours" for eager tourists to view his worldwide bending miracles. Telly and books often provided the inspiration for Henry's Cat's wild and colourful dreams.

Daydreams or night dreams, Henry's Cat could very easily find himself being Sherlock Holmes, fighting three headed dragons, or unexpectedly encountering a pirate video on the high seas as part of Captain McGregor's trusty crew, out hunting for treasure. But Henry's Cat was actually pretty wise. "Glamour is mostly pie in the sky," he once said. "But life is mainly a pie in the eye." Although Henry's Cat could talk, he was, when all was said and done, a cat, and he could also give a very impressive "MIOW!" In the opening sequence debuting in the second season (1984) - inspired by the old MGM logo, which involved a lion growling most impressively, we saw Henry's Cat giving two very wonderful MIOWS! - with his head framed by the first "O" in the words "Bob Godfrey Films Ltd". An original 1980s Henry's Cat badge. "Eat, drink and be purry"? Sounds like excellent advice to me! Henry's Cat wasn't the only regular character on-screen. His best mate was Chris Rabbit, a blue rabbit - and, much as I adored HC, Chris was my favourite character.

Hyperactive to the max, Chris bounced around, enthusing about everything, and, although I wasn't quite as lively (or downright barmy) as him, I definitely sensed a kindred spirit there! He couldn't half rabbit, that rabbit! So could I. Some people say I still do! Chris's hobby was UFO spotting. He enjoyed studying the sky for flying saucers through his binoculars, and writing down the registration numbers of those he spotted. And he saw quite a lot. Henry's Cat took a look, and couldn't see anything, which either says a lot about Henry's Cat's eyesight, or Chris Rabbit's mental state! Henry's Cat enters the world of politics: "Many others offer false promises, that they do not keep, but I will keep my false promises - that I promise." Rather more in the background than Chris Rabbit were other friends of Henry's Cat - including Pansy Pig, who loved doing gymnastics. Henry's Cat was most concerned when Pansy became convinced she was ugly, and organised a TV show called Blind Dates. The idea was that the contestant had to choose between three possible suitors, hidden behind a screen.

Isn't that rather like Cilla Black's Blind Date, you ask? Even the title? Blind Dates? Blind Date? Well, yes, but Henry's Cat's dates were plural, Cilla only had one. Henry's Cat's other friends included Phillipe Frog, who was French, and liked underwater guitar playing, Ted Tortoise, who was training to be a boxer, Denise Duck, who liked water sking, Douglas Dog - who loved kite flying, Sammy Snail - tightrope walker... er, I mean, slitherer, and down-to-earth Northerner Mosey Mouse. Constable Bulldog was the local bobby on the beat. He was a traditional cop (''Ello, 'ello, 'ello!") who enjoyed flower arranging in his spare time. The gang in 1984 - Douglas Dog, Henry's Cat, Chris Rabbit, Mosey Mouse, Pansy Pig, Phillipe Frog, Sammy Snail, Henry's Cat, Denise Duck and Ted Tortoise.

Henry's Cat had two notable enemies: Farmer Giles, whose life our yellow friend unwittingly disrupted on several occasions (well, anybody would be upset to find Myrtle the cow floating on her back in the village pond, spouting water and thinking she was a whale), and Count Rum Baa Baa of Paranoia - a very rum sheep indeed - in fact, a criminal mastermind. When Rum Baa Baa kidnapped Father Christmas and threatened to cut off his pom pom, the world held its breath. But Henry's Cat and Chris Rabbit came to the rescue, and Christmas was saved. Like me back in the 1980s, Chris Rabbit was a very enthusiastic bloke. Unlike me, he didn't become an '80s fashion victim as rabbits don't wear clothes. Bob Godfrey said: "Henry's Cat is completely dozy, he doesn't know anything and of course Chris Rabbit is mad and he thinks that he knows everything, but in actual fact he knows nothing, and so these two together... they are both, you know - barmy!" From the 1983 Henry's Cat book, The Whale, based on a first series episode, Chris Rabbit has the answer!

