Pontypandy Profiles - The History of Sam - Part Four

Part Five will be the last chapter. I still have a bit more to discuss with Series 5, but I won't be going in depth with the CGI series, for the sake of my own sanity. Enjoy!

[@joshproductions07]

Series 5 of Sam was always my favourite series of the show to watch. To be fair though, Series 5 was still made by people in Wales, like Robin Lyons, who has written for so many S4C shows, unlike the CGI series, which is mostly produced in England. Norman was probably the crew's favourite character, and I assume he was Rob Lee's favourite character, as whenever he talks about Fireman Sam, he nearly always mentions Norman. I still think the show has an appeal for adults who watch the show with their kids in Series 5, as the relationship between Steele and Elvis is still present, and my parents at least thought Norman was great.

[@redengine4433]

it was intresting to know that fireman sam was at one point owned by (in my opinion) the company who produce the biggest children's TV program at the time

[@hayleywilliams8750]

Nothing could be better than season 1 to 4 of fireman sam, not even fireman sam s5 so RIP the best fireman sam

[@octaviusfooks7194]

5:32 You know that’s Jupiter in the background; when I first saw that on the wiki, I was like “Oh my God, what the f*** did they do to you, Jupiter?!!”

[@garyennis9757]

I’ve shared with many Thomas fans that I really hope we get Lego Thomas sets made for fans one day but not only that but I’d also want Lego bob the builder postman pat and fireman Sam sets one day as well along with many other big shows

[@HarveyRivers]

FINALLY, someone else who doesnt agree with series 5's changes (ive known this for a while, but still) Part four was phenomenal as always and I like the inclusion of the other 80s shows out of the big three.

[@bazbanter9329]

Thanks, Harvey. One more part to go!

[@HarveyRivers]

​@@bazbanter9329 fabulous! Can't wait! :)

[@FiremanSamBoy2008]

Loving these history of Fireman Sam videos Baz, I'm actually planning on making my own soon so feel free to check it out when it's done.

[@bazbanter9329]

Thanks

[@bradleyfinn3452]

Even though they took Sam’s inventing hobby away he can still be rather creative like when he made an oil drum into a barbecue and his inventing shed is seen in his garden in the CGI Series

[@reecehaines395]

i agree i love the original series and the classic series

[@SuperWarrior64]

Sam's my favourite character of the series. Plus he's the most consistently likeable out of all the characters across all 3 incarnations from '87 to 2003 to CGI (before I felt it went down hill in season 11)

[@bazbanter9329]

Who? Sam?

[@SuperWarrior64]

@@bazbanter9329 yeah. Sorry forgot to specify (god damn me!) I fixed it now

[@amaanajeeb123]

Since I’m a 2007 kid (I’m aware 17 year old lad watching these isn’t usual 😭) I mainly grew up with cgi series and initially the 2003 series so that’s what I’m used to. But I honestly get what you mean, 2003 series isn’t bad by any means but it has too many inconsistencies such as penny morris being at pontypandy full time, when did the floods and Tom Thomas move in, and not to mention the shift in roles of characters with Norman price being the main character like Dennis the menace of the Beano. However all that said it still is closer to the original than cgi ever has been. Great video Baz👍

[@bazbanter9329]

@@amaanajeeb123 Don't worry about liking Fireman Sam at 17. I'm 31 and still love it! Lol

[@octaviusfooks7194]

At least Series 5 retained the stop motion animation as opposed to the CGI

[@jacobjcb8883]

I'd love it if Pat and Sam crossed over

[@bradleyfinn3452]

Or Bob and Sam

[@kevthepig]

They kinda did during kids in need in the year 2009

[@bradleyfinn3452]

@@kevthepig Oh yes Children In Need

[@octaviusfooks7194]

Or Joshua Jones and Fireman Sam?

[@jayheadley8061]

I personally don't hate series 5, obviously nothing beats the first four seasons, but unlike the CGI reboot, the one in 2003 does share the similarities from the original like Penny's fitness training, Dillys flirting with Trevor and Sam's potato picker as you've mentioned. Also I do like the idea of Norman Price having a frenemy around his age, given that Sarah and James are two years younger than him. And I always thought Norman was always one of the main character throughout the franchise, I always thought his shenanigans are what make the stories interesting, especially in the classics series like Norman's Tricky Day and What Goes Up. I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel like Mandy, as well as the Floods and Tom Thomas were a great addition to the series. My only gripe with the series 5 was Trevor no longer being a part-time firefighter. Even though there was an episode when Trevor did still have his firefighters skills when he used a fire distinguisher to put down Bella's pizza oven, so it does some continuity of the original, but I do agree with you about Elvis and the lack of consistency.

