Tickle on the Tum

Tickle On The Tum was a series of ten minute programmes for young children produced by Granada Television and aired on the ITV network from 1984 until 1988. The series was set in a shop in the fictional village of Tickle-on-the-Tum. The original presenters were folk-singer Ralph McTell, fresh from his stint on Granada's other children's series Alphabet Zoo and Danusia Harwood. From about the middle of the second series, Harwood was replaced by Jacqueline Reddin. In the final series, Reddin became the show's lead presenter and sang the theme song, after McTell returned to his recording career.

Episodes

Season 1

18 episodes

S1 E1 · Barney Fixes the Pipes

1984-11-05

No summary.

S1 E2 · Duck Down Day

1984-11-12

Dora tells the story of how the locals ducks helped the inhabitants of Tickle to solve their hard pillow problems and how the great Tickle pillow factory came to be.

S1 E3 · Make 'em Laugh

1984-11-19

No summary.

S1 E4 · The Lost Voice

1984-11-26

Miss Marker tells about the time she had lost her voice, and all the Tickle town children in her class decided to go look for it.

S1 E5 · Funny Bone

1984-12-10

Dr. Dimple comes into Ralph shop looking for a present for his niece. He tells the story of when Mickey Moon had lost the ability to laugh because his funny bone was out of tune.

S1 E6 · Santa's Helper

1984-12-17

Mike the Milkman recounts how last Christmas, he had to deliver Santa Claus's Christmas presents when the jolly fellow got stuck up a chimney.

S1 E7 · Mixed Up Parcels

1985-01-07

No summary.

S1 E8 · Barney Papers a Room

1985-01-14

No summary.

S1 E9 · Connie and the Cat

1985-01-21

No summary.

S1 E10 · Bertie Barlow's Bike

1985-01-28

No summary.

S1 E11 · Potato Harvest

1985-02-04

No summary.

S1 E12 · Farmhouse Loaf

1985-02-11

Roland Crust is short on bread, because the day before, Copernia the cat spilled self-raising flour into Roland's oven, causing an enormous cottage loaf to emerge.

S1 E13 · Knobbly Knees

1985-02-25

Dr. Dimple comes into the post office but can't remember what for. He then recounts the time he was a judge in the Knobbly Knees competition at the Tickle fête.

S1 E14 · Billy Grizzle

1985-03-04

Miss Marker recounts the day Billy Grizzle first entered her class. All the children as well as herself tried to make the little boy from Grumble town smile.

S1 E15 · Tickle Hat Parade

1985-03-11

On the day of the Tickle Hat Parade, milkman Mike didn't have time to figure out which special hat to wear because he was looking after a little Robin Redbreast that hurt it's wing.

S1 E16 · Connie to the Rescue

1985-03-18

No summary.

S1 E17 · The Moon Parcel

1985-03-25

No summary.

S1 E18 · April Fool

1985-04-01

No summary.

Season 2

31 episodes

S2 E1 · The Day the Circus Came to Town

1985-09-02

Dora tells Ralph what happened when the Boldini brothers (Berto, Benno and Beppo) arrived in town. They were upset because they had left their big top circus tent pole in Grumbletown. So Dora asked Barney Bodger to make a new tent pole.

S2 E2 · The Right Side

1985-09-09

No summary.

S2 E3 · Hole in the Road

1985-09-16

No summary.

S2 E4 · Barney Walks the Plank

1985-09-23

No summary.

S2 E5 · The Rhyme

1985-09-30

No summary.

S2 E6 · Measles

1985-10-07

Doctor Dimple tells Ralph about the time last year when Miss Marker told him all the children in the Tickle School had come down with the measles.

S2 E7 · White Elephant Stall

1985-10-14

Miss Marker tells all about last Saturday's School fête, where all the children got tangled up in a Maypole, nobody was fooled by Miss Marker's fortune teller disguise and everybody brought elephants of all shapes and sizes for the white elephant stall.

S2 E8 · Strawberry Milkshake

1985-10-21

Mike the Milkman tells about the time milk was spilled in the streets of Tickle thanks to Doctor Dimple's dog chasing a cat. It got all mixed up with Mrs. Field's strawberries and created a gigantic strawberry milkshake.

S2 E9 · Zebra Crossing

1985-10-28

No summary.

S2 E10 · Mighty Mickey Rescues Granny Gribble

1985-11-04

No summary.

S2 E11 · The Picnic

1985-11-11

Dora the Driver recounts the time she took all the Tickle school children out for a picnic when school was closed because Miss Marker was ill.

S2 E12 · Barney Gets Set

1985-11-18

No summary.

S2 E13 · That's the Way the Money Grows

1985-11-25

Miss Marker explains that she and the children have been growing things in class. Little Rosie Moon tried to force herself to grow by standing in a bucket of water. Meanwhile, Johnny Jones was trying to grow a money tree in secret.

S2 E14 · The Well

1985-12-02

One day, Doctor Dimple tried to get Tiny the cat out of the old Tickle Well, only to fall into it himself.

S2 E15 · Pigeon Race

1985-12-03

No summary.

