Let's Pretend (TV series) explained

Let's Pretend was a 1980s children's television series aimed at preschool aged children in the United Kingdom.

It was shown across the ITV network at 12:10 on Tuesdays, then later on Mondays, replacing the popular Pipkins which had been cancelled at the end of 1981.

Like its predecessor, each edition was fifteen minutes long, and the programme was produced using many of the same personnel, such as the puppeteer Nigel Plaskitt and the producer Michael Jeans.

Each week the presenters would find a number of ordinary household items and contrive to produce a short story featuring them all. The first programme, "The Story Of The Broken Puppet", was shown on Tuesday 5 January 1982 by Central Television. The show was broadcast weekly until 1988.

The show's original opening titles showed items moving along a conveyor belt into the mouth of a large plastic whale, and later a puppet caterpillar moving along the screen. The actual story began with the rising of a curtain with the same puppet caterpillar on accompanied to the same bars of the song On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at that were used as the pre-programme ident of Yorkshire Television.

Transmission guide

Series 1 (1982)

The Story of the Broken Puppet – 5 January 1982
The Story of the Leaping Frog – 12 January 1982
The Story of the Dancing Elephant – 19 January 1982
The Hungry Pillar Box – 26 January 1982
The Garden Bench – 2 February 1982
The Shoe That Wanted to Go Its Own Way – 9 February 1982
The Whistling Kettle – 16 February 1982
The Teapot That Lost Its Lid – 23 February 1982
The Zoo Keeper and the Giraffe – 2 March 1982
The Story of the Cleaner and the Cook – 9 March 1982
The Story of the Rabbit and the Mole – 16 March 1982
The Tale of Two Bears – 23 March 1982
The Story of How the Bus Got up the Hill – 30 March 1982
The Story of the Sleepless Owl – 6 April 1982
The Story of the King Who Loved Bananas – 13 April 1982
The Umbrella That Didn't Like Rain – 20 April 1982
The Cheesemaker and the Mouse – 27 April 1982
The Story of the Giant's Boots – 4 May 1982

Series 2 (1982-1983)

The King Who Liked Music – 24 August 1982
The Snowman – 31 August 1982
The Jack Who Wouldn't Come Out of His Box – 7 September 1982
The Cat That Liked Mice – 14 September 1982
The Sailors Who Lost Their Sail – 21 September 1982
The Piggy Bank – 28 September 1982
The Goldfish Who Swam Away from His Bowl – 5 October 1982
The Clock That Forgot to Tock – 12 October 1982
The Hole – 19 October 1982
The Soldier and the Crown – 26 October 1982
The Fork-Lift Truck – 2 November 1982
The Greedy Crocodile – 9 November 1982
The Boat That Had No Paddle – 16 November 1982
The Witch and the Sweeper – 23 November 1982
The Old Man and the Duck – 30 November 1982
The Fork Lift Truck – 7 December 1982
The Man Who Wanted His Milk – 14 December 1982
The Cow That Wanted to Jump Over the Moon – 21 December 1982
Worn Out Teddy – 28 December 1982
The Smallest Circus in the World – 10 January 1983
The Little Cloud That Cried – 17 January 1983
The Stripy Deckchair – 24 January 1983
Baby Hedgehog's Discovery – 31 January 1983
The Two Parrots – 7 February 1983
The Balloon That Lost Its Puff – 14 February 1983
Colin the Court Jester – 21 February 1983
The Caterpillar and the Butterfly – 28 February 1983
The Sad Banana – 7 March 1983
Henrietta's Tea Party – 14 March 1983
The Band Got Smaller and Smaller – 21 March 1983
The Rag Doll and the King – 28 March 1983
The Scarecrow That Wanted to Look Smart – 11 April 1983
The Hopping Kangaroo – 18 April 1983
Tom Thumb and the Race – 25 April 1983
The Dancing Dragon – 9 May 1983

Series 3 (1983-1984)

