In 1973 the incomprehensible pronouncements from a ginger cat named Charley warned children against strangers, matches, water safety and other everyday perils.

The quirky ‘Charley Says’ animated series, with the warning growls ‘voiced’ by the late Kenny Everett, delivered often-stark messages in a darkly comic way. Created by Richard Taylor Cartoons, the garbled meows of the ginger cat were later sampled by UK dance act The Prodigy for the 1991 Top 10 hit ‘Charly’.

Further credence was given to the Charley series in 2005 when it was voted 95th on the Channel 4 TV special 100 Greatest Cartoons.

In recent poll conducted by the BBC News Website in association with The National Archives and The Central Office of Information (COI), the Charley cartoons were voted The Nation’s Favourite Public Information Film.
Read more »

The Opera Season at Covent Garden featuring the Raspberry-Blowing Viking Maiden (Milligan) and her band playing a kettle, a frying pan and a feather duster. From the BBC series Q, which ran from 1969-1982.

In the early 1980s the British government was still printing booklets outlining how to behave in the event of a nuclear strike, and paranoia raged about the possibility of such attacks. Unsurprisingly, the vivid images presented by this docu-drama’s depiction of a nuclear onslaught generated arguments and anxiety. Threads swiftly became a national talking point, attracting praise and protest in equal measure.

Read more »