Pontypandy Profiles - The History of Sam (Part 2)

In part 2, I discuss more about the original era's history and also about Rob Lee's next project with Bumper Films "Joshua Jones".

[@williampulfer-melville8536]

6:37 William Oswald was an executive on both shows

[@octaviusfooks7194]

Looking at Series 4, I’d say Deep Trouble was the better example of Sam himself getting into trouble.

[@arthurengine]

Another great thing about Series 4, or if you're going by Welsh production, Series 3, another great thing about it is that the visuals are clearer and more colourful, the animation was a lot smoother and better, and the characters got some development.

[@bazbanter9329]

Yes, all of the episodes in Series 4 are really interesting. Deep Trouble for Sam, Trevor's Bus Boot Sale, Steele Under Par, Home From Rome. What Goes Up. In fact they're all great. Snow Business is my favourite episode, but Series 4 is definitely the most interesting Season

[@TARDIS9]

I couldn’t help but notice that you said the original show had three series. Technically, it had, but, as you said earlier, the original Series 2 was split. It could be for all the reasons you stated below, or it could be a decision made by the higher-ups at the BBC to split it in half so that it remained consistent with the first series - thus making it three series in Welsh and four series in English. Mind you, though, they did split the Siriol Productions era of the show into two series of thirteen episodes each for the Welsh version, and one series of twenty-six episodes for the English version, which seems to pretty much balance things out for the rest of the show moving onwards.

[@reecehaines395]

awesome to see you again

[@joshomasprime2474]

Joshua jones and fireman Sam are brothers

[@callum110597]

Awesome work just like the first part! I'm amazed with all the footage you gathered of the crew and examples of scenes in the original Fireman Sam! And funny you should mention Joshua Jones; I never saw it in my childhood, rather saw Rosie and Jim, but Joshua Jones is so good! 😀 Oh, yeah, I remember I had a couple of the Fireman Sam storybooks by Buzz Books; they were so nice! If only Fireman Sam remained that way, without Hit Entertainment deciding to green-light the CGI series.

[@bazbanter9329]

Thank you very much! Happy to hear you enjoyed Joshua Jones 😊

[@lewiss_fire_engine_videos_]

The best fireman sam ever

[@amaanajeeb123]

I’m ashamed to say I have only learned about Joshua Jones😭 since I’m a huge fan of the original fireman Sam, I will definitely have a look at it. As well as that, you said 3 series, which technically is right but at the same time it’s 4 series, I know it’s a tricky situation. Great video Baz👍

[@amaanajeeb123]

Update: I watched the Joshua jones episode about Ravi having these tortoise and losing it etc. I have to say Baz, I really loved it. It was fireman Sam series 1-4 just without the action. The sense of humour was there, the animation ofc being from bumper films made it charming for me like the original fireman Sam. Baz, I have to say thank you for introducing me to the show👊🏽

[@bazbanter9329]

I'm glad you enjoyed the show! There are two episodes where Joshua does rescue characters from the canal. Horseplay and Boomer :)

[@HarveyRivers]

Part 2 was pretty good. Something I forgot to say was that I find it slightly ironic that Joshua Jones' technical competitor was a show created by John Cunliffe and considering the seems of it, with Fireman Sam & Postman Pat, it makes it seem like a subtle rivalry between Rob Lee & John Cunliffe LOL. But in seriousness, Joshua Jones is a pretty good show and I don't really get why they couldn't have both that and Rosie & Jim at the same time as both are incredibly different, like have Rosie & Jim for younger kids, while have Joshua Jones for older kids.

[@bazbanter9329]

Do you have a favourite episode of Joshua Jones?

[@HarveyRivers]

@@bazbanter9329 I think my favourite one is Sting.

[@bazbanter9329]

That's mine too. Photo Finish as a close second. I know I was quite abrasive whilst defending Joshua in the video. I just don't understand those who adore Classic Sam but dislike JJ. They have the same sort of humour and feel. Both have great Heneghan and Lawson music Yes, there's no Fire Service in Joshua Jones, but canal life can be just as interesting. And I know Wilton is a mean spirited character. But we laugh at his downfalls. Josh rescues Ravi and Fiona in Boomer and he rescues Trojan in Horseplay, but if he did rescues in every episode, it would feel like the show is literally copying FS. I like Star Hill Ponies to an extent, but Sam and Joshua feel like they have more jokes for the adults and far better music

[@HarveyRivers]

@bazbanter9329 Agreed. I quite like the more laid back vibe of JJ (similar to OG Postman Pat's one). It does have tense moments, but it's more chill tone is what I think differentiates it from Sam and its honestly a shame it didn't get a second series.

[@garyennis9757]

Here’s an idea for you maybe after your final fireman Sam history video not only should you maybe do a history of postman pat but also do a series similar to pontypandy profiles called greendale greenligthts focusing on postman pat characters

[@samchadwick8350]

Great to finally have a documentary on one of Englands finest shows, that were not only appropriate for children, but entertaining enough for adults too. Although, you made a mistake numbering the seasons. It was season 3 when the crew went off to make Joshua Jones, and season 4 was their last. I have to agree that when it comes to animation specifically, season 4 was their peak. My only small nitpick was they changed the assembly bell both in design and sound, since the effect for seasons 1-3 always got me excited for the emergency as a child.

