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Now, first of all this entry has nothing to do with the old British comic book Whizzer and Chips, though it does unsurprisingly have something to do with a comic, and also a TV show.
Cast your minds back to when Channel 4 first started airing (if you can remember that far back of course). When it first started it only aired from around 4pm in the afternoon, which meant it didn’t do a whole lot of children’s programming to start off with. At the weekends however Channel 4 was on during the day, so this is when it’s kids shows were shown.
Aside from Pob’s Programme, the only other Channel 4 kids programme I have any memories of was Chip’s Comic. It was a programme for younger kids which was about a computer, named Chip, that put together a weekly comic book with the aid of some human assistants (Gordon Griffin, who played a character called Inky, Elsa O’Toole) and a dog named Rover (who was actually Sir Harry Secombe’s son Andrew in a dog suit).
The show consisted of the Chip’s Comic gang putting together the latest issue of the comic, with a few madcap japes thrown in for good measure.
To be honest I remember little of the main programme itself other than the “Rover’s Roving Report” section, which saw Rover set off (on a quad bike no less, the obvious transport choice for dogs) and go and investigate how some everyday task was carried out. I seem to recall one which I found quite interesting at the time about how the mail got from post box to letter box.
Once all the articles for the comic had been put together they were fed into Chip who then proceeded to print the comic book itself, which you, the viewer could actually go to the newsagents and buy for real.
The fact you could buy the actual comic put together on screen seemed quite magical at the time, but probably explains why the show didn’t last all that long (I think it probably only lasted one series, possibly two, but I may be wrong on that) since producing a real comic book each week and a TV programme was probably a bit of a tall order to keep on doing.
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I bought one issue of Chips Comic. It was memorable in that I can’t remember a blind thing about it. I do, however, remember Andrew Secombe being much better in ‘Fast Forward’, and one scene in Chips Comic had him doing a “hungry” mime, only for Elsa O’Toole (probably) to say “It’s time for elevenses”. Surely nobody has used the word “elevenses” since the 1950s?
Elevenses is definitely the sort of word only used by prim and proper aunties in buttoned up cardigans and pearls, isn’t it? Glad someone else remembers both the show and the comic though!
I have been searching for this programme for years! my family and friends thought I was a nutter for years, how great it was to prove them wrong after finding this link.
Oh my days, nobody I know has seen or heard about this show. I still have the cassette tape from one of the comics, which I listened (when I was tiny wee) to none stop. I’m so pleased that I no longer feel that I live in a parallel all those years ago!
Can you believe it, I actually wrote the lyrics for the songs for Chips Comic! Neither my co-writer Peter Hope nor myself have any recorded versions of the songs, though we have sheet music. If there is anyone out there who might have a copy of the cassette I could buy I would be eternally grateful. Bizarrely, I have been asked to record one or two of the songs for a different purpose but have no record of the lyrics!
Amazed to find this website!
Best wishes, Juliet
Can anyone help Juliet out? Maybe Louise could make a copy of her tape if she doesn’t want to part with it?
I believe I can hum the tune still but can’t remember the lyrics…
He travels east, he travels west searching for a story. On the ground i the air, he can go most anywhere. He’s a dog, but you’d never know, cold be your best friend. He could be a super spy with Rovers roaming eyes, with Rovers roaming eyes.
well it went something like that
Yay! I now have the discs!
Hello Juliet.
Maybe I’m too late but I’ve got the cassette tape of the brilliant songs which i posted off for to channel 4 (remember the days when you had to grab a pen and scribble quick while they read out the address?! )
I still know all the words and me and my sister used to make up dances.
I love the fireworks song, and the beauty that is Nighttime, and Dirt gets busy whizzy dizzy , oh and don’t forget HAppy Christmas Mr Snowman.
Can’t wait to play them to my kids……if they still have tape players when i have kids that is!!
Can you get the songs on CD now by the way?
As the writer and co-producer of the series, I’m glad people remember it a little. For the record, the male presenter was not Wayne Jackman, it was Gordon Griffin, who played a character called Inky. Maybe Juliet and Peter, who wrote the splendid songs, could arrange for them to be on I-Tunes?
David Wood.
Hi David, thanks for the correction regarding Gordon Griffin – I can only say my memory of the cast was limited and Wayne Jackman was the name mentioned elsewhere on the Internet (on TV Cream, normally quite a reliable source of info). I’ve updated the text accordingly.
