"Come on, play with Rosie,
     Rosie's your best friend..."
 

    Rosie and Ruff are puppydogs. Rosie's a cheerful black and white mongrel,
    with a white flash on her chest, and Ruff is her blue best friend. Together with
    their pals Scratch and Sniff, these four dogs get up to much mischief around
    town, and along the way - through their stories, jokes and songs - they learn
    just how young pups ought to behave...

    These friendly dawgs were created by Hilary Hayton, of Crystal Tipps fame,
    and comedienne Victoria Wood gives voice to them. 'Tis a curious production,
    with a skittering format, hopskotching between the little tales, songs and
    intermissions. "Puppydog Tales" has an order of play which tends to run
    like so:

    • The pre-credits joke
       In which Rosie tells a joke pertinent to the theme of the day's episode.
       She sits behind a big radio mike for her presentation, in the manner of
       an olde time radio presenter. Then we're led into the credits...

    • The tale
       Stories are based in a "real" inner-city environment. They're around three
       or four minutes long and feature photographic backgrounds and artwork.
       
    • The intermission
       This starts with another "joke" with Rosie. Then we're taken to a strange
       geometric environment. Rosie shows Ruff a special trick with something
       like a box, or boxes, or balloons. It varies, episode to episode. But whatever
       she uses, when her blue pal tries to copy her, he invariably comes unstuck -
       poor old Ruff!

    • The song
       Rosie, Ruff and friends finish off with a song, but not before we've had
       yet another "joke" from Rosie. The song that follows is again based around
       the theme of the current episode, and a suitable tempo is adopted...

    Yes, it's very curious indeed, and very much "of its time". But there are some
    droll lines from Ms. Wood buried in the framework, and there's that unmistakable
    "Hayton" look. The pups' tales are all about looking after a new puppy, changing
    your looks, vandalism, and being kind to old folks. There are lots of pop culture
    references too:

           "Do you ever wake up and wish you were Michael
         Jackson or Madonna? Well don't bother, 'cos they're
         certainly not waking up and wishing they were you!"

    Well, there are some better ones there. Honest.

    Hilary Hayton produced "Puppydog Tales" under the banner of Doris Films.
    (see Doris)...

 

   

    » Scratch is so-called because he's always scratching his pink spots.

    » Squeaky-voiced Sniff sports a bright orange beard. And he reveals
        he has a spare, in the episode "Jealousy"...

    »  Rosie's house is decorated with "Gruffiti", created by Ruff in
        the episode "Vandals"...

    »  Rosie's Granddad stars in "Be Kind to Old Folk". He's football
        mad, is Granddad...

 

      Episodes titles

     Sharing                       Good Manners
     Lazy                           Playtime
     Care on the Road          Beware of Fire
     Take Care of Pets         Don't Be Dirty
     Jealousy                      Watch Out For Strangers
     Vandals                       Untidy
     Be Kind to Old Folk

 

      Broadcast info

      The series was first broadcast on BBC1 from 17th September 1992
      to 18th Dcember 1992, once weekly, at 3.55pm...

 

      created and written by Hilary Hayton

      scripted and narrated by Victoria Wood

      director:       Hilary Hayton
      producer:     Hilary Hayton
      assoc prod:  Fiona Dickson
      music:         Derek Wadsworth
      songs:         Hilary Hayton, Derek Wadsworth
      b'grounds:   Paul Birkbeck
       editor:         Max Hoskins
       animation:   Martin Wansborough

  

      On the web


      Double:Take
      Double:Take have clip rights to a trilogy of series from Hilary
      Hayton - Rosie and Ruff included...


 
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