"We... belong... together!..."
 

    Television stars, recording stars and licensing stars, these two little piggies have
    been stringing us along since 1956. The duo were created by Jan and Vlasta
    Dalibor, who came to the UK from Czechoslovakia. The Dalibors were brought
    under the umbrella of the BBC Puppet Theatre, and Pinky and Perky made their
    very first appearances on the series "It's Up To You". At the time, the two pigs
    were merely filler puppets on screen, but producer Barney Colehan suggested
    they be given more prominence, and thus, our two porcine stars were born...

    Pinky and Perky aren't just brothers, they're inseparable twins. As their
    signature song states, they belong together. In the days of black and white
    television, you could identify Pinky from Perky because the latter always wore
    a hat. But once you added a splash of colour to proceedings, it became more
    obvious. Pinky has always worn bright red dungarees, whilst Perky's have
    always been blue.

    Over the years, "The Pinky and Perky Show" embraced various scenarios,
    taking on road trips and, most memorably, presenting a mock television studio
    run by the pigs, but it's music that has always been at the heart of this duo.
    Where ever they've roamed, they've danced and mimed their way through an
    endless stream of pop hits and classic tracks, singing along in their distinct
    helium-high voices. Your Mad Uncle Albert can all-too easily repeat the trick
    with a birthday balloon. And therein lies the appeal.

    In 1960, the BBC series was sub-billed as "Pinky and Perky's Pop Parade",
    and over the next nine years they rattled through "Pinky and Perky's American
    Journey" (1963), "Pinky and Perky's Island" (1967) and "Pinky and Perky Times"
    (1968). Alongside the series came the endless spin-off records, appearances
    in "TV Toyland" comic, and a sty's worth of licensed apparel, from Pelham
    Puppets to ice cream promotions. In 1969 the pair defected to ITV, where they
    hung around until 1972, when the Dalibors retired from our screens.

    Most folks remember the period in the mid 60s, when Pinky and Perky ran
    PPC TV (Pinky and Perky Co. Television), on Channel 2 1/2, together with
    Jimmy Thompson and many famous guests, like Michael Aspel and Stratford
    Johns. Other co-presenters included Roger Moffat, John Slater, Brian Burdon,
    and Fred Emney. The pigs weren't just for kids, and they often revealed a
    sharp eye for satire and ridicule. Indeed, it even got them in to trouble with
    the BBC controllers. In 1966 they attempted to withdraw an episode dealing
    with a mock election, fearing it might cause offence so near to a General
    Election. But the viewing public quickly demanded its immediate 
    reinstatement...

    The Dalibors created a variety of puppet friends for the pals, including Basil
    Bloodhound, Ambrose Cat, Horace Hare, Morton the Frog, Conchita the Cow,
    Bertie the blue elephant, Vera Vixen, as well as a number of mice. Most
    famously of all, they introduced us to a swinging beat combo of crows,
    known as "The Beakles".
    
         

    Although their repeated episodes petered out in the mid '70's, Pinky and Perky
    showed remarkable longevity. In 1993 they returned as regular guest stars on
    "The Pig Attraction", a madcap puppet series reintroducing older puppet stars
    alongside new host Billie the Pig. A new album and single release swiftly followed.
     And when the vogue for tv nostalgia swept the country at the turn of the millennium,
    our pals made headlines again. Just Group PLC bought the rights to the characters
    for a tidy £500,000 with the intention of producing a high-profile new series,
    revamped for an older audience. But when the resultant show appeared in
    2001 it was poorly received. Pinky and Perky's star had seemingly waned.

    Until 2005. That's when Lupus Films (Little Wolf) and PPC (Picture
    Production Company) teamed up to form Pinky and Perky Enterprises. Their
    all-new reimagining of the characters went down a treat at Cartoon Forum
    paving the way for the CGI mayhem of The Pinky & Perky Show.

 
    
    » Why pigs? Because the pig is a symbol of good luck for Czecks.
    
    » Assisting the Dalibors during those first BBC Puppet Theatre days were
       none other than Bob Bura and John Hardwick, who went on to animate the
       three Trumptonshire series and Larry the Lamb.

    » At its peak, in the mid-sixties, "The Pinky and Perky Show" was being
        watched regularly by more than 15million viewers.

