'Stoppit and Tidyup' - the Cartoon

It was another day in the Land of Do-As-You're-Told...


Thus began one of the most surreal childrens programmes of the 1980s - Stoppit and Tidyup. Based on those phrases so beloved of parents, the programme turns them around, giving each its own personality.

Produced by CMTB animation and animated by Terry Brain, Steve Box and Charles Mills, it was always going to be something out of the ordinary - this is the team that brought us Trapdoor, while Brain and Box were later employed by Aardman animations. And, of course, there was Terry Wogan, narrating the series.

Do-As-You're-Told
Stoppit and Tidyup is based in the Land of Do-As-You're-Told, a charming place with lots of weird and wonderful characters. The characters are smaller than humans, with the biggest living in an old tree stump and the smallest fitting into a tin can. The land itself is extremely bizarre, but not completely detached from our own world - one episode features a busy road, one features children playing, and all include a visit to the dump.

There are a few slight differences, however. For a start, the gherkins. The gherkin is the food of choice in Do-As-You're-Told, which is handy because they grow absolutely everywhere. There appear to be many different types of gherkin, small and large, plain and striped, and all brightly coloured with green bits growing on top. And then, of course, there are the characters.

The Characters
The characters are all named after various parental phrases, which their personailities reflect.

None of them have the ability to speak, but always manage to get their message across using expressions, funny (and completely indescribable) noises, and Terry Wogan.

Tidyup is a purple creature, shaped rather like a big pear. He always wears one of his brightly coloured ties, and is famous for his Good Ideas which so often crop up. He is a perfectionist, and naturally very tidy - he takes pride in his spotless house and garden.

Stoppit is a red ball of fluff, with arms and legs. He lives in the dump, and has a very naughty nature, quite often tormenting Tidyup - but good-naturedly, since they are really the best of friends. He often loses his temper (much to the disapproval of Terry Wogan), and Tidyup has to bounce him like a ball in order to cheer him up.