The Hippo, the Peacock and the Giraffe – 26 September 1983
The Travelling Musician and the Missing Notes – 3 October 1983
The Cat Who Wanted to Be a Lion – 10 October 1983
The Oil Can – 17 October 1983
The Roundabout Ostrich – 24 October 1983
The Witch and Lazy Jack – 31 October 1983
The Camel Who Got the Hump – 7 November 1983
The Queen and the Tailor – 14 November 1983
The Penguin and the Pig – 21 November 1983
The Wind Finds Some Friends – 28 November 1983
The Cock Who Crowed Too Much – 5 December 1983
Granny in Space – 12 December 1983
The Reindeer and the Rhinoceros – 19 December 1983
The Naughty Reflection – 9 January 1984
The Octopus Came Out of the Sea – 16 January 1984
The Neglected Piano – 23 January 1984
The Moving Bus Stop – 30 January 1984
The Dirty Clean... Dirty Clean Sweep – 6 February 1984
The Unneighbourly Neighbour – 13 February 1984
The Sandwich Which Had a Quarrel – 20 February 1984
The Messy Man – 27 February 1984
The Adventures of a Jelly – 5 March 1984
Bath Toys – 11 March 1984
The Day Fred Lost His Glasses – 19 March 1984
The Road Roller – 26 March 1984
The Runaway Shoe – 2 April 1984
The Invisible Friend – 9 April 1984
The King Who Loved Sausages – 16 April 1984
The Bee and the Bear – 30 April 1984
The Television Set – 14 May 1984
The Empty Eggcup – 21 May 1984
The Sun Who Forgot to Set – 4 June 1984
The Lion and the Leopard – 11 June 1984
The Seaside Special – 18 June 1984
What Father Christmas Does in the Summer – 25 June 1984

Series 4 (1984-1985)

The Cuckoo Who Wanted to Sing Like the Sparrow – 15 October 1984
Mr Woof the Guard Dog – 22 October 1984
The Milk Float and the Racing Car – 29 October 1984
Tortoise and Hare Make Friends – 5 November 1984
The Garden Wall – 12 November 1984
The Ghost Makes a Friend – 19 November 1984
The Giants Who Came Down from the Beanstalk – 26 November 1984
The Broom and the Vacuum Cleaner – 3 December 1984
The Dragon Who Couldn't Help Breathing Fire – 10 December 1984
The Soldier With Two Left Feet – 17 December 1984
Dancing Daisy – 7 January 1985
Little Red Riding Hood and the Pirate – 14 January 1985
The Story of the Dirty Shirt – 21 January 1985
The Fed Up Telephone – 28 January 1985
The Friendly Tree – 4 February 1985
The Man Who Was Always Late – 11 February 1985
The Dancing Crab – 18 February 1985
The Piano Movers – 25 February 1985
The Mouse on the Moon – 4 March 1985
Muddled Michael – 11 March 1985
The Twin Sisters – 18 March 1985
The Chicken and the Duck – 25 March 1985
Cinderfella – 1 April 1985
Old MacDonald's Farm – 15 April 1985
The Elephant and the Weighing Machine – 22 April 1985
The Disappearing Milk – 29 April 1985
The Crane Who Couldn't Lift – 13 May 1985
Helpful Harry – 20 May 1985
The Train Spotter and the Train – 3 June 1985
The Man Who Likes Surprises – 10 June 1985
The Shopkeeper Who Didn't Want to Sell His Pets – 17 June 1985

Series 5 (1985-1986)

The Cactus Who Wanted His Back Scratched – 14 October 1985
Colonel Bigshot and the Crocodiles – 21 October 1985
The Town That Liked to Argue – 28 October 1985
The Wishing Well – 4 November 1985
The Lemon Canary – 11 November 1985
The Sheepdog and the Badger – 18 November 1985
The Duck Who Wanted a Treat to Eat – 25 November 1985
The Gardener and the Pirate – 2 December 1985
The Hiccupping Lion – 9 December 1985
The Lady Who Collected Junk – 16 December 1985
The Postman Who Wanted Some Post – 23 December 1985
The Doctor's Big Day – 30 December 1985
The Grass Is Always Greener – 6 January 1986
The Chimp Who Copied Everything – 13 January 1986
The Double Bass Who Lost a String – 20 January 1986
The Pretend Snowman – 27 January 1986
The Two Sisters – 3 February 1986
The Brother's Clothes – 10 February 1986
The Rabbit and the Carrot – 17 February 1986
Silly Dressmaker – 24 February 1986
The Bulldozer with Toothache – 3 March 1986
The Wolf Who Cried Wolf – 10 March 1986
How Greedy Can You Be? – 17 March 1986
The Singer Who Lost His Voice – 24 March 1986
The Pumpkin and the Pumpkin Guard – 7 April 1986
The Instrument Mender and the Noisemaker – 14 April 1986
The Jelly Baby Jumble Sale – 21 April 1986
The Train Who Was Frightened of the Dark – 28 April 1986
Don't Wake the Baby – 12 May 1986
The Playdough Statue – 19 May 1986
Outside In, Inside Out – 2 June 1986
The One-Puppet Puppet Show – 9 June 1986