 
    
     Pinky and Perky Discography

     Singles/45s/EPs

      1958 - Tom Dooley / The Velvet Glove (Pinky and Perky theme)
      1959 - Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour / The Little Mountaineer
      1959 - Pinky and Perky's Party Sing Song EP
      1960 - Clinkerated Chimes / Cradle of Love
      1960 - The Ugly Duckling / Enny Meeny Miney Mo
      1960 - Children's Choice with Pinky and Perky EP
      1961 - What's New at the Zoo? / Dream Your Tears Away
      1961 - The Valley of Christmas Trees / I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus
      1961 - Children's Favourites with Pinky and Perky EP
      1961 - Christmas with Pinky and Perky EP
      1962 - What Have We Got? / Give us a Kiss for Christmas
      1962 - Pinky and Perky Out West EP
      1962 - Pinky and Perky's Pals EP
      1963 - The Ice Cream Man / Volare
      1963 - When the Saints go Marching in / Nursery Romp
      1963 - Pinky and Perky: Nursery Romp EP
      1963 - Pinky and Perky: Down on the Farm EP
      1964 - Pinky and Perky at the Circus EP
      1965 - Hole in my Bucket / Glow Worm
      1965 - Pinky and Perky's Beat Party EP (The Beakles)
      1965 - Pinky and Perky in Outer Space (Story + Songs)
      1966 - We Belong Together / Winnie the Pooh
      1966 - Pinky and Perky: Playtime EP
      1966 - Pinky and Perky: Celebration Day EP
      1967 - Pinky and Perky's Summer Holiday EP
      1967 - Pinky and Perky: Up, Up and Away EP
      1968 - Pinky and Perky: Coming Your Way EP
      1968 - Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines / Yellow Submarine
      1969 - The Holly and the Ivy / While Shepherds Watched
      1970 - Consider Yourself / I Wanna Be Like You
      1971 - The Pushbike Song / Jack-in-the-Box
      1971 - Bridget the Midget / Rosetta
      1972 - The Grand Old Duke of York / London Bridge is Falling Down
      1973 - Together Wherever We Go / Long Haired Lover From Liverpool
      1973 - Everything is Beautiful / Tie a Yellow Ribbon round the Old Oak Tree
      1974 - Ma He's Making Eyes at Me / High Hopes
      1975 - Oh Boy / Sing Baby Sing
      1990 - Give us a Kiss for Christmas / I saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus
      1993 - Reet Petite / It Only Takes a Minute
      2000 - Merry Christmas Everyone / Last Christmas / Santa Claus is Coming to Town EP

   
     
     LPs / CDs

      1963 - Pinky and Perky's Melodymaster
      1968 - Pinky and Perky's Hit Parade
      1969 - Christmas with Pinky and Perky
      1970 - Pinky and Perky's Nursery Rhymes
      1970 - Pinky and Perky's Film Parade
      1971 - Pinky and Perky's Hit Parade #2
      1972 - Pinky and Perky Have a Party
      1973 - Pinky and Perky's Hit Parade #3
      1974 - Pinky and Perky's Singalong Party
      1975 - Pinky and Perky's Pop Parade
      1993 - The Pig Attraction
      1997 - Pinky and Perky's Top Pop Party
      2000 - Pinky and Perky's Christmas Sing-a-long      

 

    Pinky and Perky presented
     by Jan and Vlasta Dalibor

    "We Belong Together"
    words and music by Norman Newell and Alan Ainsworth

    producer:            Stan Parkinson
    additional
     manipulators:      Philip Rose, Elizabeth Rose
    scripts:               Don Nicholl, Robert Gray
    set decorations:   Bob Dunscombe
    designers:           Paul Montague, Stuart Furber,
                              Nicole Goodwin
    starring:              Jimmy Thompson
                      
 

     On the web


     Little Gems
     The Gems concentrate on those super Jimmy Thompson shows...

     Pinkyandperky.com    
     Lots to perk you up here...
       
     The World of Pinky and Perky
     And here...

     Simon Buckley
     Simon's a puppeter, who had a hand operating Pinky and Perky
     on "The Pig Attraction", and much more besides!...

     Lupus Films  
     The folks behind the shiny new show...



 
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