S2 E16 · Winnie and the Dog

1985-12-09

Winnie Walker the post woman comes into the shop and recounts how she managed to tame a dog so she could do her rounds.

S2 E17 · Unhappy Cows

1985-12-16

One day, Farmer Field's cows were too unhappy to provide milk. So Mike the Milkman had to pull out all his party tricks to cheer them up.

S2 E18 · Connie Tells the Time

1985-12-23

People often ask the police to tell them the time. But when policewoman Connie Caper is on duty, it's quicker to glance at the Tickle Town Hall clock.

S2 E19 · Scaring the Cats

1985-12-30

Bobby Binns has been collecting bits and pieces to build a mechanical whatsit to scare cats off his flowerbeds.

S2 E20 · Roland Gets His Skates On

1986-01-06

Roland the Baker was late going to see a performance of Swan Lake. So he got his old skates on to catch the train to Grumbletown.

S2 E21 · Breakdown

1986-01-20

Dora's school bus broke down. When Dr. Dimple couldn't figure out a cure, he suggested asking Farmer Field if they could borrow his two horses to pull the bus.

S2 E22 · The Case of the Missing Spectacles

1986-04-07

Dr. Dimple is looking everywhere for his spectacles, only to be reminded that he's put them on his hat.

S2 E23 · The Pet Show

1986-04-14

No summary.

S2 E24 · Barney Takes the Day Off

1986-04-21

No summary.

S2 E25 · Bunny Bags a Boa

1986-04-28

Pet shop owner Bunny Brown is on the trail of a mysterious thief with a taste for vegetables.

S2 E26 · The Fly

1986-05-12

No summary.

S2 E27 · School Dinners

1986-05-19

No summary.

S2 E28 · The Cup Final

1986-06-02

No summary.

S2 E29 · Sue Saves the Wedding

1986-06-09

No summary.

S2 E30 · Smoke Without Fire

1986-06-16

Freddy the fireman was on his way to put out a fire at Dr. Dimple's house, only to find out the actual fire is back at the Tickle Fire Station.

S2 E31 · Don't Tell Anyone

1986-06-23

No summary.

Season 3

30 episodes

S3 E1 · The Camping Holiday

1986-09-01

No summary.

S3 E2 · Barney and the Loose Screw

1986-09-08

No summary.

S3 E3 · Wok Around the Clock

1986-09-15

No summary.

S3 E4 · Eggs Is Eggs

1986-09-22

No summary.

S3 E5 · A Spotty Day

1986-09-29

No summary.

S3 E6 · The Sink Dustcart

1986-10-06

No summary.

S3 E7 · The Frog March

1986-10-13

No summary.

S3 E8 · Nurse Knightly Can't Sleep

1986-10-20

No summary.

S3 E9 · I've Always Wanted to Be on TV

1986-10-27

Bessie Bagwash's life long dream of wanting to appear on Television is about to come true when a TV director enters her laundrette and offers her just that.

S3 E10 · Barney Paints the Kitchen

1986-11-03

No summary.

S3 E11 · Rosie Moon and the Windy Day

1986-11-10

Connie Caper recounts how she helped Rosie Moon retrieve her lost kite. She also helps Ralph to find his lost mail with all the Tickle jokes.

S3 E12 · The Rescue

1986-11-17

No summary.

S3 E13 · Surprise

1986-11-24

Dora the Driver recounts the day she thought everybody had forgotten it was her birthday.

S3 E14 · Grumpy Grown-Ups

1986-12-01

Jacqui is feeling grumpy, and Dr. Dimple tries to cheer her up with a story and a cackling cake. But when he finds out Ralph cheered her up with a song, Doctor Dimple becomes grumpy.

S3 E15 · Ban Barney Bodger

1986-12-08

No summary.

S3 E16 · The Christmas Goose

1986-12-15

No summary.

S3 E17 · Christmas Special

1986-12-24

Ralph returns from his tour to find Jacqui baby sitting little Jenny Field, as her parents are out searching for their friend 'Mr. Robinson'. Jacqui persuades Ralph to do a magic act as "The Great Mysterio" at the Christmas Day Children's Concert at Tickle Village Hall. She will be his assistant, 'Doris'. But after practicing a few tricks, they are startled by mysterious noises and lights going out in the shop...

S3 E18 · Catch a Kitten

1987-01-05

Bunny Brown of the Tickle Pet Shop visits, and Ralph and Jacqui how her ginger kitten is continuously causing trouble.

S3 E19 · Tickled Pink

1987-01-12

No summary.

S3 E20 · The Water Otter

1987-01-19

No summary.

S3 E21 · Barbeque Night and Birdsnest Soup

1987-01-26

No summary.

S3 E22 · Sports Day

1987-02-02

No summary.

S3 E23 · Barney Bodger Clears the Sink

1987-02-09

No summary.

S3 E24 · The Talent Contest

1987-02-16

No summary.

S3 E25 · The Great Bin Race

1987-02-23

No summary.

S3 E26 · Fishy Tale

1987-03-02

Dora the Driver remembers the time her Tickle School bus was used to carry a load of Charlie Cod's fresh fish.