Chris Rabbit was a powerhouse of ideas and information. He'd read the history of America on a Cornflakes packet, for example, and was able to prime Henry's Cat when the yellow feline was gripped with a sudden desire to become President of the USA. It was all a matter of sitting for a Presidents' exam. The person scoring the highest points became President, the one scoring the lowest became Vice President. Having gone to all the trouble of catching a bus from England to the USA, Henry's Cat failed the exam because he went off into a daydream and then fell asleep. Oh well, never mind. "Nothing succeeds like excess," says Henry's Cat on this favourite mug of mine. Well, it WAS the 1980s! In series one, Henry's Cat and his pals came up with a new dance craze. After the Birdie Dance, the Henry's Cat crew entered a TV talent contest and brought us the Disco Doddle, which gripped the nation - and, in fact, everybody was so busy doing it that the Prime Minister feared the country was going to grind to a halt and sent in the paratroop to the TV studio to stop the fun.

The studio audience was sent home with the Prime Minster's apologies and a bag of chocolate buttons. The series was, and is, wonderful, because it has child and adult appeal. Henry's Cat could always turn to Chris Rabbit for advice... My fond memories of characters like Henry's Cat (and Chris Rabbit, of course!) help make the big, boring, thoroughly corporate 21st Century world a little more bearable for me. I'm a big kid at heart. Having immersed myself in Henry's Cat episodes for the last few days, this morning I found myself sitting on the bus, back in the real world, glumly chewing on a Chewy Mint, going into work. UGH! After five days off, the prospect did not really thrill me. Suddenly, inside my head, I heard Chris Rabbit's shrill, hyper-enthusiastic voice: "THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO! THAT'S JUST WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO!" It didn't make me feel any more enthusiastic about my break coming to an end and having to return to the daily grind. But it did make me smile.

Posted by The Henry's Cat Page - Stuff You Didn't Know �Fact File Hopefully here's where you will find the answers to all your questions about our custard-coloured feline friend. Please keep this site tidy let me know if there's any errors or omissions, and feel free to send me your cat info'. Cast Members Henry's Cat's gang were a laid back bunch as you can see. Apart from Chris Rabbit there was Pansy Pig, Mosey Mouse, Sammy Snail, Douglas Dog, Philippe Frog, Ted Tortoise and Denise Duck. The long arm of the law came in the form of Constable Bulldog, and Farmer Giles popped up reguarly to fume about his cows. Henry's Cat's arch enemy, of course, was the evil Rum Baa Baa. A very nasty piece of work indeed. Production Credits As you may have noticed the BAFTA Award winning Henry's Cat was created in 1982 by Stan Hayward. According to Stan their isn't really a Henry, he just represented an absent father.

This is all well and true but if it wasn't for the sterling work of these people Henry's Cat would have stayed a twinkle in his eye: Created by Bob Godfrey Videos Here's one I've seen. If you know about any other videos, send me the details and I'll put them up here. Henry's Cat and Friends Thelve Classic Episodes (Uc) ~60 mins. There are two videos with the same title, both distributed by Link Entertainment under the Playbox label. I saw these videos on sale for �2.99. These were released by Castle and are probably the same videos Robin Blackstone in Bristol told me about. He mentioned a video being sold for about three pounds, distributed, he believes, by Castle Communications and sold under the "Twang" label. The included episodes on the first video are:- Henry's Cat and Friends The Case of The Pilfered Pearls and 3 Other Stories (Uc). Distributed by Pickwick Video. Henry's Cat and Friends The Magic Tummy Button and 14 Other Episodes (Uc) ~75 mins - 1987.

Pickwick Video, distributed by Screen Legends The included episodes are:- Talking Books and CDs After years of nothing all of a sudden Henry's Cat is back in the marketplace. The Audio Book & Music Company have produced some talking books! C Jarvis, Bob Godfrey and Stan Hayward have created some new stories and the titles below are selling at a very reasonable �5.99. Henrys Cat - Distant Cousin. Henrys Cat - Ghost Story. Henrys Cat - Xyz Files. You can now catch Henry's Cat strutting his funky stuff! The same company that created the talking books has produced a CD called Henrys Cat Sings The Hits. I've no Idea what it's like or what's on it but it retails for �9.99. Postcards Liverpool based firm Hype Associates Ltd. produce a set of twelve postcards entitled 'Henry's Cat in Art'. Here he pops up in all sorts of famous paintings, being mischievous as usual. Our local union didn't stock the entire set so here's the titles of the ones I was able to buy: Small versions of these cards can be found in the picture collection .

