Twangers ClipFor those of you who don't know, "Rainbow" was a highly successful children's television programme broadcast in the United Kingdom from 1972 to 1992.
For those of you who don't have kids or are far too young to remember
the splendid children's TV programme "Rainbow", this may be a little
lost on you...... but it was a great show to watch!
Back in the early days, before the days of VHS and now recordable DVDs etc the VT depts of both the BBC and ITV would make elaborate out-take, p*ss-take shows for sending out to their staff. The practice was stopped by the various TV managements once copies got out on Betamax and VHS around the early eighties for legal / taste reasons etc.
THE 'Twangers' clip was actually written by Roy Skelton, who not only voiced Zippy AND George, but was also a Dalek in many old Doctor Who stories.
It's a real tape with the real performers, but it was filmed as a joke and never intended for public consumption. There was a great tradition at the BBC and ITV companies of the videotape editing departments compiling tapes for their christmas parties - including clips with shows shot especially for the internal tape.
It was recorded in 1979, when the show had been running for several years.
It was never intended to be shown on TV. In fact, the sketch was performed simply for the amusement of the cast and crew, and would have been lost to history, were it not for the
OBA 1 Christmas tape put together by Thames TV engineers.
Unseen on TV Video clip. Innuendo all the way....
The sketch opens with Zippy peeling a banana...
Zippy: "One skin, two skin, three skin, four.... "
George: "Zippy, where is Bungle?"
Zippy: "I think Geoffrey is trying to get him up"
We see a view of the door and hear Bungle moaning from behind it.
Bungle: "Geoffrey, I can't get it in"
Geoffrey: "You managed it last night"
Bungle: "I know, let's try it round the other way around. Ooooooh, I've got it in"
Bungle and Geoffrey enter the studio with Bungle carrying a hammer and peg kit
Bungle: "Would you stick this on the shelf, George"
George: "I can't reach, you'll have to stick it up yourself,
Geoffrey (to camera) " Hello everyone, today we are talking about playing"
Bungle: "Playing with each other, Geoffrey?"
Geoffrey: "Yes Bungle, do you have a special friend that you like to play with?"
George: "Yesterday we played with our balls.
Are we going to play with our friend's balls today?"
Bungle: "Yes, and we can play with our twangers as well."
Geoffrey (to camera): Have you seen Bungles twanger?
Zippy: "Oh I have, I showed him how to pluck with it."
Bungle: "It's my plucking instrument."
Geoffrey asks the audience if they can pluck like Bungle
Zippy: "I can, I'm the best plucker here."
George: "And I'm good at banging. My peg's hard isn't it Zippy?"
Zippy: "Well of course it is, Your peg wouldn't go in if it was soft."
Geoffrey: "Let's get back to Bungle's twanger."
Bungle (excited): "Oooooh Geoffrey, we could all paint our twangers couldn't we?"
George: "Let's sing that plucking song."
Bungle: "Rod and Roger can get their instruments out and Jane has got two lovely Maracas."
Singers Rod, Roger and Jane enter.
Rod: "We could hear you all banging away."
Roger: "Banging can be fun."
Jane: "Ooooh yes, and I was banging away all last night with Rod and Roger."
Roger (looking sad): "Yes, but it broke my plucking instrument."
Geoffrey: "Never mind Roger, let sing the plucking song, come on
everybody get your instruments out."
Rod (to Jane): "Do you want to blow on my pipe while I'm twanging away?"
Jane: "Oh no Rod, I was blowing a lot with Roger last night. But would you
like to play with my maracas?"
Zippy: "No, let's just pluck away with our twangers."
Bungle: "Yes, it doesn't matter what size your twanger is."
Zippy: "I've got a big red one."
George: "I've only got a tiny twanger. But it works well and I like to play with it."
Geoffrey (to viewers): "Well, have you got your twangers out? And remember,
you can bounce your balls at the same time. If you haven't got any balls,
ask a friend if you can play with his. Now, let's all sing the plucking song."
Everyone in studio: "Pluck, pluck, pluck away, we're going to pluck all day today."
"Pluck, pluck, pluck away, we're going to pluck all day."
Geoffrey (to viewers): " It's time for us all to go now, but don't forget ....
to get your twangers out and play with your balls." "See you soon. Bye."