| Image Upright: | 0.8 |
| Genre: | Children's television series Sci-Fi |
| Creator: | Ian Allen |
| Narrated: | Robin Parkinson |
| Theme Music Composer: | Peter Davison and Sandra Dickinson |
| Composer: | Peter Goslin |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 7 |
| Num Episodes: | 91 |
| Company: | Thames Television |
| Producer: | Stan Woodward |
| Executive Producer: | Charles Warren |
| Runtime: | 10 minutes |
| Network: | ITV |
Button Moon is a British children's television programme broadcast from 8 December 1980 to 1 December 1988 in the United Kingdom on ITV network. Thames Television produced each episode, which lasted ten minutes and featured the adventures of Mr. Spoon who, in each episode, travels to Button Moon in his homemade rocket ship. All the characters are based on kitchen utensils, as are many of the props.
Once on Button Moon, which hangs in 'Blanket Sky', they have an adventure, and look through Mr. Spoon's telescope at someone else such as The Tortoise and the Hare, before heading back to their home on 'Junk Planet'. Episodes also include Mr. Spoon's wife Mrs. Spoon, their daughter, Tina T. Spoon and her friend Eggbert. The series ended in 1988 after 91 episodes.
Button Moon was originally conceived by Ian Allen as a stage show for Playboard Puppets in 1978.[1] Two years later, Allen was approached by the producers of popular Thames Television children's series Rainbow, who were looking to introduce new recurring story features for the programme – a search that also resulted in Cockleshell Bay stories also being incorporated into episodes before being spun off into its own series – and were interested in incorporating stories revolving around the Button Moon premise as a recurring feature in the series. However, through these initial meetings, it was quickly felt that there was enough potential for Button Moon to instead be launched as its own TV series for Thames. Following a successful pilot – which would go on to be broadcast as the first regular episode – the first series of thirteen programmes was transmitted in 1980. A further six series of thirteen programmes followed, making a total of ninety-one different Button Moon adventures. The series was repeated on a yearly basis for Thames TV up until 1988. All 91 episodes have been shown on satellite channel UK Gold since spring 1993. Every episode was at least 10 minutes.
Narration was by Robin Parkinson. Puppeteers included Ian Allen, John Thirtle, Francis Wright, Alistair Fullarton, Robin Stevens, Sue Dacre, Chris Leith, Judith Bucklow, Ian Brown, Rhiann West, Tony Holtham and others. The incidental music for the series was written by Peter Goslin. The show's theme tune was composed and performed by Peter Davison and Sandra Dickinson, who were married at the time.
A live stage show toured England in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s.
The creator of the show successfully sued the manufacturer of lookalike memorabilia Mr Robert Redshaw of Kapow Gifts, in 2013.[2]
This case was featured on an episode of The Sheriffs Are Coming on BBC One.
| VHS title | Release date | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Button Moon (TV9947) | 17 July 1987 | "The Good Luck Bird", "Persian Market", "Barn Dance", "Music in the Air", "Cinders and the Magic Beans" | |
| Picnic on Button Moon (TV9965) | 5 October 1987 | "Picnic on Button Moon", "The Cake Fairy Goes Skating", "Happy Birthday Mrs Spoon", "Tutti Fruitti Ice Cream", "The Royal Handkerchief Ballet" | |
| Winter Sports on Button Moon (TV9989) | 5 October 1987 | "The Holiday Weekend", "Bottle Party", "Queenie Jelly Loses Her Cherries", "Blue Button Moon", "Winter Sports for the Frozen Vegetables" | |
| Button Moon: Sticky Sweets + The Paper Parade (TV8000 & TV8001) | 5 October 1987 | "Sticky Sweets", "The Spaceship Breaks Down", "Egbert Goes to Button Moon", "Playing Games on Button Moon", "The Gravy Boat", "The Paper Parade", "Banana Birds", "Egbert Goes Camping", "Pink and Purple Dinosaur", "The Shark in the Bath" | |