Thanks, Big Boo. For info, CHIPS’ COMIC was the first children’s programme made for Channel 4. At the time, the channel had no Children’s department, so the programme was commissioned by the Education department. Co-producer Maureen Harter and I had pitched the programme as particularly suitable for children with learning difficulties. We tried to come up with a concept that would work as well for ALL children, rather as the BBC’s VISION ON had appealed to a wider audience than the original intended audience – deaf children. Looking back, we were quite advanced for the time, particularly in the computer graphics department. Jan Pienkowski, famed illustrator of MEG AND MOG and THE HAUNTED HOUSE, created all the idents and links. And the songs, by Peter Hope and Juliet Lawson, were very catchy – two cassettes were released. The ambitious idea that Inky, Elsa and Rover should use Chips, the computer, to produce a comic each week, a comic you could actually go and buy in the shop, was tricky to accomplish. The publishing deadlines for IPC Magazines were much earlier than the programme shooting and delivery deadline schedules. But it worked really well. What we hadn’t thought about enough was what happened when the repeats went out! IPC couldn’t republish the comic. So a book containing material relating to the whole series was published and could be applied for. CHIPS’ COMIC was the first producing venture of our independent company, Verronmead Ltd., and Mo Harter and I learnt lots. It also introduced me to graphics artist and illustrator Richard Fowler, with whom I have since created more than twenty children’s books.
I watched this on VHS played on the VCR as our aunts who lived in England often made video tapes for us and we were so privileged with Chips Comic because it was educational and fun and well designed an aesthetic whole as the computer Chip was so cool. The episode I remember most was “how paper is made”. Rover’s report was the best part and I think it might be the inception of the Discovery Channel show that the Red Dwarf actor does the voice of “How to they make it”. SO it was sophisticated and fun and very cool that a dog would drive a quadbike.
Im probably late too, but Fireworks is the best song on the cassette! The comics and “chips comic special” book including cassette are so rare! Did anyone run off a copy for them? I love this show and if anyone has it on vhs a YouTube channel is a must! Esp the fireworks episode which shows in Rovers Report how fireworks were made! Please post any episodes!
Hey. Just come across this site. Fascinating. I played Inky in Chips’ Comic. Lots of fun. I remember it fondly. The songs were great. I am still in touch with Elsa and particularly with Andy. Wow! Quite nostalgic reading all this……xx
By the way I still have loads of the comics, some scripts, the cassettes of the songs and the two annuals!
Lovely to hear from you Gordon. I get the impression you must have had as good a time making Chip’s Comic as we all did watching it. I’m sure everyone who posted a comment here would like to thank you and your co-stars for some great childhood memories.
Hi Amy, is it possible to get the song Happy Christmas Me Snowman from you? I sing it every Xmas but I don’t know all the lyrics & my kids think I’m making it up! I would love to play them the song. My sister and I used to love this programme!
‘Happy Christmas Mr Snowman. You’ve been waiting here for quite a while. It maybe cold but you still wear your great big smile…’ I would love to know the rest. Please help
Just came across this site, very nostalgic! I directed the very first series (10 episodes) of Chips Comic and still have a lovely engraved decanter given to me by the cast of Elsa, Gordon and Andrew. I had great fun doing that show, especially choreographing the musical moments and those great songs. A new experience for me at the time! Always remember having Rover’s ears attached to wires to fake the wind rush as he sped around on his bike. Lots of green-screen stuff too (or perhaps it was blue, same difference). Anyway greetings to anyone else who worked on the show, and nice to hear some fond memories from past viewers!
Does anyone out there have vhs copies of show? Would love to re watch it,have tried tweeting c4 about whether they still have tapes several times!,I didn’t have vcr back then!,I remember having s tape of songs,one being called down with dirt if I remember correctly!,please help!
If anyone is feeling nostalgic and would like to hear some of the Chips’ Comic songs again, I am selling a copy of The Chips Comic Book with an accompanying cassette which includes ‘Fireworks’ and ‘Down With Dirt’ which are mentioned on this thread.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Chips-Comic-Book-with-FREE-cassette-Channel-4-TV-series-1984-/262446391838?
Apologies admin – the link to buy the book and cassette has changed. Are you able to amend it to this please?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Chips-Comic-Book-with-FREE-cassette-Channel-4-TV-series-1984-/262446411534?ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:GB:1123