[@bazbanter9329]

I think the twins and Norman are the same age in the Original. In "A Spot of Bother", it's mentioned they were all in the same class at school. But I agree. I wanted to see more of Trev in Series 5

[@jayheadley8061]

​​​@@bazbanter9329Really? I always thought Norman was older than them. I guess that was only the case in the CGI reboot. After mentioning the episode, it makes more sense, and it definitely works better with Norman and the twins being the same age. I also agree with you about the lack of Sam's personal life despite still being a inventor.

[@CzechBall770]

4:34 UM DILYS U GOOD

[@callum110597]

I do personally like series 5 of Fireman Sam (and also Postman Pat series 3), but I get those reasons why you don't. I grew up with the first four seasons anyway. But the animation is so nice, the new characters are quite cool, the rescue theme is brilliant, and at least it is better than the forecoming CGI series, as you said. Hit Entertainment made a big mistake purchasing the show, just like they've done with Thomas & Friends and Bob the Builder. 🤦

[@bazbanter9329]

The animation for Series 5 was REALLY good, I agree. It's the writing that lets me down (too much focus on Norman and continuity errors)

[@jayheadley8061]

I've been meaning to ask how come you've never done a character profile of Norman Price or the Floods? Tom Thomas I can understand as he's a minor character. And I know that the characters from the CGI reboot are out of the question.

[@bazbanter9329]

I didn't consider the Floods because they aren't in the Original. And Norman, well many other KZbinrs have stated how Norman has become intolerable in the CGI and tbf, I've mentioned I feel Norman gets too much focus in Series 5 in these other videos

[@jayheadley8061]

@@bazbanter9329 Fair enough. Probably because, I grew up with both series 5 and the original, I've always considered Norman as one of the main characters regardless and I just feel the series feels incomplete without him, especially in the original when there was more charm towards him, like a Welsh Bart Simpson/Dennis the Menace. But out of all of the characters including Steele, Elvis and Trevor, Norman definitely suffered the most in CGI reboot. He was always a brat, but never to the extent he will lock someone in the changing room in the original. The wost crimes he's ever done in the original was wasted the firefighters time with a false alarm, got Penny trapped in a blaze after messing around with Sam's robotic butler and have Trevor nearly fall to his death in a fire engine hot air balloon, which I'm guessing was the last straw for him and what made him quit as a part-time firefighter off screen but that's just a theory. But unlike most of the crap, he's done CGI one, the incidents he caused in the original were accidental tbf.

[@bazbanter9329]

Yes, he never intentionally caused the problems in Bentley the Robot and What Goes Up. He does care about others such saving Trevor in Trevor's Bus Boot Sale and he only fell down the wishing well cos he tried to get James' football out of the bucket thing. I don't hate Series 5 Norman, I just wish there had been moee episodes focused on other characters. There's only A Real Livewire, Bathtime For Dusty, Neighbourhood Watchout and Carnival of Junk where Norman has a minor role

[@jayheadley8061]

@@bazbanter9329 So true. I bet that even if you were to make a character profile of Norman, the best portray of him would definitely be the classic version and I 100% agree with you with the episodes you've just mentioned that there is more to him than just pranks and chaos. But I do notice that he's still has that caring side in this series 5 despite it not being as noticeable like the original, like in Joker Soaker, when he keeps Dusty hydrated with his water pistol whilst his head was stuck in a railings, Deep Falling Sheep when he rescues Woolly when he's slides off the edge of the mountain and when he grabs Woolly when him and Sam slip after trying to rescue Norman, King of the Jungle, Norman tries to warn Sarah and James about the flaming haystack, Twitchers in Trouble when he along with Mandy signal Tom to put down the fire, Fields of Fire, Norman was the one who suggested to hold hands with Mandy until they get rescued, The Big Freeze, Norman's heart was in the right place when he tries to find a way to keep Woolly warm through the winter night, but was executed poorly when his electric blanket caught fire. and Pizza Palaver, even though Trevor was the one who put the fire down in Bella's pizza oven, despite being a one who caused it, Norman was to one who spotted sparks coming from Bella's chimney You're 100% right about Norman having too much screen time in series 5, but at least he still has his responsible/caring side from time to time like the original and unlike the CGI reboot. Maybe if series 6 was to continue with this format of series 5, we would probably get more screen time with the other characters, so that we get it back to formula with the series, if the CGI reboot was to never happen.

[@user-et8qo4vr4u]

NORMAN PRICE HIS CLOSE ARE NOT THE SAME ❤😂😊😅🎉

[@user-et8qo4vr4u]

ALSO PART 5 AND PART 6

[@MrDanielNewton]

I always loved the first 4 seasons of Fireman Sam. I never saw Rocky Hollow, but I have seen Joshua Jones and Star Hill Ponies, I enjoyed those and it makes me sad they didn't do as well as Fireman Sam. I don't think I will watch season 5 of Fireman Sam or the CGI series for the reasons you stated, they clearly don't live up to the beauty of the original stop motion version and look unrealistic. I have a similar feeling towards the Thomas the Tank show. Having been a fan of the original Thomas books, which are based on real life railway events, I mainly just stick to the earlier seasons of Thomas the Tank due to the fact they contain episodes based on the real events depicted in the books, and because they look more realistic with the original model sets. I can't stand the later seasons or the new CGI Thomas the Tank version, not only because of the unrealistic CGI, but because a lot of those newer episodes make a lot of things up and it's so wrong and unrealistic. Don't even get me started on Thomas and the Magic Railroad!

