The Winjin' Pom
| The Winjin' Pom | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Adèle Anderson Mark Arden Stephen Frost Alison Jiear William Todd-Jones |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes per episode |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV Central (CITV) |
| Release | 16 March – 20 April 1991 |
The Winjin' Pom is a television puppet series about a talking British caravan, renowned for his moaning, and five Australians who live and travel in him. The travellers who include Adelaide, Sydney, Bruce, Frazer, and Darwin (respectively a wallaby, an ostrich, a spider, a fruit bat, and a wombat), are members of the Gullagaloona backpackers club and are on a mission to travel the world.
Discovering the caravan near London when lost, the travellers soon find the Winjin' Pom to be one of their biggest allies. A mafia-like team headed by evil Hammond organ playing vulture J.G. Chicago soon discover the caravan's rare ability to speak and decide to hijack it in a sinister plot to make themselves rich.
Part of this mafia gang includes two villainous brothers (who happen to be crows). Ronnie and Reggie ("The Crows") relentlessly chase the caravan and follow the backpackers on their travels in an attempt to steal it always of course failing miserably.
The Winjin' Pom (that name is actually a pun on the "whinging pom" Aussie expression used to refer to a person of British origin who constantly complains about things he has to face) caravan is famous not only for talking but also for flying, something which occurs several episodes in after a hijack by The Crows. This talking-flying caravan was not seen by many people and the series did not air for long.
Written by Richard Carpenter the television series appears to be falsely aimed at teenagers, while it actually contains some impressive dialogues, that tend to vehiculate a certain grittiness now and then, making it somewhat similar in spirit to The Simpsons TV show. The series particularly revolves around the friendly, joking banter on stereotypes: the grumpy Brit and adventurous Australian.
The Winjin' Pom was broadcast in 1991 on commercial television and is owned by Spitting Image Productions and HIT Entertainment PLC. It was directed by Steve Bendelack and is not currently shown on any television network, nor is it available to own on video or DVD. Allegedly, the rights are available for purchase.
Main characters
The Winjin' Pom: a talking, flying (and moaning) British van who acts as a vetust way of transport for the protagonists. Depressive, pessimistic, and prone to self-pitying, Pom tends to see about anything under a negative aspect, but he is nonetheless loyal to his friends, and it is often up to him to save the day when they're in a pinch.
Adelaide: a boyish female wallaby and the unofficial leader of the bunch; cranky and quick to retort, she's a real tomboy and could be somewhat perceived as a feminist, compared to the more feminine Sydney. Adelaide is also skilled in mechanics and can be seen repairing Pom now and then. Named after Adelaide, a city in Australia.
Sydney: a snobbish female ostrich with a taste for bragging and luxury... She complains a lot, and equally seems to annoy the others in return. She's usually the first one to duck and cover in case of danger, usually stuffing her head into a fireman's bucket. She also insists on being referred to as a cassowary, and not an ostrich... Named after Sydney, Australia's largest city.
Darwin: a middle-aged male wombat, Darwin is probably the most sensitive of the group, being an amateur of poetry and a romantic mind. Clumsy, naive to a fault, and easily bewildered, he seems to get a lot on Adelaide and Sydney's nerves, and gets repeatedly called a wimp by his mates. Probably named after another city in Australia, which in turn was named after Charles Darwin.
Frazer: a male fruit bat with a laid-back attitude. A good-hearted, tolerant young guy, Frazer is a cricket fanatic and has a taste for bananas. He's also good friend with Bruce. Named after Charles Fraser, a 19th-century botanist and explorer of Australia. Also, in Australia, an island known as Frazer is home to living fruit bats.
Bruce: an enthusiastic, wise-cracking red-back spider, Bruce's humor is just as deadly as his venom... Though loyal to his friends, he is much of a troublemaker and tends to annoy them moderately, save for Frazer who seems to appreciate him. Upon meeting someone for the first time, Bruce's first question is usually "Can I bite him?"
J.G. Chicago : the heroes' main nemesis, a cold-hearted, calculating vulture who seems to be a sort of powerful underworld boss. A lover of opera, he is sustained by a complex medical apparatus and enjoys playing Hammond organ. J.G. is bent on stealing the Winjin' Pom and using his special abilities for his own benefits.
Ronnie and Reggie, the Crow Twins: a pair of nasty but single-minded crows, Ronnie and Reggie are twin brothers, and J.G.'s snivelling, incompetent associates. They occasionally manage to hijack the Winjin' Pom, but systematically end up failing. Named after the Kray Twins, a pair of existing criminals.
Howard: a male spotted hyena and J.G.'s right hand. Somewhat clumsy and less evil that he'd want to let believe, he has a knack for putting himself into impossible situations. Poor Howard is also clearly terrified by J.G. and appears somewhat pathetic when he has to face his boss' outbursts of anger.
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