Henry's Cat (Western Animation) - TV Tropes All Just a Dream : Many of the episodes take place in the hero's imagination, although there are are occasional instances of Or Was It a Dream? . Big Bad : Rum Baa-Baa is a comic example. Big Eater : The eponymous feline's gluttonous tendencies are frequently the motivation for the plot . Christmas Episode : Two of them - "The Christmas Dinner" and "The Mystery of the Missing Santa". The Comically Serious : Constable Bulldog. Cultural Translation : In the USA, HBO aired a version of this series with the narration dubbed by Dom De Luise . Dastardly Whiplash : Rum-Baa-Baa may not have the moustache, but has everything else. One variation of the show's end credits even show him doing the old train track routine. Grumpy Old Man : Farmer Giles. Heterosexual Life-Partners : Henry's Cat and Chris Rabbit. Nice Guy : Although often driven by his insatiable greed, Henry's Cat is a cheery, friendly and good-natured character. Verbal Tic : Henry's Cat often precedes his sentences with a nasal "Owwww".

Henry's Cat - WikiFur, the furry encyclopedia Henry's Cat Culture > Television programs > Television series > Henry's Cat Henry's Cat and Chris Rabbit Henry's Cat is an animated children's television program, written by Stan Hayward and produced by Bob Godfrey, who was also the producer of Roobarb , a similar cartoon series from the 1970s. The show starred a laid-back, ponderous yellow cat , known only as Henry's Cat, and his many friends and enemies. Henry's Cat was first screened in 1982 and five series were made in total; the series has enjoyed repeated showings since. It developed a cult following and is still very popular along with shows such as Bod, Button Moon, Pigeon Street, The Flumps and Mr Benn. Contents Henry's Cat - laid-back, a daydreamer. Chris Rabbit - Henry's Cat's best friend, an ever-enthusiastic, highly energetic blue rabbit . Mosey Mouse - the opposite of Chris Rabbit, Mosey is dour and realistic. Douglas Dog , Sammy Snail , Pansy Pig , Denise Duck , Ted Tortoise , Philippe Frog - miscellaneous friends of Henry's Cat.

They all mean well, but often overestimate their own abilities in various ways. His enemies[ edit ] Farmer Giles - a ( human ) farmer, frequently inconvenienced by Henry's Cat's adventures. Constable Bulldog - a very stern policeman (or policedog) who takes a very dim view of the gang's well-meaning escapades. Rum Baa Baa - a criminal mastermind, and the most evil sheep in the whole world. Henry[ edit ] Henry himself never appeared on screen; the name was an allusion to an earlier one-off Hayward/Godfrey collaboration, Henry 9 To 5 about a bowler-hatted commuter who escaped his boring everyday life by indulging in daydreams, mostly of a sexual nature. Henry's Cat shared the earlier character's tendency toward wild flights of fancy and laid-back approach to life. The name "Henry's Cat" was mostly an in-joke for those few people who remembered the earlier cartoon and did not mean that Henry's Cat had a "master", unseen or otherwise.

The Mystery of the Missing Santa The Race The Day of Terrible Jokes The Birthday Caper The Case of the Pilfered Pearls The Funny Feeling The Merry Men And Women The Treasure "Reading" down Henry's Cat's face spells "Miiow" (M= ears, II= eyes, O= nose, W=mouth). Although a cat, Henry's Cat has no tail, similar to a real-life Manx cat. Intentional or not, there are similarities between the partnership of Henry's Cat and Chris Rabbit to that of Tony Hancock and Sid James in the classic 1950s radio/TV series Hancock's Half Hour (Henry's Cat/Hancock - the gullible, easily lead, sometimes pompous dreamer; Chris Rabbit/Sid - the crafty chancer, never misses a trick). The companies that released the videos were Castle Vision, Playbox Video, Screen Legends and Pickwick Video. Family Home Entertainment also had a USA release in 1987. The three videos The Case of the Pilfered Pearls, The Computer and Once Upon a Time have a promotional Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends advert before the first story.