[@bazbanter9329]

Thanks, Sam There's some controversy about the seasons of the show. The public widely regard the original series as 4 seasons. However, In production terms and Rob Lee's website, the original series is regarded as 3 seasons. The episodes made in 1987 and 1988 were written and produced in quick succession. The series was successful and was renewed for a second season in 1990. I think the BBC regarded all the 1980s episodes as Series 1 and 2 and this has stuck with Mattel. But S4C and the production team regarded the 1980s episodes as one series, eight made in 1987, the following eight in 1988. Because they had all been planned out. They didn't need S4C to greenlight those further 8 episodes. As 16 had been commissioned. However, the series needed to be a success and to be renewed after that to make more episodes for a second series (in production terms) which was greenlit around 1989/early 1990. Hope this makes sense.

[@samchadwick8350]

Thanks a lot for clearing that up for me. Looking forward to chapter 3, hoping for a reveal as to why Bumper Films didn’t continue the show.

[@Topcat634]

Not as serious at 01:48. However the taking a message episode was a bit unsettling when Pat didn’t hit the brakes on his roller blades. That’s clever when you had the Wallace & Gromit inventing theme. Incidentally, are you aware that Feathers McGraw is coming back? I think Joshua Jones was a bit boring. However when the programme was finished there were books of the character.

[@Topcat634]

Like Tintin, those sort of words at 08:38 are very rude to call a person like that.

[@JamieBoy-ij2ri]

Did you also know that Fireman Sam made its uk premiere on vhs on the 1987 vhs release of NSPCC children’s favourites and the episode featured there was of course the kite.

[@bazbanter9329]

Oh, yes, thanks. Sorry, I forgot to mention that. Maybe the Welsh version, Sam Tân had aired on S4C before the NSPCC VHS was released but I'm not entirely sure. That NSPCC Video featured SuperTed and Will Quack Quack. Both of those cartoons were produced by S4C and originally made in the Welsh language. Seeing as NSPCC were given permission to use those two S4C cartoons, S4C probably thought the video was a good way to introduce Fireman Sam to kids and the British public .

[@JamieBoy-ij2ri]

@@bazbanter9329 it’s no problem mate it was a great video overall and yes that’s what I think too and I didn’t know that series started off as books (my dressing up as Sam for world book day 2006 wasn’t as out of place as I thought lol) maybe they were poplular enough that they commissioned a pilot ep in English dub and gave it a trial before it came to Tv later on that year.. That particular vhs also featured a pilot for a Noddy series with the vocals of Bernard Cribbins that was never recommissioned to continue

[@bazbanter9329]

Yeah, I had the video as a child and the Noddy pilot always intrigued me. It was produced by "Filmfair" in 1986/7 who had animated Paddington, The Wombles, The Herbs, Portland Bill to name a few If Filmfair's Noddy had been made into a full series, maybe we wouldn't of got Noddy's Toyland Adventures, which was a great Noddy series in it's own right.

[@JamieBoy-ij2ri]

@@bazbanter9329 that could’ve possibly been true and tbh as much as I do admire filmfair’s work on that one ep I still think Toyland Adventures was far better animated and far less dated

[@hayleywilliams8750]

Cheers, mate mega brill. I'll buy you a bite

[@octaviusfooks7194]

With Joshua Jones being underrated, I think it was overshadowed by Rosie & Jim and those wasn’t very successful. I guess that was a similar situation with Tugs; overshadowed by Thomas & Friends

[@garyennis9757]

At least tugs got a decent amount of merchandise while Joshua Jones I think only got some books and cds, it’s a shame that the bbc or other people aside from us fans didn’t really give Joshua Jones the same attention as the other short lived shows

[@octaviusfooks7194]

@@garyennis9757 Also, there was The Secret Service, created by Gerry Anderson. It was scheduled to have 26 episodes be made but came to an end after only 13 episodes following a bad screening for ITC head Lew Grade. More information on its Wikipedia article.

[@garyennis9757]

@@octaviusfooks7194 yeah that show also should’ve gotten some more attention, there are lots of franchises including Thomas bob pat and Sam that deserve Lego sets along with many other popular franchises or shows but even some short lived cartoons or other shows deserve some sets to like my top 10 of those would be tugs, Charlie chalk, Joshua Jones, the secret service, spider, funny bones, budgie the little helicopter, superted,rubbadubbers, koala brothers and little robots

[@octaviusfooks7194]

@@garyennis9757 I know this is a controversial question, but what's your opinion of a reboot? Should some of these shows get a reboot? I say first, but my opinion on a potential reboot is that, such a reboot is worthwhile if the core of what made the original some memorable is there from its pilot or first episode.

[@garyennis9757]

@@octaviusfooks7194 I actually do want some of the short lived shows to get reboots and here’s why, so I think the Marc Forster Thomas movie could change the future of the franchise and that could good futures for the other bbc franchises to and with all of that I feel like it could lead to reboots of the short lived ones and while we don’t if the Marc Forster movie is gonna be animated or live action but if it’s animated it should have the same animation style as the Mario movie which means the upcoming bob the builder movie should also have that and than they could do movies like that with fireman Sam postman pat pingu and noddy and the reboots for the short lived shows will also have that animation style