For quite a while now my brain has been telling me that when I was very very young there was a program on Saturday lunch times call Zokko.
I have the occasional memory flashes of watching this program but could never be 100% sure or if I had just imagined the whole thing. After much searching (typed Zokko into Google) I have found a few bits and images relating to it. Zokko did exist and was a kids tv series that ran from 1968 to 1970. Strangely the first series used to be repeated on Wednesday afternoons, but the 2nd series never was. It was devised by children's TV producer Molly Cox and Paul Ciani. It featured animations, music hall jokes, narrated comic strips fast zany humour, variety acts and a sic-fi serial called Skayn. This was all linked up by a Pinball machine who served as the programs presenter.
By the 2nd series The pinball machine was gone and replaced by bubbling tubes of liquid, but the voice remained the same. The Zokko Pinball machine was designed by Mike Ellis (Father of Blue Peter Present Janet Ellis) the voice of the Pinball was created by the Radiophonic Workshop’s Brian Hodgson. It would seem that only two episodes from the 2nd series are all that remains of Zokko (BFI Archive) For a lot more in depth info on Zokko go to The Curious British Telly site.
I have the occasional memory flashes of watching this program but could never be 100% sure or if I had just imagined the whole thing. After much searching (typed Zokko into Google) I have found a few bits and images relating to it. Zokko did exist and was a kids tv series that ran from 1968 to 1970. Strangely the first series used to be repeated on Wednesday afternoons, but the 2nd series never was. It was devised by children's TV producer Molly Cox and Paul Ciani. It featured animations, music hall jokes, narrated comic strips fast zany humour, variety acts and a sic-fi serial called Skayn. This was all linked up by a Pinball machine who served as the programs presenter.
By the 2nd series The pinball machine was gone and replaced by bubbling tubes of liquid, but the voice remained the same. The Zokko Pinball machine was designed by Mike Ellis (Father of Blue Peter Present Janet Ellis) the voice of the Pinball was created by the Radiophonic Workshop’s Brian Hodgson. It would seem that only two episodes from the 2nd series are all that remains of Zokko (BFI Archive) For a lot more in depth info on Zokko go to The Curious British Telly site.
New series
All for fun! Fun for all! Tar-rah! Zokko! is back - your own, your very own electronic comic!
The old favourites return with some new ones as well... There's Skayn, the space-hero, in an exciting serial; plenty of jokes; a weekly Walt Disney choice; and a brand-new music machine, the like of which has never been seen before.
Featured this week on the flying trapeze The Sisters Inaros; Skayn and the Moon People: with the voices of Sheelagh McGrath, Gordon Clude, Anthony Jackson, and pictures by Leslie Caswell.
Zokko! music by Brian Fahey. Animation by Ted Lewis.
Devised and produced by Paul Ciani and Molly Cox.
(BBC recording)
Wow! Good work, that Keith. Sounds like British pop art / Independant Group for kids. Wiki reckons the BBC have one episode in their archives.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Melly writes about this show in the TV section of his great book about pop culture Revolt Into Style (1970) - which is mostly about music but he deals with the other arts and entertainments too. Describes Zokko as "totally pop in the modern self-conscious sense, while at the same time giving the feeling that all the items have been vetted to avoid damaging psychological effects (perhaps it ought to be called Spokko)" . He also pinpoints out 'Skane' [sic] as the bit his own kids like best - stories of a spaceman "told through the medium of authentic-looking imitation comic-book frames blown up to look like Lichtensteins and acted out by disembodied voices". And he says the best aspect is the pin-ball table as linking device, "with a stylized mechanical face and the voice of a sad baby Dalek".
ReplyDeletei wonder if when Melly compared it to a "sad baby Dalek" he knew that the voice concocted by someone from the Radiophonic Workshop. More likely he just sensed it or heard the affinity.
ReplyDeleteYep.....one episode at BBC and compilation at the BFI. Would be great to see just a few clips from it. Will chase up Revolt into Style, and have a read. Revolt into Style was also a rather superb track by Bill Nelson's Red Noise from the album Sound on Sound :)
ReplyDeleteFine memories of a cold winter wet morning, played football, had a bath, watched Zokko, and got ready for the teleprinter for the old first division results.........
ReplyDelete