The Clangers

The Clangers is a lovely 70's BBC show set in a far-away planet to resemble the moon.  A series about a family of knitted aliens living out a threadbare existence on a bleak and cold world. The Clangers are small, pink mouselike persons who live under their planet's surface in caves protected by saucepan lids. The noise of the lids being closed (to protect their home from falling space debris, of course) gave the Clangers their name.With space exploration becoming increasingly popular (the moon landing only 4 months prior to the creation and realization of The Clangers), the show was a hit.  Find a bunch of them on YouTube...or read more!

The Clangers was the vision of TV producer Oliver Postgate, who also provides the cosy-sounding narration.   Postgate developed the idea from a series of children’s books called Noggin the Nog, which originally featured a character called Moon Mouse who crashed his spaceship into Earth. -Network Awesome

 

The series was made by Smallfilms, the company set up by Oliver Postgate (writer and narrator) and Peter Firmin (modelmaker, animator and illustrator). Firmin designed the characters, and his wife knitted and 'dressed' the Clangers. Music – which was often part of the story – was by Vernon Elliott. 

Clangers Website