The Poddington Peas is an animated British children's television series made by Paul Needs and Colin Wyatt; the single series has 13 episodes and was first aired on the BBC in 1989.
The theme song describes the peas as being "down at the bottom of the garden". Human size garden objects, giant in size to them, are seen such as up turned flower pots serving as most of their buildings. Humans themselves are never seen or mentioned.
In 1992, writer Phil Gardner was employed by Poddington plc to help write some new episodes - including one intended to pilot the series in the USA, and featuring a new group of characters, the Bugz. however these were never published.
There were also paper back books by Paul Needs, illustrated by Colin Wyatt and published by Box Tree / Award Publications. The paper back books including new titles was released with a new AP and merchandise to complement these titles were released in 2013.
The cartoon features a cast of anthropomorphic peas, most of their names describe the character's job or their main trait similar to the Smurfs, and are plays on words typically "pea" sounding like "-py" such as "Creep-Pea" sounding like "Creepy".
The Poddington Peas include:
(Most of the peas are male. Below, the females are stated, the others are male.)
Black-Eyed Pea: mischievous pea with a black eye patch. Darker shade of green than the others and usually seen with Creep-Pea; together they are often the villains.
Bump-Pea: Clumsy pea covered in bumps; wears a big plaster.
Captain Hop-Pea: Nautical captain pea with a wooden leg. Sometimes appears to be in charge.
Chip-Pea: A female "chippy" or fish-and-chip-shop worker.
Chop-Pea: Lumberjack pea with stereotypical hat and axe.
Creep-Pea: Creepy looking mischievous pea, with a long pointy nose. Darker shade of green than the others and usually seen with Black-Eyed Pea; together they are often the villains.
Dough-Pea: "Dopey", simple-minded pea and also a cook who wears a big white cook's hat.
Dump-Pea: Fat greedy dumpy pea; always eating.
Garden Pea: Pea who likes gardening; has a straw hat and a spade.
G-Pea: A GP or general practitioner, the doctor pea, who has white hair, glasses and a stethoscope.
Grump-Pea: A very grumpy-looking pea who likes to moan.
Hap-Pea: The happy good natured pea often the main character. Wears a red baseball cap.
Hip-Pea: Musical hippie 60s-era pea; has long blonde hair and a guitar.
Jump-Pea: Pea with spring-like legs who uses them to jump high.
Nap-Pea: Penela-Pea's baby, who sits in a push chair and wears a large nappy.
P.C. Pod: The policeman pea.
Penela-Pea: Female pea who pushes her baby, Nap-Pea, around in a push chair.
Pop-Pea: Old man pea, has glasses, walking stick and white hair, although he is mostly bald.
Pup-Pea: Small Puppy pea.
Scoop-Pea: The Podding Press newspaper editor; wears glasses and a green eyeshade visor.
Scrap-Pea: The scruffy tool and scrap worker; has blue hat, stubble and a hammer.
Skip-Pea: Little girl pea with blond hair in pigtails, always skipping with her skipping rope.
Sleep-Pea: Pea that wears a night cap and sleeps too much.
Slop-Pea: An artist painter covered in blobs of paint; has messy red hair.
Snap-Pea: The Poddington Press newspaper photographer; has hat and camera.
Snip-Pea: A barber with a mustache and smartly combed hair.
Snoop-Pea: Detective with a Sherlock Holmes style deerstalker hat and magnifying glass.
Soap-Pea: Always has soapy bubbles covering her head, she often blows bubbles.
Sweep-Pea:Street sweeper pea, wears cap and carries a broom and bin.
Sweet Pea: Blonde sweet female pea.
Tea-Pea: Female pea who is a Tea lady; often has a teapot and teacup.
Wee McPea: Small pea, stereotype Scot, with ginger mustache and Tam o'shanter
Weep-Pea: Easily upset pea who always cries.
Zip-Pea: Fast pea, always running around quickly.
Episode title and original air date:
- The Vegetable Show (14 September 1989)
- Creep-Pea Gets Carried Away (21 September 1989)
- Dump-Pea's Diet (28 September 1989)
- Mound of Trouble (5 October 1989)
- Hip-Pea's Band (12 October 1989)
- Well Done Dump-Pea (19 October 1989)
- Zip-Pea Saves the Day (26 October 1989)
- The Balloonatics (2 November 1989)
- Poddle Island Mystery (9 November 1989)
- Dough-Pea Gets Lost (16 November 1989)
- Zip-Pea's Shadow (23 November 1989)
- Bubble Trouble (30 November 1989)
- Creep-Pea's Christmas Surprise (7 December 1989)
Written and created by: Paul Needs
Original Designs: Colin Wyatt
Directors: Colin White, Tony Garth
Series Director: Pat Gavin
Producer: Laurie Frost
Executive Producers: Ian Green, Clive Lester
Narration: Neil Pearson
Music and Lyrics: Geoff Stephens
Production Managers: Muriel MacLeod, Heather Pedley
Animation Director: Tony Garth
Animation: Barry Hales, Simon (Jiminy) Turner, Stephen Hales, Billy Allison, Kevin Baldwin, Anna Brockett, Paul Chung, Arthur De Cloedt, Terry Dormer, Bob Godfrey, Tony Guy, Colin Hughes, Arthur Humberstone, Willard Kitchen, Charles MacRae, Neil Salmon, Kim Stephenson, Paul Stone, Glenn Whiting, Rob Newman
Layouts: Clive Dawson, Arthur De Cloedt, Terry Dormer, Ted Pettengell
Backgrounds: Sue Branch, Pat Gavin, Ian Henderson, Ray Rankine, Gary Sycamore
Tracers: Mark Cheeseman, Rona Couper
Painters: Sarah Marsden, Lisa Stephenson, Lynn Durrans, Beverley Allan, Dena Mackenzie, Alex Barclay, Christine Courtney, Tessa Farrington, Heather Fisher, Beryl Godfrey, Denise Harnbry, Louise Harding, Lynette Hodson, Brian Holmes, Sophie Law, Philip Lee, Jacqui Millar, Audrey Murch, Emma Tornero
Key Grip Natalie Mills
Editor: Keith Holden
Paint and Trace Supervisor: Henrietta Maslin
Title Animation: Harold Whitaker
Checking: Russell March
Coordinator: Louise Harding
A Cairnvale Production for Poddington PLC
