Stoppit and Tidyup [DVD] [1988]

This is genius!

I remember it from when I were a lad, and if anything its even better now (although I have also watched it with my girlfriend's 3 year old nephew and he loved it). It runs like a morality play, with Terry Wogan some sort of Jehova figure in the background. I could go on about this for hours, but here are my favourite characters.

-Stoppit is a kind of A.D.H.D blob monster, who is very naughty and is summarily punished when bad. When he is angry and complaining (almost all of the time), Tidyup bounces him on the floor until he is quiet (this is reminiscent of my own childhood experiences with my sibling). Just in case you think that being naughty is cool, Stoppit is shown living in a rubbish dump. Obviously a shell of a man, unable to get work. He reminds me a bit of Cartman down on his luck.

-Tidyup seems to suffer from a form of Tourette's syndrome as he constantly screams at quite innappropriate times. He is the glue that holds the stories together. Despite his difficulties, everyone likes him because he is honest and decent. What a triumph for the human spirit!

-Go-to-bed is the living embodiment of a Monday morning. He is always tired probably because he is partying too hard the night before all the time. But he is never allowed to sleep. In this way we learn that those who over-indulge will never find their rest, or the release that they are looking for. Go-to-bed is, for me, the best but most tragic character.

-Go-and-play is a little scary, and seems to be the Prometheus of the story. He looks like he is older than the rest of the gang, and yet all he does is play with his toys on his rock. And try to start games of football. All the time he wears only a wierd shorts and shoes n' socks ensemble, never a shirt. He has piercing black eyes. He is not the kind of person I would let any kid play with. Which is probably why he's all alone on his rock-hill-thing. He has clearly been set there as a sort of ironic punishment -- he likes to play with people, but has misbehaved, and so is set on his rock WITH ALL THE TOYS IN THE WORLD BUT NO FRIENDS! All it needs is for an eagle to tear at his sides and we have a Greek legend.

-Clean-your-teeth is the rich (£££) character of the bunch. He looks like Elvis Presley would if you were on acid. Since he is always scarily, uncompromisingly happy and owns a swimming pool when his neighbours potter about in their own filth in the dump eating nothing but gherkins, I remain unconvinced he is not a representation of a Colombian drugs lord. Tidyup makes him pay for this crime by smashing up his pool: Good lad!

As an atheist, I have based my entire ethical framework for my life on this cartoon, and it seems to have done some good. Bless the makers of this DVD for reminding me how good things were! It is suitable for kids, and enjoyable for the adults watching with them.

This series was a one-off wonder.
Terry Wogan guides us merrily through this series with all the hilarious adventures of Stoppit and Tidyup. I watched this series as a kid, and I've been waiting for it to be released (although thinking it probably never would) !! Alas ! My prayers have been answered !! A crate of lager and 5 of my mates around to laugh at the hilarious foghorn noises stoppit makes when excited, or the way the big bad I said no reacts to getting punched. This series was pure genius !! BRING IT BACK !!!

I had never seen this show before but my boyfriend remembered it plus we like random things so we decided to buy the DVD. It has to be one of the best children's programmes ever! I am 19 and my boyfriend is 25 but we absolutely loved this. The characters are so original and funny and the names (for example the land of do-as-you're-told) are satirical and allow parents to laugh at themselves. Terry Wogan's narration is also hilarious with the little comments he randomly adds. i can't believe they don't still show this.