Basil Brush is an anthropomorphic fox, best known as a British television character aimed at children. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. He is primarily portrayed by a glove puppet (see picture) but has also been depicted in animated cartoon shorts. A hand puppet (also called a glove puppet) is a type of Puppet that is controlled by the hand or hands that occupies the interior of the puppet An animated cartoon is a short hand-drawn (or made with computers to look similar to something hand-drawn Film for the cinema, Television or computer The character has featured on children's (and later adult) television from the 1960s to the present day. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969
A mischievous character, Basil Brush is known for his catch phrase "Boom! Boom!", used after something he finds funny, and also for speaking in a "posh" accent and manner, referring to himself as a "fella". A catch phrase (or catchphrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance In Linguistics, an accent is a manner of Pronunciation of a language The character claims to dislike puppets, and says his most prized possession is his "brush", this being the traditional name for a fox's tail. His persona, speech and gap-toothed look are said to have been based on the actor Terry-Thomas. Thomas Terry Hoar-Stevens ( 14 July 1911 &ndash 8 January 1990) was a distinctive English comic Actor, known
Basil Brush was originally created in 1963 by Firmin for The Three Scampies children's show, but his main popularity was achieved due to appearances on "The Nixon Line" with magician David Nixon and subsequently The Basil Brush Show, which premiered in 1968. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. David Nixon ( 29 December 1919 in Muswell Hill, London – 1 December 1978 Surrey) was an English Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Basil was designed and made by Peter Firmin and was for many years operated and voiced by the publicity-shy actor Ivan Owen, who died in 2000. Peter Firmin (born in Essex in 1928 was the founder of Smallfilms, along with Oliver Postgate. Ivan Owen ( August 19 1927 - October 17 2000) was a British Voice actor who created the vocal persona of the Puppet 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.
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The Basil Brush Show
Throughout the 12-year run of the show, Basil was always accompanied by an actor, initially Rodney Bewes — aka Mr Rodney — better known as one half of The Likely Lads. Rodney Bewes (born November 27, 1938 in Bingley, near Bradford, in the West Riding of Yorkshire) is an English television The Likely Lads was a hit British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Bewes was replaced by Mr Derek — Derek Fowlds, later to appear in Yes Minister and Heartbeat — who was the stooge for Basil's quips between 1969 and 1973. Derek Fowlds (born 2 September 1937) is an English actor Personal life Fowlds was born in Balham London, the son of Ketha Muriel Yes Minister is a multi-award winning satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted Heartbeat is a long-running British TV police drama series set in 1960s Yorkshire. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The subsequent presenters were Mr Roy (Roy North, 1973-1977), Mr John Howard (Howard Williams, 1977-1979), and Mr Billy (Billy Boyle, 1979-1980). Roy North played in Basil Brush as Mr Roy He was a well known Hull City fan also born in Hull and occasionally he would wear a Hull City shirt on the TV Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar)
Basil was in three more shows in the 1980s: the educational programme Let's Read. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. . . With Basil Brush (ITV, 1982-1983), Crackerjack (BBC), and Basil's Joke Machine (ITV, 1986). Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Crackerjack was a British children's comedy/variety BBC television series Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) [1]
Basil also came on The Weakest Link in 2006. The Weakest Link is a television Game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August, 2000
Basil recorded two albums (both with the same title), Boom! Boom! It's Basil Brush in 1970 and 1977. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays His adventures also appeared on the pages of TV Comic during the peak of his popularity. TV Comic was a British Comic book published weekly between November 9 1951 and June 22 1984 for 1696 issues
The Basil Brush Show from 2002
In 2002, Basil made a comeback in a new children's BBC sitcom, again named The Basil Brush Show, in which his new comic foil, Mr Stephen, is played by Christopher Pizzey. The Basil Brush Show is a 2002-present remake of the 1960s-1980s comedy show starring Basil Brush, the famous Glove puppet Fox. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Christopher Pizzey (born 22nd December 1983 is a British actor who was born in London. It is produced by The Foundation, part of the RDF Media Group. RDF Media Group is a British television production company founded in 1993 by David Frank. Child actors Georgina Leonidas and Michael Hayes also appear on the show. Georgina Leonidas is a British Actress known for playing Miss Molly in The Basil Brush Show. Basil Brush is now shown to have a family, which includes his destructive, hyperactive but cute nephew Bingo, and his criminal cousin Mortimer. Other friends have been introduced as well, such as the moneymaking child Master Dave and the more sensible Molly. Where the original shows were taped before an audience of children, the new programme is shot in studio and features a hysterical, post-production laughter track. In keeping with Basil's history, no-one is directly credited as being Basil's puppeteer on this show, although actor Michael Windsor is credited as either Basil's "fitness instructor" or his "personal assistant". Michael Windsor was revealed to be the puppeteer.
