Andy Pandy and Ben', all having a similar format-filmed marionettes, there was also an animated drawn character called 'Busy Lizzy' incorporated into the "Picture book" series. All the filmed black and white 1950s original transmissions were narrated by Maria Bird, who was to become a co-producer, with Freda Lingstrom, who worked for the BBC. Bird was a prolific writer of books for the very young, notably Andy Pandy, but it was for her distinct BBC English" enunciation that she is best remembered. A marionette who lived in a picnic basket, Andy was later joined by Teddy, a teddy bear, and Looby Loo,
Andy Pandy Initially the programmes were transmitted live, but it was realised that if the programmes were filmed, they could be repeated. Twenty-six episodes of fifteen minutes duration were filmed on 16mm, and were produced around 1952; they were repeated continuously until 1969 . In 1970, thirteen new episodes were made in colour with Vera McKechnie as narrator. In one episode Andy Pandy sees how high he can go on a swing, an episode featured in the 1987 compilation by BBC Video. Under the umbrella title "Watch With Mother" as well as the Andy Pandy episodes, there were also "The Woodentops", 'Bill