You’ll need to be one of the older Children of the 1980’s to remember Fingerbobs, since it was actually a 1970’s kids show. Â I have very fond memories of sitting watching this excellent show, spellbound by it despite the fact it was so very simple. Â Even now the show oozes with a charm that is simply missing entirely from todays kids tv shows, and at the end of this post you can check out an episode for yourself. Â But first, what was Fingerbobs for those that don’t know?
Fingerbobs was a show created by Michael Cole, who also created another favourite of mine, Bod. Â It was presented by Rick Jones, a very laid back Play School presenter and coincidentally member of little known rock band called Meal Ticket. Â Rick played the part of Yoffy, who with his roll neck jumper, neckerchief and copious facial hair looked all the world as if he was going to launch into some out there beatnik poem any minute. Â To some he looked a little more sinister though, as a friend at college once said when we were reminiscing about old kids television they thought he looked a bit like a child molester…
Anyway, whether you thought of Yoffy as the friendly uncle or the strange bloke hanging around the school playground at 3pm, there’s no doubting that once the puppets came out Yoffy melted into the background as if he wasn’t there at all. Â The best known of the puppets is surely Fingermouse, who was little more than a grey glove and a piece of grey paper rolled into a cone with some whiskers stuck on the end. Â This may sound pretty naff, but once Fingermouse came to life you failed to notice Yoffy’s arm coming out the back and instead were awe struck at this “wonder mouse”, as his little signature song pointed out. Â It was almost as if it were a real mouse.