| Children's Favourites - Volume 2 (TV8011) | 1 February 1988 | "Cows on Button Moon", "Buttonhole Pond" (compilation VHS with Rainbow and The Sooty Show) | |
| Touchdown on Button Moon (TV8025) | 4 April 1988 | "Hose on Charlie's Nose", "Planet Doughnut", "Rag Doll Has a Cold", "Mrs Spoon's Jumble Sale", "Bobbing Bottle" | |
| A Day Trip on Button Moon (TV8039) | 7 November 1988 | "A Day Trip on Button Moon", "Painting the Pipes", "Freddy Teddy", "Tina Teaspoon and the School Mouse", "Queenie Jelly" | |
| Paperchase on Button Moon (WP0001) | 7 November 1988 | "Paperchase on Button Moon", "Honeymoon and Ding-a-Ling Ice Cream" | |
| Talent Show on Button Moon (TV8056) | 6 February 1989 | "Talent Show on Button Moon", "A Hole in Blanket Sky" | |
| Crazy Games on Button Moon (TV8049) | 24 April 1989 | "Crazy Games", "Egbert Wants to Help", "Rain Stopped Play", "Granny Spoon and the Missing Apple Pie", "Missing Martha Muggins" | |
| Looking for Button Moon (LL0028) | 1 May 1989 | "Looking for Button Moon", "Shoebox Station", "Rag Doll Marries a Dinosaur", "The Clown Who Lost His Smile", "Getting Away From It All" | |
| Mice Play On Button Moon (LL0029) | 1 May 1989 | "Mice Play on Button Moon", "The Scouts Garden Fete", "Egbert Goes Camping", "The New Canoe", "The Little Red Hen" | |
| Children's Favourites Vol. 3 (LL0032) | 1 May 1989 | "Two Sticky Mugs" (compilation VHS with Rainbow and The Sooty Show) | |
| Children's Favourites Vol. 4 (LL0033) | 1 May 1989 | "Bottle Party" (compilation VHS with Rainbow and The Sooty Show) | |
| Children's Summer Stories (TV8060) | 5 June 1989 | "Boat Race" (compilation VHS with Rainbow and The Sooty Show) | |
| Panto On Button Moon (TV8072) | 2 October 1989 | "The Snoring Princess", "Little Bottle Floats Away", "Mr and Mrs Spoon's Anniversary", "Rag Doll Moves House", "Egbert's Birthday" | |
| Children's Favourites: Bedtime Stories (TV8077) | 6 November 1989 | "Bundle and Fluff", "Scruffy at the Seaside" (compilation VHS with Rainbow and The Sooty Show) | |
| Animals on Button Moon (TV8086) | 5 February 1990 | "The Three Pigs", "Billy Goat's Gruff", "The Fox and the Hen", "Scruffy and the Bone", "The Hare and the Tortoise" | |
| Favourite Stories on Button Moon (TV8101) | 6 August 1990 | "Vacuum Cleaner for Sale", "Benny Bin", "Dotty Teapot", "What's the Matter with Marrow?", "Cold Cows on Button Moon" | |
| Children's Club: Children's Favourites Re-Release (KK0005) | 4 February 1991 | "Bottle Party" (compilation VHS with Rainbow and The Sooty Show) | |
| Button Moon Re-Release (KK0006) | 4 February 1991 | "The Good Luck Bird", "Persian Market", "Barn Dance", "Music in the Air", "Cinders and the Magic Beans" | |
| Cult Kids Classics | 2001 | "A Day Trip to Button Moon" (compilation VHS with Chorlton and the Wheelies, Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, Jamie and the Magic Torch and Rainbow) | |
| I Love Cult Kids | 2002 | "Button Hole Pond" (compilation VHS with Danger Mouse, Chorlton and the Wheelies, Count Duckula, Jamie and the Magic Torch, Rainbow and Cockleshell Bay) | |
| Classic Kids Collection | 2002 | "Boat Race" (compilation VHS with Count Duckula, Chorlton and the Wheelies, Jamie and the Magic Torch, Danger Mouse and Rainbow) |
"Button Moon – Boat Race" was released on 6 July 2009 in the UK. It comprised 10 episodes.
"Button Moon – Talent Show" was released in 2010 in the UK. It comprised 3 episodes which are: "Button Moon Talent Show", "Dolly Teapot" and "The Fox and Hen".
(Series 1): "The Good Luck Bird"; "The Persian Market"; "Barn Dance"; "Music in the Air"; "Cinders and the Magic Beans"
(Other series): "Button Hole Pond"; "Cows on Button Moon"; "Buttonhole Pond"; "Boat Race"; "Buttonhole Pond"
(iTunes): Season 6 of Button Moon can now be purchased on iTunes UK.
As of June 2024, all 91 episodes (across 7 series) of Button Moon are available for streaming on ITVX with a Premium subscription.