Postman Pat
  Clowns Around    (2004)
  
   producers:  Cosgrove Hall Films
                      for Entertainment Rights
   animation:  stop-motion animation
      run time:  25mins

 
    "Ladies and Gentleman, welcome everyone
     to the Greendale Circus!"
 

    This is third Postman Pat special from Cosgrove Hall and Entertainment
    Rights, and it gives a secondary star the chance to shine. Here's the
    lowdown:

    Mr Pringle is taking the Greendale school kids to the circus tomorrow,
    and they're ever-so excited. Especially young Bill Thompson. He loves
    circuses. He's going to be in a circus when grows up. But Meera is quick
    to put him down. He has to be good at something before he can be in one.
    Bill doesn't take her remark too well:

    "It's only working at it, that's all. You can be good at
     anything if you work at it!"

    But there's bad news for everyone, anyway, because Mr Pringle's just found
    out that the circus has been cancelled at the last minute. It seems that some
    of the performers are ill. Maybe it will come back next year?

    Bill's not easily rerstrained. He wants to know why can't they put on their
    very own circus for themselves, here in Greendale?

    Mr Pringle's quite reluctant at first, still, a bit more cajoling from Bill and
    Postman Pat who's dropped by the school, wins him over. And that's
    the cue for the villagers to collect and erect Meera's Uncle's tent on the
    village green. Reverend Timms becomes a One Vicar Band, and the school
    kids practice being jugglers, dancers and animal trainers. All except Bill,
    that is. Every time he has a go at anything, he fluffs up, and everyone
    laughs at him. That gives Pat a chortling idea and so he and Bill
    combine their skills for making folks laugh by transforming
    themselves into clowns!

    Needless to say, the event is a rousing success and the kids get
    sustained applause for their efforts. But the biggest hurrah of all is s
    saved for the antics of Bill and Pat. Which just goes to show, everyone
    is good at something...

    This film is smaller scale than the previous efforts. There are no storms or
    floods, and no Christmas bells. Instead we're simply cutting back
    and forth between the Greendale adults and the school kids as they
    prepare for the big event. The former take an age to get that darned tent
    in order, whilst the latter put together their acts for the show. There's a
    well-staged bit of tomfoolery as Pat and Ajay get the tent out of the 
    station and down to the village green, but we're predominantly just
    watching those children as they apply themselves to their chosen
    routines, with mixed results along the way.

    You could all-too easily mistake this for a regular episode of the show,
    but Bill's enthusiasm is rather infectious and it certainly is refreshing to
    see a secondary character hogging the limelight. The animators are
    given their own chance to shine too. The sequences with Meera and
    her pal ribbon dancing are particularly sweet. Their performance
    even gets PC Selby shedding a tear!

 

    The Greendale Circus

     Our Ringmaster for the night is Jeff Pringle, working with a musical
     accompniment from Reverend Timms. The acts include:

     Charlie's Jugglers
     Charlie leads a trio of kids juggling bean-bags.
     They don't quite finish their act, but they still get a big clap....

     The Rhythmic Rythmn Dancers of Greendale
     Meera and her pal don flighty fairy outifts and twirl their ribbons.
     They make a grown Policeman cry, so they do...
         
     Julian and the Amazing Jess
     Julian wears a cape and a fake twirling moustache as he guides
     Jess to stardom. The cat hop-hop-hops from one upturned plant
     pot to another, in turn...

     Postman Pat and Big Bill Thomson the clowns
     These two funny perculiars top the bill. First they hide behind the
     Ringmaster, then they buffoon with a banana skin before throwing
     a bucket of confetti over Mrs Goggins and Dr Gilbertson - to
     great applause!

 

    Singalong-a-Simon

     Simon Woodgate has written all the songs for the all-new Postman Pat
     series and specials.

    "Postman Pat Clowns Around" includes "Now it's Time to Put on a Show".
     The song plays over a montage in which Pat his pals put up their circus
     tent and the kids get their various acts together for the forthcoming
     performance...

    "Yes, it's time to put on a show
     Everybody can have a go..."

              - Now it's Time to Put on a Show by Simon Woodgate

 

    Greendale Glitches

    Most of the action takes place outside the school or on the village
    green, which means there are no clocks to go awry, no nick-nacks
    to investigate, and sadly for us continuity spotters, no Greendale
    Glitches to report!
    
 

    Broadcast info

    The film arrived on DVD/VHS prior to its UK television debut.
    It hit stores April 5th 2004.

    It eventually premiered on BBC2, on September 13th 2004.

 

    based on the original series written by John Cunliffe

    based upon the original television series
    designed and produced by Ivor Wood