Bob Godfrey Films' closing logo of this series was Henry meowing. The opening logo seemed to parody the MGM logo. Henry's Cat @ 80s Cartoons Henry's Cat on EBay Henry's Cat followed the adventures of a custard coloured cat who had a weird imagination. His favourite hobbies are eating & sleeping. He also lives in a village and is friends with a blue rabbit called Chris, a pig called Pansy who spoke a bit like Maggie Thatcher, a Duck called Denise and others. He is also enemies with a Farmer called Giles, Constable Bulldog, and a German sheep called Rum Baa Baa. Henry's Cat theme: Henry's Cat - ClassicKidsTv.co.uk Henry's Cat Jump to: navigation , search Colourful cartoon series about the adventures and flights of fancy of a laid-back yellow cat and his animal friends. The series was created and written by Stan Hayward and animated by Bob Godfrey, who had been irregular collaborators (on more adult material) since the late 60s; the title alluded to a rather risque and distinctly non-child-friendly (but hilarious) cartoon short called Henry 9 to 5 that they had collaborated on a decade earlier.

Henry's Cat was a laconic sort, quite happy to save the world from the nefarious plans of evil sheep if the need happened to arise, but ultimately perfectly content to just lie in bed daydreaming. Either way, Henry's Cat was quite unperturbed by events and always managed to solve any crisis in time for dinner. Much of the appeal of Henry's Cat lay in its cast of supporting characters. Hyperactive Chris Rabbit was Henry's Cat's best friend and complete opposite, and often it would be Chris's enthusiasm that would land the friends in trouble. A whole gang of pals was included, to be called on when necessary: Douglas Dog, Mosey Mouse, Pansy Pig, Sammy Snail, Phillipe Frog and Denise Duck. None of them were particularly capable but all were enthusiastic (to varying degrees) and keen to render help when needed. And then there were the bad guys. Lesser adversaries were Farmer Giles, whose cows were constantly being disturbed by the gang's well-meaning antics, and Constable Bulldog, unwavering upholder of the law.

But the one truly bad, or rather baaaaa'd, character was Rum Baa Baa, the most evil sheep in the whole wide world, who was introduced in the later seasons as (with a expanded timeslot) the plots developed from simple tales to more off-the-wall and complex storylines. Contents Narration and all voices by Bob Godfrey. Episode list and transmission details First series Five-minute episodes. Initially broadcast on BBC1 in the 5.30pm slot before the early evening news, Monday to Friday for three weeks starting 12 September 1983. The Race The Christmas Dinner (BBC2, 25 December 1983 at 4.20pm) Series 2 Another batch of 5-minute episodes.

Same slot as before but now weekly on Thursday evenings, from 13 September 1984 to 3 January 1985 (except New Year Resolution which aired a day later than it normally should have, on Friday 28 December at 3.50pm.) The Ill Wind Henry's Cat - SimplyEighties.com British Cartoons from the 70s and 80s Henry's Cat This simple, but imaginative animation was directed by Bob Godfrey, the producer of several other well-known and much-loved animations, Roobarb , Noah and Nelly in SkylArk and the Trio biscuit adverts that were shown during the 1980s. The creator was Stan Hayward who had previously created animations in the 1960s including Rope Trick (also directed by Bob Godfrey) and The Flying Man. Henry bears some resemblance to Roobarb's friendly rival, Custard, although he isn't pink, obviously, and doesn't have that disturbing and annoying grin across his face, just a pleasant and warm smile. Henry's Cat was first shown on children's BBC on 12th September 1983. Five series (51 episodes) were created in total.

So who was Henry, exactly? Well, we never saw him and the story goes that he moved away and Henry forgot to go with him due to his terrible memory. Rumour has it that Henry is a bowler-hatted commuter who featured in a one-off animation by Hayward and Godfrey entitled Henry 9 to 5. Main Characters Henry's Cat is a laid back daydreamer who, like many cats, adores eating and sleeping, although he is very forgetful. Chris Rabbit is his best friend, and is overly energetic and bursting with enthusiasm. Mosey Mouse is a realist with a rather sullen character. Other friends are Sammy Snail, Pansy Pig, Douglas Dog, Ted Tortoise, Denise Duck and Phillipe Frog. The enemies of Henry's Cat and his friends are a stereotypical human farmer with a west country accent called Farmer Giles, Constable Bulldog (a police dog) and Rum Baa Baa, the most evil sheep in the world. Overall, Henry's Cat is probably not quite as well-remembered as the wibbly wobbly Roobarb series, and it doesn't have a theme tune that sticks in the head quite as much.

