"Postman Pat, Postman Pat, Postman Pat and his black and white cat."
1981 British stop motion series set around the life of postman Pat Clifton and his job as the only local postman for the village of Greendale. He is constantly accompanied by his black and white cat Jess. Fondly remembered by many Brits and considered a essential childhood show. Another version of the show was made in 2004 which expanded on the original concept slightly.
2008 has given us a new spin-off
Postman Pat Special Delivery Service an "action packed" version set in the new town of Pencaster with Pat's reliable "PAT 1" red Royal Mail van being replaced by:
- An "Eco-Van" for large deliveries ("PAT 2")
- A "Mini Van" for smaller deliveries ("PAT 4")
- A motorbike ("PAT 5")
- And a Helicopter for tricky deliveries ("PAT 3")
First aired on
BBC1 and still considered an essential CBBC show to this day.
Tropes in this show include:
- Affectionate Parody: Harry Enfield made a version titled Il Postino Pat, which changes the style to that of an Italian opera... and has Pat shot by fascists. Bonus points for having the same awkward walk and jerky movements of the stop motion animation transferred to the live actors.
- Later Enfield would make another one with Paul Whitehouse, titled Parking Pattaweyo, starring a mild-mannered (or not) African traffic warden named, well, Pattaweyo. ...And his black and white cattaweyo.
- Ageless Birthday Episode: Postman Pat's Birthday sees Pat keeping his birthday a secret, up until he finds out that everyone knows about it, but they wouldn't tell him how!
- Blind Without Em: Happens in this Specsavers advert
. - Cats Are Mean - Averted, Jess is sometimes mischievous but never mean.
- Character Name and the Noun Phrase - Or Postman Pat's [Fill the blank]
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: A few key supporting characters; Miss Hubbard, Peter Fogg, Granny Dryden, Major Forbes and Sam Waldron vanished when the series was revived.
- Cool Car - His bright red van.
- Expository Theme Tune - Yes, for the daily life of a postman.
- Four-Fingered Hands: Pat is guilty of these, and that's why he was banned in Japan!
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming - Postman Pat (or just Pat in the 80s episodes) is in almost every title. Save two in the first season.
- The Kiddie Ride - The infamous van, which saw two redesigns when license was first transferred to R.G. Mitchells, then Fun2Learn. Also available from Fun2Learn is the helicopter from Postman Pat: SDS. OMC Electronics also made a ride with a strange design where kids sat on a sack of mail next to Pat. Notably though, the rides are popular enough in the UK to warrant an appearance (albeit apparently in the form of a generic postie van modified to play the Postman Pat theme tune) in the Mr. Bean episode Mind The Baby, Mr. Bean. They even appeared outside the REAL post offices!
- Massive Multiplayer Crossover: Pat appeared in 5 children's compliation tapes that weren't made by The BBC. The first was Postman Pat's Birthday in NSPCC Children's TV Favourites Volume 1 in 1990, then came an excerpt from Postman Pat's ABC in NSPCC Children's TV Favourites Volume 2 (when they should've used an episode from the TV show) in 1993, Postman Pat's Birthday again in My Best Friends, also in 1993, Rainy Day in My Best Friends Too in 1994, and a 1996 episode, Hole in the Road, in Calling all Toddlers in 1999. He most certainly was big for a postman...
- The Movie: Yes, there is one in the works, and it will apparently be a 3-D Movie starring the likes of David Tennant and Rupert Grint.
- No Antagonist - Most episodes are like this, with inclement weather, lost kites, special events (such as fetes and birthdays) and too-small suits of armour amongst others typically being the things that drive the plot, rather than a conflict between characters.
- Oop North - Greendale is supposedly in Cumbria, and Pencaster is supposed to be in North Yorkshire.
- Plank Gag: While Pat rollerskates down a road, Ted walks across with a ladder. Pat hits the ladder and sends him spinning around.
- Role Called
- Shout Out: Everyone not telling Pat how they knew it was his birthday is a reference to that famous quote "That's for me to know and you to find out!", but Reverend Timms' reaction? "He who reads shalt learn!"
- Slice of Life
- Token Minority - The Baines Family, Token Asians added to the cast for the 00s series.
- Spin-Off - Spun off twice: First into Postman Pat: Special Delivery Service, and at the same time Jess got her own show targeted at toddlers, Guess With Jess.
- Vanity License Plate: PAT (insert number here). To add salt to the wound, he drives a van with the Royal Mail logo on it!
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