[@bazbanter9329]

Thanks for the comment. Yeah Joshua Jones deserved a second series. I agree with you about Thomas too. I lost interest once HiT bought it and I only watch the really Ringo Starr ones nowadays. Series 3 to 5 were still good though :)

[@MrDanielNewton]

@@bazbanter9329 Your welcome. Yes, it's a real shame Joshua Jones was produced the same time as Rosie and Jim. If it wasn't for that it might have become a huge success and had additional seasons like Fireman Sam. It's a pity its failure cost Bumper Films a lot of money, along with Star Hill Ponies, which eventually led to the studio's decline. I wish the studio was still running today. As for Thomas the Tank, exactly my point, thank you. I bought the first 4 seasons on DVD since they all feature the original story books adaptions. I even bought season 20 on DVD because (even though that's from one of the CGI seasons) 3 episodes in that season were adapted from the original books too, but I don't watch the rest of the season, along with the rest of the CGI episodes. However I did buy the CGI movie Thomas and Friends: The Adventure Begins because that's based on the first 2 original books. I may get Season 5 on DVD because, although none of those were based on the books, they were based on some real railway events. As for the rest of the later seasons and movies, I am ignoring those altogether.

[@JamieBoy-ij2ri]

I did hate season 5 on first viewing in 2005 because it looked ugly compared to the old tho over the years with (some) of its decent writing and (again some) good elements I’ve warmed up to it a bit more.. but yeah some voices are pretty bad Norman looks and sounds like a 13 year old when he’s supposed to be 7 or 8 and Dylis’ voice sounds far too man like it’s disturbing. The rescue theme in season 5 is really good tho being orchestrated but the same can’t be said for the theme tune- the old theme was a bop and sung wonderfully by Mal Pope- the later sounds very downbeat and no disrespect to the singer here but why did he have to sing the theme all muscle bound. Plus the actress who voiced Bella and Mandy was Sarah Hadland who played Stevie in Miranda (the one who kept doing that annoying Heather Small impression)

[@callum110597]

Sarah Hadland voiced Penny too. (And yeah, I'm familiar with Miranda.)

[@bazbanter9329]

Yes, you're right. I mention the Series 5 voice cast in Part 5. Sarah Hadland was in Horrible Histories too. And yes, Series 5 has it's flaws, but it's far more faithful to the original than the CGI series. I truly believe it's because S4C still owned 50% of the rights during the production of Series 5.

[@alfiethenostalgiaboy2007]

I've say it's also more faithful to the original because some of the people at Siriol who worked on Series 5 helped out with the original series

[@JamieBoy-ij2ri]

Oh yeah series 5 was classic compared to its successors as it still had a lot of the same feel and charm in areas which I cannot say about anything that followed.. Sarah Hadland also has been in Murder They Hope with Johnny Vegas and many other stars.

[@user-mb9lh7ob5v]

Hate is not good it won't get you anywhere in life at all.

[@bradleyfinn3452]

Please don’t hate me but I love the CGI Series cos I find it rather funny

[@bazbanter9329]

I wouldn't hate someone for liking a show that I didn't 😂

[@bradleyfinn3452]

@@bazbanter9329 At least its not Bob the Builder (2015) or Thomas the Tank Engine (All Engines Go)

[@ALLPROS_real]

Thomas and friends and fireman Sam are similar

[@Fedespinoza2007]

But fireman Sam is infinity times better than that show (handle my opinion)

[@bazbanter9329]

Fireman Sam is more realistic , I'd say. Well, the OG Fireman Sam Thomas is more of a fantasy

[@joshproductions07]

Thomas is not really fantasy. When you take away the fact that the engines talk, it's very realistic. Wilbert Awdry wrote his stories as if it was a real railway, but he also gave each engine a face to show his character and to show the life of the engine. Thomas is a lot like a satire for railways in a way.

[@Fedespinoza2007]

@@joshproductions07 but that’s a fantasy

[@HarveyRivers]

Id say Thomas was definitely something that was mature and realistic as it was originally intended to be set in our world (aka the RWS). But I'd say Sam was more mature as it didn't particularly have a full on narration and its more like a sitcom while Thomas has a metaphor of the engines and Sir Topham Hatt being a father/teacher and the kids thing going on

[@Topcat634]

I like Thomas more.