Nonetheless, anyone who grew up in the 80s watching the series will have very fond memories of it. '80s Actual: August 2013 Henry's Cat When the TV broke down, Henry's Cat gave it a thump... The TV set immediately started working, and the Prime Minister came on giving a speech. This seemed worse than not having it working, so Henry's Cat switched it off... Let's start with a joke! Why did the chicken cross the road? To see Gregory Peck! Henry's Cat and Chris Rabbit were told this "joke" by a three-headed dragon. It's actually a mangling of a joke which begins: "Why did the chicken go to the cinema?" But I prefer the three-headed dragon's version! My family, friends and colleagues never laugh when I tell the joke to them. But I always do. You're NOT laughing? Oh, well - suit yourself! Let's press on... First question: what is Henry's Cat's name? Er... pass. Oh well, second question: why is Henry's Cat simply called "Henry's Cat"? Er... pass again.

Actually, in a year 2000 DVD release, creator Stan Hayward gave us the story behind the mysterious absence of a name for our favourite 1980s TV moggy, but back in my favourite decade we had no idea, and it all added brilliantly to the quirkiness of the show. And for those who like the mystery of it all, I won't spoil things! The details are available on the Henry's Cat Special Edition DVD, which sometimes crops up on on-line auction sites. Henry's Cat in book form and on video cassette in the 1980s, and on DVD in the 21st Century. Stan Hayward created Henry's Cat in the early 1980s, and Bob Godfrey (of Roobarb fame) animated, directed and narrated the show. The BBC wanted a new series for its children's programming. Rather than do another series of Roobarb, Bob Godfrey asked Stan Hayward for a fresh idea for the new show. And Henry's Cat was the result.

It started out as a series of five minute shorts on BBC1, first broadcast in the 5.35pm slot, just before the news and weather - made famous by such past greats as The Magic Roundabout and Hector's House - on 12 September 1983. From series three, the episodes were lengthened to fifteen minutes and the stories became rather more elaborate and sophisticated. Henry's Cat hits the box on 12 September 1983. Look at those line-ups! John Craven's Newsround! Fame! Hi-De-Hi! The cuttings from my local newspaper archive were apparently headed "24-HOUR TELEVISION", but we didn't actually have 24-hour telly in those days. The full heading was: "24-HOUR TELEVISION AND RADIO". Yep, you COULD listen to the wireless all day and all night - even way back then! There was a special Christmas Day Henry's Cat episode for 1983, shown on BBC 2 - The Christmas Dinner. The 1985 Henry's Cat Annual...

Sadly, Bob Godfrey died this year, and in the Guardian obituary by Stan Hayward, some useful insights on just who Henry was supposed to be were given: Henry's Cat is never seen in profile, and he doesn't have a name, as the first story was based on Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin. The boy, Henry, got lost in the second story and was never part of the TV series or the published books. Henry's Cat was laid back and liked watching the telly, reading and eating - not necessarily in that order. Anyone for jelly baby sandwiches? He had ambition - often inspired by TV programmes he saw. In 1984, he set out to be World Champion Bender - having seen a spoon bender on the box. But when Henry's Cat bent Big Ben, he found himself on the wrong end of an ear bashing from none other than Margaret Thatcher herself. Never mind. The body-popping Statue of Liberty was a great success, and Henry's Cat set up "Wally Tours" for eager tourists to view his worldwide bending miracles. Telly and books often provided the inspiration for Henry's Cat's wild and colourful dreams.

Daydreams or night dreams, Henry's Cat could very easily find himself being Sherlock Holmes, fighting three headed dragons, or unexpectedly encountering a pirate video on the high seas as part of Captain McGregor's trusty crew, out hunting for treasure. But Henry's Cat was actually pretty wise. "Glamour is mostly pie in the sky," he once said. "But life is mainly a pie in the eye." Although Henry's Cat could talk, he was, when all was said and done, a cat, and he could also give a very impressive "MIOW!" In the opening sequence debuting in the second season (1984) - inspired by the old MGM logo, which involved a lion growling most impressively, we saw Henry's Cat giving two very wonderful MIOWS! - with his head framed by the first "O" in the words "Bob Godfrey Films Ltd". An original 1980s Henry's Cat badge. "Eat, drink and be purry"? Sounds like excellent advice to me! Henry's Cat wasn't the only regular character on-screen. His best mate was Chris Rabbit, a blue rabbit - and, much as I adored HC, Chris was my favourite character.

