19 April 2007

Remembering NZ culture

New Zealand culture, almost forgotten. A kids show called “A Haunting We Will Go” starring a Count Homogenised, who was vampire like but loved drinking milk.
^
Virtually no sign of it appears online, except kiwis asking about it.
^
Someone must have a video recording of it somewhere, or have acted in it or the like. How good (or bad) is TVNZ in archiving its past?
^
even more parochial is Buzz O'Bumble and Lindsay Yeo. As a Wellington kid, this was part of the staple morning radio diet in the car on the way to school. Of course, absolutely nobody outside Wellington in the 1970s and 1980s knew anything about this, and there were records! Buzz O'Bumble and his girlfriend/wife Belinda, but funniest of all their kids were Bimbo, Bonnie and Bobo ("three little bees we all know" so went the song). So politically incorrect was Wally Weta (who was bad, which is wrong nowadays because they are endangered yada yada yada, but I knew as a kid that they look scary and horrible so i didn't care did I?). Lindsay Yeo apparently did Buzz's "voice" by some humming with a comb and a piece of paper (well sounded like it).
^
Lindsay Yeo of course is now a memory for Wellingtonians, appearing mostly on local TV ads as a voiceover, he went from number one to slide down the ratings pole before disappearing off air when 2ZB became Newstalk ZB and Classic Hits was set up. However, I DO thank Lindsay Yeo for having created Buzz O'Bumble (and who can forget the song sung by a group of kids, maybe Yeo's kids who must now be in their 30s) which simply went "Buzz O'Bumble Buzz O'Bumble Buzz O'Bumble Bee..... " ad infinitum or with a "have a banana" thrown in for comedy effect.
^
there is also Chic Littlewood and Chic Chat (with Willie McNab) and Chic Littlewood is at least still around and getting work.

15 comments:

Rick said...

Yes!
Yes Liberty Scott!

I want to see some Count Homogenised too! The time has come!

Never knew the name of the show. I know that Play School/Shark in The Park guy - Russle someone- was the count. And I know he reprised it for some telephon or other. All else are memories from a 3 or 4 year old.

I think they had good music in that show too.

Seamonkey Madness said...

Constable Keith & Woof?
Terry Teo?

=)

Steve said...

Me too! Where is the Count and Terry Teo???!!!

Anonymous said...

If it makes you feel any better at all I just found my Greatest NZ Hits of All Time two disc CD set....

Anonymous said...

I met Lindsay Yoe just today. He is going strong and living in Nelson.

Buzz

Anonymous said...

Down the memory hole along with Woolly Valley and Space Knights. Thanks for the title of the programme, I only remembered Count Homogenised and a bit from one episode where he was arrested for impersonating a police car because he had a flashing blue light strapped to his head.

Nick said...

Heres the guy that acted as the count...Russell Smith...

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0809831/

I'm really struggling to find anything on the two The Mad Dog Gang films (1978 & 1979) and the Sea Urchins. That was some kids old school gold!

There seems to virtually nothing around on Terry Teo and the gunrunners.

GuanoLad said...

I once co-wrote a TV series that appeared as part of What Now? and it was such a thrill to find that they cast Russell Smith in one of the roles!! Wow, Count Homogenised is reading dialogue I wrote!!

I also used to live near where The Mad Dog Gang was filmed, some of my friends from a neighbouring school were extras in it, and I also have met many of the crew who worked on it.

Okay, who remembers The Kids From O.W.L.?

Anonymous said...

The kids from OWL, wow thats a trip back.

Where exactly was it that Mad dog gang filmed? I would really love to see that come to dvd. I've contacted TVNZ about them reproducing some of those classics to DVD and praise them for putting out Under the mountain. But to real response from them I'm afraid.

Anonymous said...

FYI mrvintage.co.nz just released a count homogonised t-shirt today!

Anonymous said...

Dear Liberty Scott

Some British people have created
a websidte for Luna - the science
fiction comedy that aired in 1983 to
85. There appear to be no surviving
editions on tape - just tragic.

I am fascinated by OWL ( I am 39 )
( the kids from OWL ) and SLIME
( Southern Lattitued Internation
Movement of Evil ). The characters
where disabled - one was in a wheel
chair, one was vision impaired.

Would love to speak with you
James.heine002@msd.govt.nz

Libertyscott said...

A Count Homogenised tshirt will be brilliant. I don't remember OWL or SLIME, don't know what I was doing when that was on!

Anonymous said...

I met Linday Yeo and BuzzO Bumble 32 years ago when I was 6!

My older sister took me to the BuzzOBumble stage show in Wellington and I was one of the lucky kids selected to come onstage and meet the Buzz and to choose a prize. For reasons I haven't understood to this day, I chose the Wonderwoman comic! Why oh why did I do that? It still haunts me to this day. I can remember I was incredibly nervous on the stage and Lindsay had to ask my name 3 times or so because I was a quiet little mouse!

What a laugh.

dolphin said...

Years ago when I was in Akaroa we went itno a coffee bar, only to be told it was closed.The man telling us that was none other than Count Homogonised himself. When I called him that he said 'Oh Mum' and came and gave me a big hug. My, now grown up kids still remeber the day thier Mum had a hug from The Count.

Unknown said...

What about the jingle "Good morning, good morning, a brand new way to start the day....,