A Sausage the Dog replica marionette commissioned for the BBC's 'Small People' children's TV promotion (1998-1999).

The original Sausage the Dog marionette appeared on the BBC television programme 'Picture Book', which first aired on 14 February 1955, as part of the 'Watch With Mother' strand of children’s television. Each day featured a different segment, Picture Book aired on Mondays.

The show was created by the Head of BBC Children’s Television, Freda Lingstrom, following a similar format to previous 'Watch with Mother' segments. 'Picture Book' featured the puppet Sausage the Dog with a human presenter, Patricia Driscoll, then later Vera McKechnie. The presenter held a picture book prop, leading to illustrated stories or making activities that younger viewers could copy. Unlike earlier puppets Sausage the Dog would speak, albeit with a limited vocabulary.

This replica was produced 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. This puppet was made at a larger scale and appears with other puppet characters from the 1950s.