S3 E27 · Chicken Pox

1987-03-09

Doctor Dimple tells of the time he diagnosed Micky Moon as suffering from chicken pox.

S3 E28 · Teacher's Pet

1987-03-16

No summary.

S3 E29 · Superhamster

1987-03-23

Farmer Field explains what happened when his twin girls, Fran and Sue, met Theobald Superhamster.

S3 E30 · The Thing

1987-03-30

No summary.

Season 4

39 episodes

S4 E1 · Edwina Shufflebottom Roberts

1988-02-08

Tickle Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) is about to broadcast its first programme. The Mayor of Tickle town, Mr. Choudhury has announced he wants to be on the premiere broadcast, but the studio is visited by an unidentified furry object in the shape of Dexter the Cat.

S4 E2 · Dr. Dimple Minds the Baby

1988-02-15

Dexter things of himself as a fit kitty, but Dr. Dimple disagrees. They both bring out a workout a video to prove their cause.

S4 E3 · Bull in the Laundry Shop

1988-02-22

The Tickle Players are performing Jack and the Beanstalk as a Christmas Panto. Dexter is helping them with the horse costume.

S4 E4 · The Tickle Toboggan Race

1988-02-29

Barney is determined to win the Tickle Toboggan Trophy in the Toboggan Race. He designed his own sledge: the Bodger Barrelboggan. The race starts off very nicely at top of Tickle Hall, then it's downhill all the way.

S4 E5 · Mrs Cravat and the Doll's House

1988-03-07

Mrs Cravat is selling her old dolls house in a raffle to raise money for Tickle Children's Home. She tells the story of "Mighty Mog" on TBC.

S4 E6 · Mr. Molar's Teeth

1988-03-14

Miss Dibbs, the leader of the Tickle Beavers, has found an old map and is going on a treasure hunt.

S4 E7 · Gloria Glamorous Visits Tickle

1988-03-21

Gloria Glamorous, Dexter's favourite film star, visits TBC Studios and tells him about filming "Rumble in the Jungle" with Rex Rugged.

S4 E8 · Milking Time

1988-03-28

Farmer Field visits TBC studios just as Dexter the Cat is making milkshakes.

S4 E9 · Freddie Holds a Party

1988-04-11

No summary.

S4 E10 · The Big Sneeze

1988-04-18

No summary.

S4 E11 · The Cowboy on the Roof

1988-04-25

No summary.

S4 E12 · Just Hanging Around

1988-05-09

No summary.

S4 E13 · The Alternative Doctor Dimple

1988-05-16

No summary.

S4 E14 · Dexter's Greatest Case

1988-05-23

No summary.

S4 E15 · Jamie Gerbil and the Dinosaur

1988-06-06

No summary.

S4 E16 · Mrs Cravat and the Aeroplane

1988-06-13

No summary.

S4 E17 · The Magic Beans

1988-06-20

No summary.

S4 E18 · Freddie Rescues a Cat

1988-06-27

No summary.

S4 E19 · The Strawberry Jamboree

1988-07-04

No summary.

S4 E20 · Barney and the Parade Platform

1988-07-11

No summary.

S4 E21 · A Nice Cup of Tea

1988-07-18

No summary.

S4 E22 · Freddie and the Carnival

1988-07-25

No summary.

S4 E23 · Doctor Dimple in the 20th Century

1988-08-01

No summary.

S4 E24 · Hamish McGrabbit

1988-08-08

No summary.

S4 E25 · The Ghost of Tickle Abbey

1988-08-15

No summary.

S4 E26 · Dandy's Finest Hour

1988-08-22

No summary.

S4 E27 · Hercules and the Sausage Sizzler

1988-09-06

It's tea time and Miss Dibbs from the Grab-a-bite Butty Bar is supplying the goodies. She has hot dogs, sausage rolls, sausage sandwiches, salads and even sausage surprise. What's the surprise? A sausage, of course.

S4 E28 · The Blue Rabbit

1988-09-13

No summary.

S4 E29 · Barney Scores a Goal

1988-09-20

No summary.

S4 E30 · Gloria Glamorous, Flower of the East

1988-09-27

No summary.

S4 E31 · Lucille Pink Geranium

1988-10-04

No summary.

S4 E32 · Sweet Little Pussy Cat

1988-10-11

No summary.

S4 E33 · The Steam Engine Rally

1988-10-18

No summary.

S4 E34 · Barney Builds the Scenery

1988-10-25

Barney Bodger is rebuilding a set of pantomime scenery. He goes on to explain how it wasn't his fault that the old scenery fell down.

S4 E35 · Freddie Loses His Bell

1988-11-01

Freddy is dismayed because he's lost the bell of the Tickle Fire Brigade.

S4 E36 · Beavers to the Rescue

1988-11-08

No summary.

S4 E37 · Bats in the Belfry

1988-11-15

No summary.

S4 E38 · Dexter Makes an Impression

1988-11-22

No summary.

S4 E39 · More from the Mighty Mog

1988-11-29

No summary.