Little Weed Marionette

Reproduction of Little Weed which was commissioned for and appeared in the BBC's ‘Little People’ children’s television promotion (1998-1999).

"The Flower Pot Men" was first broadcast on 12 December 1952. It was the second programme conceived by Freda Lingstrom, Head of BBC Children’s Broadcasting, and Maria Bird under their production company Westerham Arts. The show was made at Lime Grove Studios. In 1953 the show was brought under the new "Watch With Mother" banner with similar puppet programmes aimed at the very young. Episodes were produced until 1954 then regularly repeated. A stop-motion remake, "Bill and Ben", was created in 2001.

Little Weed grew between Bill and Ben’s flower pots. The puppet had limited movement.

This replicas were produced at larger than original scale for the BBC promotional film "Future Generations: Small People" which premiered as part of Children in Need in 1998. The film was a successor to the BBC’s "Perfect Day" promo celebrating music at the BBC. "Small People" highlights the importance of the licence fee in funding programming for young people. The film follows child actor Scott Chisholm through memorable scenes from children’s television history by superimposing the actor or recreating famous scenes. Little Weed appears with Bill and Ben and other puppet characters from the 1950s.