Interspersed with the main programme, there are now various animated shorts in which Basil and/or another character is seen making jokes. The more recent puppet looks different from the original 1960s/ 1970s puppet in a number of aspects, but the 'well-spoken' voice of Basil is similar to the original Ivan Owen version.
Other appearances
Basil briefly appeared as a presenter for several Friday episodes of the popular British children's TV programme Blue Peter in 2003 in which he had his own joke segment. Blue Peter is a BBC Television programme for children It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.
Basil played Dobby the house-elf in the French & Saunders sketch "Harry Potter And The Secret Chamberpot Of Azerbaijan" for Comic Relief Red Nose Day 2003. French & Saunders is a British Sketch comedy Television show written by and staring BAFTA Award -nominee Dawn French Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work often to relieve tension Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work often to relieve tension
Basil appeared on French & Saunders in 2004. French & Saunders is a British Sketch comedy Television show written by and staring BAFTA Award -nominee Dawn French "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
On 10 December 2005, Basil appeared on The Weakest Link and won the show, receiving £10,900 for his chosen charity, the Blue Peter 2005 charity appeal, "Treasure Trail" (in aid of Childline). Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Weakest Link is a television Game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August, 2000 Blue Peter is a BBC Television programme for children It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the ChildLine is a Charity and free 24 hour counselling service for young people provided by The NSPCC. This makes him the first puppet to win The Weakest link (Roland Rat had previously appeared as a puppet contestant, but did not win). Roland Rat (also Roland Rat Superstar) is a British television Puppet character Basil returned to Weakest Link as one of the contestants on the show's 1000th UK edition, recorded on 1 November 2006. The Weakest Link is a television Game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August, 2000 Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It was shown on BBC Two on 18 December 2006. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Although he made it to the final round, this time he failed to win. However, the winner still decided to share half of her winnings with Basil's chosen charity.
Basil Brush was mentioned briefly in the Black Books episode "Blood", wherein Manny (Bill Bailey) purchases a 'large-print biography of Basil Brush', which he describes as "quite good". Black Books was a British sitcom broadcast on Channel 4 starring Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig Mark Bailey where he was initially an academic pupil winning most of the prizes
Basil Brush starred in the Christmas pantomime Cinderella in 2007, including St Albans, where he would appear from a large box on wheels for various hilarious off-plot moments, and encouraged children in the audience to shout 'Boom Boom Basil!' after each use of his catch phrase. Pantomime (informally panto) (not to be confused with a Mime artist, referring to a theatrical performer of mime is a performance genre traditionally found Cinderella ( French: Cendrillon, Slovak: Popoluška, German: Aschenputtel, Spanish: Cenicienta St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London.
On 20 December 2007, the BBC announced that Basil would be co-presenting a new version of Swap Shop with Barney Harwood on BBC Two. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, more commonly known simply as Swap Shop, was a UK children's television programme Barney Harwood (born 7 November 1979 in Blackpool, United Kingdom) is a BAFTA -winning English Television presenter The new series is titled Basil's Swap Shop. Basil's Swap Shop is a children's television series produced for CBBC.
HarperCollins Publishers have recently signed a deal to publish a Basil Brush TV tie-in publishing programme for 2008.
Controversy
Basil Brush has been the subject of complaints for inciting homophobic attacks[2] and also racism against gypsies and travellers, for which he was investigated by the Hate Crimes Unit of Northamptonshire Police[3].
See also
External links
- Basil Brush at the Internet Movie Database
- Official Basil Brush website
- BBC website on Basil Brush
- British Film Institute Screen Online
- Ivan Owen Obituary - The Guardian
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