Rosie and Jim


Rosie and Jim is a British children's television programme which was produced by Ragdoll Productions and aired on ITV from 3 September 1990 to 10 March 2000, and on PBS from 5 September 1992 to 31 March 2001. The programme continued to be repeated periodically on CITV until August 2004. In January 2013, CITV aired the first episode, Locks, as part of the channel's 30th anniversary Old Skool Weekend.

Story

Rosie and Jim are two rag dolls who live aboard a narrowboat called the Ragdoll, which is from the West Midlands. There, they sit with a concertina on their lap, and come alive when no one is looking to explore the world that they pass by on the canal. They learn to experience things by following the Ragdolls owner on his or her adventures, and secretly joining in with them. Usually, they end up causing trouble, but they are never detected because no one ever sees them.

Characters

Rosie

Rosie is the female rag doll. In their adventures, she carries a bag that has her name written on it. She wears a yellow dress and has long shaggy black hair. She is often heard referring to the boat driver as "fizzgog", "loopy lobes" and "tootle". She sometimes calls Jim "Noggin". Her skin colour changed from light to darker from series 3.

Jim

Jim is the male rag doll. In their adventures, he can be seen carrying a notebook, in which he sometimes draws things that he has seen. He has short red hair and wears light brown trousers, a shirt with a red scarf, and a brown waistcoat. He also refers to the boat driver as "fizzgog", "loopy lobes" and "tootle". The shade of his skin has changed slightly throughout the series.

Duck

Duck sits on top of the Ragdoll boat. He can not talk but can be heard quacking when there are no humans around so that both Rosie and Jim know that the coast is clear. During many episodes, either Rosie or Jim can be seen kissing the duck.

Narrowboat owners

Rosie and Jim's home is the narrowboat Ragdoll. Throughout its run the boat was acquired by three owners, each one playing a role according to their profession.
An author who writes stories about Rosie and Jim based upon his own everyday outings. Cunliffe is the only presenter to break the fourth wall, delivering pieces to camera and narration throughout every episode, which ended with a self-penned short cutout animated story done by Alan Rogers and Peter Lang.
An illustrator who creates pictures, gathering ideas from her adventures. Each episode would start with Pat finishing a drawing of Rosie and Jim and end with an illustration, again by Pat, based upon the episode. At the end of each episode, Duck would be hidden in the picture, with Rosie and Jim trying to find him. Pat also illustrated the books and art work for the videos between 1995 and 1996. Hutchins is the only female presenter of the series.
A singer and musician who plays the harmonica and the concertina. Neil would begin each episode looking for his harmonica followed by Rosie and Jim talking about and introducing him. Brewer would often end each episode with a song played on his concertina; prompted by Rosie and Jim who would leave the instrument for him to play, next to Duck. At the end of each episode, the rag dolls would often join in with the song, unknown to Neil. Brewer became the longest serving owner of the boat and was the only one to star in a live theatre tour of the show in 2000. Brewer is the only presenter to be in more than just 2 seasons.
Following the boat's redundancy from Ragdoll Productions, it is no longer on display to the public.

Episodes

Season 1 (1990–1991) – John Cunliffe

UK VHS releases

Australian VHS releases

VHS TitleRelease DateEpisodes
Rosie and Jim - Volume 1 - Locks, Painting, Supermarket and Tunnel 8 March 1999Locks, Painting, Supermarket and Tunnel
Rosie and Jim - Volume 2 - Horse Towing, Glass, Boat Building and Washing 14 June 1999Horse Towing, Glass, Boat Building and Washing
Rosie and Jim - Volume 3 - Coal, Clipping, Falcons and Woollen Mill 11 October 1999Coal, Clipping, Falcons and Woollen Mill
Rosie and Jim - Volume 4 - Bread, Shopping, Weaving and Ferry 14 February 2000Bread, Shopping, Weaving and Ferry
Rosie and Jim - Volume 5 - Milking, Sailing, Steam and Abbey 8 May 2000Milking, Sailing, Steam and Abbey
Rosie and Jim - Volume 6 - Breakdown, Pottery, Fairground, Letters and Finding the Way 12 July 2000Breakdown, Pottery, Fairground, Letters and Finding the Way
Rosie and Jim - Volume 7 - Automata, Butterflies, House and Hair 14 March 2001Automata, Butterflies, House and Hair
Rosie and Jim - Volume 8 - School, Bricks, Small Animals and Hats 13 June 2001School, Bricks, Small Animals and Hats
Rosie and Jim - Volume 9 - Hospital, Boat Painting, Sheepdog and Waterworks 3 September 2001Hospital, Boat Painting, Sheepdog and Waterworks
Rosie and Jim - Volume 10 - Blacksmith, Library, Dredging and Rope 13 March 2002Blacksmith, Library, Dredging and Rope
Rosie and Jim - Volume 11 - Trees, Shoes, Brass and Flying 19 June 2002Trees, Shoes, Brass and Flying
Rosie and Jim - Volume 12 - Coracle, Puppet Show, Shire Horses, Eggs and Boat Festival 21 October 2002Coracle, Puppet Show, Shire Horses, Eggs and Boat Festival
Rosie & Jim - Gingerbread Man and other Stories 2 April 2003Radio Station, Babies, Steam Train, Barn Owl and Gingerbread Man
Rosie & Jim - Duck Gets Lost and other Stories 2 April 2003Musical Instruments, Flower Baskets, Duck Gets Lost, Ten Pin Bowling and Sneezes
Rosie & Jim - Lovely Bananas and other Stories 2 April 2003Digging for Potatoes, Pony Riding, Lovely Bananas, Splish Splash Splosh and Down on the Farm
Rosie & Jim - The Disappearing Sausages and other Stories 2 April 2003The Hat Factory, The Disappearing Sausages, Soapy Duck, Bouncy Castles and A Special Dance
Rosie & Jim - Roller Skating and other Stories 2 April 2003Flood on the Boat, The Shoemaker, Scarecrow, Roller Skating and Stars at Night
Rosie & Jim - Acrobats and other Stories 13 August 2003Acrobats, Earrings, Gondola, Mouse and Floating Restaurant
Rosie & Jim - On Safari and other Stories 13 August 2003On Safari, Exercise, Little Lost Kitten, Stripes and Magical Lights
Rosie & Jim - Making Pizza and Other Stories 13 August 2003Making Pizza, Shop Window, Visiting the Vet, Bus Ride, Dog Training, Winning the Race, The Milkman, Ballroom Dancing, The Umbrella Factory and Sleep Baby
Rosie & Jim - The Christmas Lights 12 November 2003-

DVD