About this season
Tickle On The Tum was a series of ten minute programmes for young children produced by Granada Television and aired on the ITV network from 1984 until 1988. The series was set in a shop in the fictional village of Tickle-on-the-Tum. The original presenters were folk-singer Ralph McTell, fresh from his stint on Granada's other children's series Alphabet Zoo and Danusia Harwood. From about the middle of the second series, Harwood was replaced by Jacqueline Reddin. In the final series, Reddin became the show's lead presenter and sang the theme song, after McTell returned to his recording career.
Episodes (31)
1. The Day the Circus Came to Town
Aired 2 September 1985 • 30 min
Dora tells Ralph what happened when the Boldini brothers (Berto, Benno and Beppo) arrived in town. They were upset because they had left their big top circus tent pole in Grumbletown. So Dora asked Barney Bodger to make a new tent pole.
2. The Right Side
Aired 9 September 1985 • 30 min
3. Hole in the Road
Aired 16 September 1985 • 30 min
4. Barney Walks the Plank
Aired 23 September 1985 • 30 min
5. The Rhyme
Aired 30 September 1985 • 30 min
6. Measles
Aired 7 October 1985 • 30 min
Doctor Dimple tells Ralph about the time last year when Miss Marker told him all the children in the Tickle School had come down with the measles.
7. White Elephant Stall
Aired 14 October 1985 • 30 min
Miss Marker tells all about last Saturday's School fête, where all the children got tangled up in a Maypole, nobody was fooled by Miss Marker's fortune teller disguise and everybody brought elephants of all shapes and sizes for the white elephant stall.
8. Strawberry Milkshake
Aired 21 October 1985 • 30 min
Mike the Milkman tells about the time milk was spilled in the streets of Tickle thanks to Doctor Dimple's dog chasing a cat. It got all mixed up with Mrs. Field's strawberries and created a gigantic strawberry milkshake.
9. Zebra Crossing
Aired 28 October 1985 • 30 min
10. Mighty Mickey Rescues Granny Gribble
Aired 4 November 1985 • 30 min
11. The Picnic
Aired 11 November 1985 • 30 min
Dora the Driver recounts the time she took all the Tickle school children out for a picnic when school was closed because Miss Marker was ill.
12. Barney Gets Set
Aired 18 November 1985 • 30 min
13. That's the Way the Money Grows
Aired 25 November 1985 • 30 min
Miss Marker explains that she and the children have been growing things in class. Little Rosie Moon tried to force herself to grow by standing in a bucket of water. Meanwhile, Johnny Jones was trying to grow a money tree in secret.
14. The Well
Aired 2 December 1985 • 30 min
One day, Doctor Dimple tried to get Tiny the cat out of the old Tickle Well, only to fall into it himself.
15. Pigeon Race
Aired 3 December 1985 • 30 min
16. Winnie and the Dog
Aired 9 December 1985 • 30 min
Winnie Walker the post woman comes into the shop and recounts how she managed to tame a dog so she could do her rounds.
17. Unhappy Cows
Aired 16 December 1985 • 30 min
One day, Farmer Field's cows were too unhappy to provide milk. So Mike the Milkman had to pull out all his party tricks to cheer them up.
18. Connie Tells the Time
Aired 23 December 1985 • 30 min
People often ask the police to tell them the time. But when policewoman Connie Caper is on duty, it's quicker to glance at the Tickle Town Hall clock.
19. Scaring the Cats
Aired 30 December 1985 • 30 min
Bobby Binns has been collecting bits and pieces to build a mechanical whatsit to scare cats off his flowerbeds.
20. Roland Gets His Skates On
Aired 6 January 1986 • 30 min
Roland the Baker was late going to see a performance of Swan Lake. So he got his old skates on to catch the train to Grumbletown.
21. Breakdown
Aired 20 January 1986 • 30 min
Dora's school bus broke down. When Dr. Dimple couldn't figure out a cure, he suggested asking Farmer Field if they could borrow his two horses to pull the bus.
22. The Case of the Missing Spectacles
Aired 7 April 1986 • 30 min
Dr. Dimple is looking everywhere for his spectacles, only to be reminded that he's put them on his hat.
23. The Pet Show
Aired 14 April 1986 • 30 min
24. Barney Takes the Day Off
Aired 21 April 1986 • 30 min
25. Bunny Bags a Boa
Aired 28 April 1986 • 30 min
Pet shop owner Bunny Brown is on the trail of a mysterious thief with a taste for vegetables.
26. The Fly
Aired 12 May 1986 • 30 min
27. School Dinners
Aired 19 May 1986 • 30 min
28. The Cup Final
Aired 2 June 1986 • 30 min
29. Sue Saves the Wedding
Aired 9 June 1986 • 30 min
30. Smoke Without Fire
Aired 16 June 1986 • 30 min
Freddy the fireman was on his way to put out a fire at Dr. Dimple's house, only to find out the actual fire is back at the Tickle Fire Station.
31. Don't Tell Anyone
Aired 23 June 1986 • 30 min