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Rainbow(TV show/series, 1972-1992)

20min per episode | Genres: Comedy, Kids & Family

Scripted Reality in 23 seasons with 1,044 episodes

RainbowRating: 3.3/5 (with 9 votes)
Rainbow is a British children's television series, created by Pamela Lonsdale, which ran from 16 October 1972 until 6 March 1992, made by Thames Television. The series was revived by Tetra Films from 10 January 1994 until 24 March 1997, in two different formats from the original Thames series, with differing cast members. The series was originally conceived as a British equivalent of American educational puppet series Sesame Street. The British series was developed in house by Thames Television, and had no input from the Children's Television Workshop. It was intended to develop language and social skills for pre-school children and went on to win the Society of Film and Television Arts Award for Best Children's Programme in 1975. It aired five times weekly, twice weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays then Tuesdays and Fridays, and finally once weekly at 12:10 on Fridays on the ITV network. The show had three producers over its lifetime – Pamela Lonsdale, Charles Warren and Joe Boyer. The original Thames series has gained cult status and continues to get frequent mentions on radio and television. A few DVDs have been produced, including one celebrating 30 Years of Rainbow. ()
Poster of Rainbow

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About Rainbow

Children's puppet programme featuring music and stories. Join George, Bungle, Zippy, and all their friends at the Rainbow House, always an exciting place to be.

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Rainbow Seasons and Episodes