Hyperactive to the max, Chris bounced around, enthusing about everything, and, although I wasn't quite as lively (or downright barmy) as him, I definitely sensed a kindred spirit there! He couldn't half rabbit, that rabbit! So could I. Some people say I still do! Chris's hobby was UFO spotting. He enjoyed studying the sky for flying saucers through his binoculars, and writing down the registration numbers of those he spotted. And he saw quite a lot. Henry's Cat took a look, and couldn't see anything, which either says a lot about Henry's Cat's eyesight, or Chris Rabbit's mental state! Henry's Cat enters the world of politics: "Many others offer false promises, that they do not keep, but I will keep my false promises - that I promise." Rather more in the background than Chris Rabbit were other friends of Henry's Cat - including Pansy Pig, who loved doing gymnastics. Henry's Cat was most concerned when Pansy became convinced she was ugly, and organised a TV show called Blind Dates. The idea was that the contestant had to choose between three possible suitors, hidden behind a screen.

Isn't that rather like Cilla Black's Blind Date, you ask? Even the title? Blind Dates? Blind Date? Well, yes, but Henry's Cat's dates were plural, Cilla only had one. Henry's Cat's other friends included Phillipe Frog, who was French, and liked underwater guitar playing, Ted Tortoise, who was training to be a boxer, Denise Duck, who liked water sking, Douglas Dog - who loved kite flying, Sammy Snail - tightrope walker... er, I mean, slitherer, and down-to-earth Northerner Mosey Mouse. Constable Bulldog was the local bobby on the beat. He was a traditional cop (''Ello, 'ello, 'ello!") who enjoyed flower arranging in his spare time. The gang in 1984 - Douglas Dog, Henry's Cat, Chris Rabbit, Mosey Mouse, Pansy Pig, Phillipe Frog, Sammy Snail, Henry's Cat, Denise Duck and Ted Tortoise.

Henry's Cat had two notable enemies: Farmer Giles, whose life our yellow friend unwittingly disrupted on several occasions (well, anybody would be upset to find Myrtle the cow floating on her back in the village pond, spouting water and thinking she was a whale), and Count Rum Baa Baa of Paranoia - a very rum sheep indeed - in fact, a criminal mastermind. When Rum Baa Baa kidnapped Father Christmas and threatened to cut off his pom pom, the world held its breath. But Henry's Cat and Chris Rabbit came to the rescue, and Christmas was saved. Like me back in the 1980s, Chris Rabbit was a very enthusiastic bloke. Unlike me, he didn't become an '80s fashion victim as rabbits don't wear clothes. Bob Godfrey said: "Henry's Cat is completely dozy, he doesn't know anything and of course Chris Rabbit is mad and he thinks that he knows everything, but in actual fact he knows nothing, and so these two together... they are both, you know - barmy!" From the 1983 Henry's Cat book, The Whale, based on a first series episode, Chris Rabbit has the answer!

Chris Rabbit was a powerhouse of ideas and information. He'd read the history of America on a Cornflakes packet, for example, and was able to prime Henry's Cat when the yellow feline was gripped with a sudden desire to become President of the USA. It was all a matter of sitting for a Presidents' exam. The person scoring the highest points became President, the one scoring the lowest became Vice President. Having gone to all the trouble of catching a bus from England to the USA, Henry's Cat failed the exam because he went off into a daydream and then fell asleep. Oh well, never mind. "Nothing succeeds like excess," says Henry's Cat on this favourite mug of mine. Well, it WAS the 1980s! In series one, Henry's Cat and his pals came up with a new dance craze. After the Birdie Dance, the Henry's Cat crew entered a TV talent contest and brought us the Disco Doddle, which gripped the nation - and, in fact, everybody was so busy doing it that the Prime Minister feared the country was going to grind to a halt and sent in the paratroop to the TV studio to stop the fun.

The studio audience was sent home with the Prime Minster's apologies and a bag of chocolate buttons. The series was, and is, wonderful, because it has child and adult appeal. Henry's Cat could always turn to Chris Rabbit for advice... My fond memories of characters like Henry's Cat (and Chris Rabbit, of course!) help make the big, boring, thoroughly corporate 21st Century world a little more bearable for me. I'm a big kid at heart. Having immersed myself in Henry's Cat episodes for the last few days, this morning I found myself sitting on the bus, back in the real world, glumly chewing on a Chewy Mint, going into work. UGH! After five days off, the prospect did not really thrill me. Suddenly, inside my head, I heard Chris Rabbit's shrill, hyper-enthusiastic voice: "THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO! THAT'S JUST WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO!" It didn't make me feel any more enthusiastic about my break coming to an end and having to return to the daily grind. But it did make me smile. Posted by Brookside - Groundbreaking Soap - Real Houses, Soap Bubbles And Lots More!

