Johnson and Friends
Encyclopedia
Johnson and Friends is an Australian children’s television programme broadcast on ABC TV
from 1991 to 1996. It was produced by Film Australia
. Six seasons were made.
In the UK it was shown in the early 1990s on TCC
, CBBC
, and then on UK Living's Tiny Living strand for under-fives. It was aired in the United States
as a segment on the Fox Cubhouse, an educational children's program on the Fox network, from 1993 to 1996.
The programme was narrated by Paul Bertram. The puppets were designed by Caroline Jones.
), encouraging small children to look after old toys.
On one occasion McDuff was taken out into the real world. She rejected her friends because it was so wonderful, but eventually she regained her senses.
One episode deals with the issue of having a TV in your child's room. The toys become completely addicted and Alfred watches it even when nothing is on.
All the episodes convey gentle moral messages to young children whilst at the same time providing the lively colour and rambunctious gaiety that young children enjoy.
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
from 1991 to 1996. It was produced by Film Australia
Film Australia
Film Australia was a company established by the Government of Australia to produce films about Australia. Its mission was to create an audio-visual record of Australian culture, through the commissioning, distribution and management of programs that deal with matters of national interest or...
. Six seasons were made.
In the UK it was shown in the early 1990s on TCC
TCC
TCC may refer to:*The Classic Crime*Taisei Construction Corporation*Take Command Console*Taught Course Centre*Technology and Construction Court*Texas Cave Conservancy*The Casual Courier*The Children's Channel*The Clearing Corporation...
, CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
, and then on UK Living's Tiny Living strand for under-fives. It was aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a segment on the Fox Cubhouse, an educational children's program on the Fox network, from 1993 to 1996.
Cast
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Johnson | Arky Michael Arky Michael Arky Michael is an Australian actor and writer, who is best known for his role as Fulvio Frangellomini in the television drama series Rafferty's Rules.... /Jonathan Hendry/Garry Scale (voice) |
| McDuff | Dra McKay/Katrina Sedgwick (voice) |
| Diesel | Matthew Chamberlain Matthew Chamberlain Matthew Chamberlain is a New Zealand actor, who starred in the New Zealand film Black Sheep as Oliver Oldfield. Chamberlain previously co-starred in children's TV program Johnson and Friends as Diesel. Chamberlain is currently starring in the high profile role of Murray Cooper in the TVNZ Soap... /Bruce Wedderburn/Doug Scroope (voice) |
| Alfred | Peter Brown Peter Brown -Historical figures:*Peter Browne , also spelled Brown, , Pilgrim and English colonist, signer of the Mayflower Compact*Peter Brown -Historical figures:*Peter Browne (Mayflower Pilgrim), also spelled Brown, (1594–1633), Pilgrim and English colonist, signer of the Mayflower Compact*Peter Brown... (voice) |
| Squeaky | Sarah Boddy/Kristen Lyons/Emily Lumbers (voice) |
| Victoria | Elizabeth Easther |
The programme was narrated by Paul Bertram. The puppets were designed by Caroline Jones.
Plot
Johnson and his friends are toys that belong to a boy named Michael, unseen except for asleep in his bed. They reside in his bedroom, but do not move or show any signs of life until he has left the room or fallen asleep. Each episode involves a story about the toys and it will usually have a little message to convey to the children about sharing, cheating, complaining or similar.Season 1
- Beginnings
- Under The Bed
- Best Of Friends
- The Thing Outside
- Helpless
- Moving House
- Playing Games
- The Birthday Present
Season 2
- Wind Chimes
- Sharing
- The Picnic
- Cleaning Day
- The Camping Trip
- Secrets
- Homeless
- Battle Of The Bed
- Crying Wolf
- A Case Of Trust
- Being Good
- Baby Of The Family
Season 3
- Stage Fright
- Blast Off
- The Birthday Party
- The Big Freeze
- Operation Squeaky
- Buried Treasure
- Diesel Tries To Fly
- Dinosaur Tracks
- The Pink Thread
- Melissa's Dinosaur
Season 4
- Diesel Who
- The Home Coming
- The Three Little Pigs
- Disappearing Act
- Growing Up
- The Flood
- The Toy Orchestra
- The Money Box
- The Television Set
- The Toy Hospital
Season 5
- A Trip To The Moon
- The Loose Tooth
- The Fancy Dress Party
- The Art Exhibition
- Finders Keepers
- Leaving Home
- Sock Soup
- The Train Conductor
- The Fun Run
- The Crying Baby
Season 6
- Bringing Up Baby
- Going Away
- Left Behind
- All At Sea
- The Big Surprise
- Victoria Gets Swapped
- The Thinker
- Little Red Riding Hood
- The Telephone Exchange
- Putting Out The Rubbish
Characters
- Johnson is the leader of the toys. A furry pink elephantElephantElephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
, Johnson is the wisest and oldest of the group, although he tends towards impatience sometimes.
- McDuff is a blue and yellow concertinaConcertinaA concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
and although she is a little silly, is a kind and loyal friend, especially towards the misunderstood Diesel.
- Diesel is a red toy truck that spends most of his time going "bruuum, bruuum" around the floor. He speaks with a very pronounced Australian accent. Although brusque, he means well and is obviously fond of his friends.
- Alfred is the green hot water bottleHot water bottleA hot water bottle is a container filled with hot water and sealed with a stopper, used to provide warmth, typically whilst in bed, but also for the application of heat to a specific part of the body....
, which is technically not a toy. He is a real fusspot and lives in the dark, dank area of the bedroom that is under the bed. He is neurotic and anxious and complains constantly. His face wears an aggrieved expression, but it is Alfred that supplies a lot of the humour. He also owns an old banana peel which he is very protective of. Although grumpy, Alfred is generally good natured and helps Johnson out on his endeavors.
- Squeaky is a black and red robotRobotA robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
. She is childlike and does not often speak; she believes that the vacuum cleaner is her mother. She does not appear very often.
- Victoria is a slow-moving orange dinosaurDinosaurDinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
that actually belongs to Michael's sister, Mellisa; Victoria will appear at the door with some bad news she has just heard, e.g. "They're going on holiday and they can't take any toys with them!"
- Michael is the boy who owns the toys.
- Mellisa is Micheal's sister who is the owner of Victoria.
- Michael's Mum was mentioned in a lot of episodes but never seen.
Themes
The series is aimed at children less than five years old, and plays upon their fascination with the notion that their toys come to life when they are gone. However, the stories often have a deeper message, and sometimes they are very poignant. Often the toys live in terror that new toys will replace them (also a major theme in Toy StoryToy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
), encouraging small children to look after old toys.
On one occasion McDuff was taken out into the real world. She rejected her friends because it was so wonderful, but eventually she regained her senses.
One episode deals with the issue of having a TV in your child's room. The toys become completely addicted and Alfred watches it even when nothing is on.
All the episodes convey gentle moral messages to young children whilst at the same time providing the lively colour and rambunctious gaiety that young children enjoy.