The Gublins (also known as The Gublin Legends[1]) is a stop-motion children's television show broadcast between 1977 and 1979. It was the final animated series made by British animator Gordon Murray, the creator of Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley[2] and was shown as part of the Saturday morning children's TV show Multi-Coloured Swap Shop on BBC One.[3] Each episode was 5 minutes long with Murray introducing each one directly to camera.[1]

The series related various folk tales told in verse.[4] The Gublins themselves were chimp-like creations[4][5] (the word "Gublin" is a pun on the humanoid creature "goblin") that featured in a series of Tall Stories, narrated in rhyming couplets to a simple acoustic soundtrack provided by Freddie Phillips.

There were thirteen episodes filmed although only twelve are known by name.[3][6] The folk tales came from a variety of traditions, including Cornish, Bohemian and Arabic sources.[3] The first episode, Obadiah and Flo, was broadcast on 24 December 1977.[7] The named episode titles are:

  • Obadiah and Flo
  • Bessie O'the Glen (or the Inversneekie Doonie)
  • The Barber of Cartina
  • Mr Dilley's Mermaid
  • The Prince Frog
  • The Magic Tree
  • The Kendal Candle
  • The Emperor's Willow Warbler
  • The Honey-Coloured Hat
  • The Dancing Princess
  • Charley's Feather
  • The Prudent Prince[6]

Associated merchandise

Three of these stories appeared in the BBC Swap Shop Books (2,3 & 4) as photostories. There were also five photostory books published separately titled "Young Gublins Picture Storybooks". They were completely new stories called:

  • The Lost Drum
  • The Surprise Present
  • The Wishing Well
  • Grandpa's Mistake

A VHS entitled "Children's Seventies TV Favourites" featuring episodes of The Gublins was released by Contender studios in 1998.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Gublin Legends". toonhound.com. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  2. ↑ Ruby, Jennifer (30 June 2016). "Trumpton creator Gordon Murray dies age 95". Evening Standard. London.
  3. 1 2 3 McGown, Alastair. "Murray, Gordon (1921-)". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 Jeffries, Stuart (30 June 2016). "Gordon Murray obituary: creator of Trumpton". The Guardian.
  5. ↑ "Obituary – Gordon Murray, puppeteer and creator of Trumpton". The Herald. 1 July 2016.
  6. 1 2 "The Gublin Legends". Big Cartoon Database. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Noel Edmonds presents Swap of the Pops". BBC programme index. 24 December 1977. Retrieved 29 August 2021.


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