The Collins family faced the trauma of Paul's redundancy and a downwardly mobile route to Brookside Close; Jimmy Corkhill was up to no good; Barry Grant wanted dosh and fell into bad ways; Pat, Sandra and Kate faced a mentally disturbed gunman; Sheila Grant faced a late-in-life pregnancy and endless problems from her kids and hubby; Marie Jackson took her "FREE GEORGE JACKSON" campaign to Downing Street; Harry Cross and Ralph Hardwick bickered at the bungalow; and nice yuppie Heather Haversham had a hell of a time... "From the outset one of my main aims was to reflect Britain in the 1980s..." - Phil Redmond, 1987. In 1981, Phil Redmond, frustrated that his ideas were failing to reach their potential because of decisions made by others, formed his own TV company - Mersey Television - and put forward the idea to the soon-to-be happening Channel 4 that the company might like a twice weekly soap. The idea was accepted. The soap was originally to be called Meadowcroft, but was later renamed Brookside. From the "Sun", February 2, 1982.

Actually the provisional title for this show, which turned out to be "Brookside", was "Meadowcroft", not "Meadowcraft" and the creator was Phil Redmond not Redmund! Still, "Coronation Street" producer Bill Podmore's confident attitude is worth noting: "I enjoy competition... especially when we are going to win." Phil Redmond was determined that Brookside would be a show reflecting life in the 1980s, and the technology and setting was also cutting edge. Redmond bought some houses which were still in the process of being built to form the setting for his show and made full use of the lighter, smaller cameras available in the early '80s to film in them. The use of real houses was an absolute first for soap - truly revolutionary. Most of the houses would provide homes for his characters, others would house the various departments needed to produce a popular drama - technical, wardrobe, canteen, etc. The first episode was shown on Channel 4's opening night in November 1982. TV Times, 1988 - "South" was a Brookside "soap bubble", shown as part of the schools series "The English Programme".

What was a soap bubble? A short series of programmes featuring characters from Brookside in a different scenario. The first, Damon & Debbie, was shown in 1987. Brookside was so non-cosy, it shocked many viewers. But it gave UK soap a much-needed boot up the backside, and the effects can still be felt to this day. If only the soaps hadn't become so sensationalised in more recent years, Brookside included! But nowadays everybody's obsessed with serial killers and explosions. Without Brookside, I'm sure BBC bosses would not have turned their attentions to producing their own all-year-round soap - and then EastEnders would never have been created! Brookside ended in 2003. We'll be returning to the Close soon. Annabelle Collins with husband Paul. Love his '80s jumper!

The Collinses faced many traumas: son Gordon was UK soap's first regular gay character; daughter Lucy dallied with bad lad Barry; and whilst Annabelle initially wanted to be friends with her lower class neighbours in the Close and Paul despised them, the trend was reversed in later years, with Paul becoming more of a "people person" and Annabelle succumbing to snobbish impulses. When Paul, training for a charity fun run with "commoner" Matty Nolan, allowed Matty to use the Collinses' shower, Annabelle was disgusted! Posted by House Music And Garage Music... Separate, Not The Same... Joanne has written: Were the dance music genres of the 1980s, House and Garage the same thing? I remember as a kid them being referred to separately, but I recently read of something called "Garage House" on a not very accurate site, and thought I'd turn to you for the answer! Yes, they were separate, Joanne. House music as a distinct genre of electronic dance music began in Chicago - 1983 was described as "Year Zero" for house in the Channel 4 documentary, Pump Up The Volume.

House, of course, hit the mainstream in the mid-1980s. Garage I knew little of until the 1990s, when I heard talk of "house and garage". There was also talk of something called "shed" at that time. It all seemed quite witty, but I was married by then and no longer part of the nightclub scene so know little about Garage. It apparently began in the early 1980s in New York and New Jersey, USA, and was influenced by the same sudden explosion of electronic instruments - synthesizers, drum machines, etc - as house. The origins of the two genres are separate though. Posted by

Question: Who has friends Chris Rabbit and Mosey Mouse and enemies Farmer Giles and Rum Baa Baa?
Answer: Henry's Cat.