09/13/1991Season 23 - 24 episodes
#1 | 09/13/1991A Trip to Spain
It's a hot day and Zippy and George wish that they could be on holiday so everyone pretends that they're going on a trip to Spain. Geoffrey pretends to sell ice cream and then everyone goes to a restaurant where Dawn is the waitress. George, Zippy and Bungle learn some Spanish words and everyone sings "Viva La Espana".
#2 | 09/20/1991Something to Care For
Geoffrey, Zippy, George and Bungle have just got back from the zoo and Zippy wants a real elephant for a pet. Geoffrey goes to the pet shop and buys a guinea pig which Zippy calls Gilbert. Zippy wants to look after Gilbert for the first week and take good care of him. George gives Zippy some carrots to give to Gilbert and Bungles collected some newspapers for the hutch, but Zippy's more interested in playing with his toy car. Zippy cant be bothered to clean out Gilbert's hutch or give him any food or change his water, so Geoffrey decides to teaches him a lesson. Geoffrey gives everyone lunch apart from Zippy, so when Zippy asks why Geoffrey says he's been far too busy watching TV. Zippy then gets mad and goes to his room to read his comics, but then complains about how messy it is. Geoffrey then tells Zippy off for not looking after Gilbert, so Zippy goes to clean his hutch and takes him some food. Geoffrey reads a story called 'Alby All Alone'.
#3 | 09/27/1991Getting in a Muddle
Geoffrey's talking to Dawn's sister Annette on the phone about finding things for the jumble sale, but a kite has got stuck up in a tree and Zippy ends up getting tangled up when he climbs up to get it. Bungle can't unravel it, but George manages to. Geoffrey's sorting out clothes for the jumble sale, but Bungle mishears him and thinks Geoffrey's taking them to the jungle and taking a net. Zippy thinks he's going to give all the old clothes to the animals and Bungle goes to put them all in a suitcase. Everyone's just about to leave to go to the jumble sale when Annette rings Geoffrey and he tells her the lovely things he's found for the jumble sale, lots of bits of old newspaper, bits of straw and some chewed carrot, but that's not right so he speaks with Zippy, George and Bungle. Bungle then realizes they're going to the jumble and not the jungle and Dawn's sister Annette is coming and not a net. Geoffrey reads a story called 'Monty's Muddled Monday'. Then he tells Zippy, Bungle and George that they're going to see Aunty Jean tomorrow, but Bungle thinks they're going to sea in a submarine.
#4 | 10/04/1991The Seaside Show
Everyone's come back from the seaside and Bungle suggests that they should all put on their own seaside show. Dawn plays the music, Zippy and George do a balancing act, Bungle does a song and dance and Geoffrey performs some magic tricks.
#5 | 10/11/1991Without a Voice
Geoffrey, George and Bungle are getting ready for a boat trip across the river, but Zippy's not very well and has lost his voice, so they all decide to go on a pretend boat trip instead. Zippy pretends to be the captain of the boat, but as he can't speak Geoffrey gives the orders for him. Bungle pretends to swim in the water and then they get shipwrecked on a desert island. Everyone has a picnic and then Geoffrey reads a story called 'Chirp Finds His Voice'. Geoffrey gives Zippy some medicine and then he falls asleep.
#6 | 10/18/1991Geoffrey's Big Occasion
Geoffrey recieves an invite to a royal garden party.
#7 | 10/25/1991I'm the King of the Castle
Geoffrey tells the gang a bedtime story. The handsome Prince George goes to find the beautiful princess Zippelina.
#8 | 11/01/1991Naughty Zippy
Zippy's being very naughty and knocks down Bungle's tower he's made from building blocks, so Geoffrey, George and Bungle decide to do something about it. Geoffrey reads a story called 'Bossy Billy'.
#9 | 11/08/1991Safety First
Geoffrey needs to mend a swing in the garden and tells Zippy, George and Bungle not to use it, but Bungle goes on it and ends up falling over hurting himself and Geoffrey's not best pleased. Geoffrey reads a story called 'Fetch A Pail Of Water'. Geoffrey, Zippy, George and Bungle make a first aid box. Geoffrey's finished mending the swing, so he asks if Bungle wants to go on it, but Bungle plays a trick on Geoffrey.
#10 | 11/15/1991Surprise Surprise
Zippy, George and Geoffrey can hear Bungle making noise upstairs, but Bungle won't tell them what's going on. However he tells Zippy and George that he's tidying up their bedroom as a surprise for Geoffrey, but Zippy accidentally lets it slip, so Geoffrey pretends he doesn't know a thing. Geoffrey decides that he, Zippy and Bungle should make a surprise for Bungle, but George has to make sure Zippy doesn't let their secret slip. Bungle shows Geoffrey the new room and he's very impressed, but then Bungle finds out he knew already what was happening. Bungle loves the mobiles Geoffrey, Zippy and George made for the room. Geoffrey reads a story called 'A Big Surprise For Bertie'. Then Zippy gets a surprise as Geoffrey and George made him a model house and he loves it.
#11 | 11/22/1991Sing Song
Zippy wants to listen to his records, George wants to listen to the radio and Geoffrey would rather watch TV, so they ask Bungle to choose what to do and he decides they should have a sing song.
#12 | 11/29/1991Zippy Sets Them Up
Zippy's being unusually helpful today and offers to help George find some leaves, do the washing up for Geoffrey and help tidy the loft for Bungle. Geoffrey reds Bungle a story called 'Tat The Cat Helping Out'. Geoffrey then finds out Zippy only said he'd help out so he could win a big picnic hamper in the local newspaper's competition.
#13 | 12/06/1991Taking Turns
Geoffrey and Bungle take turns dancing with Dawn, while Zippy wantt to play a trick on Geoffrey using his toy spider, but things don't turn out as he expects. There's one chocolate cake left, so Geoffrey cuts it in to four pieces for Zippy, George, Bungle and himself. Geoffrey reads a story called 'Helping Humpty and then everyone sings "London's Burning".
#14 | 12/13/1991Snow
It's snowing outside and Bungle gets covered in snow. Geoffrey makes some paper snowflakes. Geoffrey makes some snowballs from cotton wool and Bungle builds a snowman. It's also snowing in Swallow Street where Grandma Bricks lives.
#15 | 12/20/1991Treasure Hunt
Bungle dreams about looking for treasure in a magic jungle and meet some unusual charcters along the way including the Jungle Jinx and a talking tree.
#16 | 01/10/1992The Zippybread Man
It's raining so the rainbow gang can't go to the park. Dawn brings round some gingerbread men biscuits she's baked. Geoffrey tells the story of the gingerbread man. Zippy ends up eating all the biscuits and needs to lie down and dreams about a Zippybread Man. The story of the Gingerbread Boy comes to life. Can the fox catch him? Geoffrey plays a little old man and Dawn plays his wife, George plays a cow and Bungle plays a fox who wants to eat the little Zippybread man.
#17 | 01/17/1992Auntie Pays a Visit
Auntie Patsy comes to visit quite unexpectedly, but Bungle, Zippy and George are not very happy when she has to have their bedroom for the night. Auntie gives Bungle, George and Zippy some gifts, but they are very disappointed with the things she has bought them. Geoffrey reads the story "A Very Special Visitor". Later, before bedtime, Bungle, Zippy and George get some pillows from the bedroom and notice Auntie's vanishing cream and they think it is for making her invisible. That night they become curious to know if Auntie has vanished, so Bungle, Zippy and George creep into the room where Auntie is sleeping to check whether she is still there or not. They wake Auntie up, but luckily she finds it funny when they explain about them thinking the vanishing cream was to make her invisible.
#18 | 01/24/1992Ice and Water
#19 | 01/31/1992Getting Organised
Bungle can't find his farm animals puzzle and is making a mess while looking for them. So Zippy decides it's time to get organised and sort all the toys out but will Zippy's organizing go to plan?
#20 | 02/07/1992The Invitation
#21 | 02/14/1992Back Tracking
Right after Zippy helps Dawn pack her shopping basket the TV remote goes missing, everyone thinks back and tries to remember when they last saw it.
#22 | 02/21/1992Noise
#23 | 02/28/1992Let's Play a Game
#24 | 03/06/1992If Only We Hadn't
08/31/1990Season 22 - 24 episodes
09/08/1989Season 21 - 24 episodes
01/05/1988Season 20 - 51 episodes
09/04/1987Season 19 - 16 episodes
08/01/1986Season 18 - 54 episodes
08/02/1985Season 17 - 49 episodes
08/03/1984Season 16 - 44 episodes
01/06/1984Season 15 - 29 episodes
08/05/1983Season 14 - 22 episodes
01/07/1983Season 13 - 30 episodes
01/04/1982Season 12 - 36 episodes
10/12/1981Season 11 - 24 episodes
10/16/1980Season 10 - 73 episodes
10/26/1979Season 9 - 69 episodes
10/02/1978Season 8 - 80 episodes
12/26/1977Season 7 - 61 episodes
11/02/1976Season 6 - 50 episodes
09/08/1975Season 5 - 78 episodes
09/16/1974Season 4 - 67 episodes
03/04/1974Season 3 - 34 episodes
04/16/1973Season 2 - 55 episodes
10/16/1972Season 1 - 50 episodes
12/23/1979Specials - 2 episodes

Additional Information

Production country: United Kingdom (UK)
Original language: English (EN)
Spoken languages: English (EN)
Translated into 2 languages: English (EN), Portuguese (PT)
Status: Canceled
First episode released on: 10/16/1972
Last episode released on: 03/06/1992
Cast: Stanley Bates, Rod Burton, David Cook, Matthew Corbett, Geoffrey Hayes, Ronnie Le Drew, Freddy Marks, Roy Skelton, Jane Tucker, Roger Walker
Director: Jackie Cooper
Presenter/Host: David Cook

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WatchPlayStream ID: SHOWS:6843, Added: 05/12/2018, Last updated: 04/06/2024