Line #51 Series/Rainbow


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rainbow_3.jpg]]
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3	->''Up above the streets and houses, rainbow's climbing high; everyone can see it smiling over the sky. Paint the whole world with a rainbow!''
4	-->'''The Theme Tune'''
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6	Long-running UK kids' show, originally intended to be the British equivalent of ''Series/SesameStreet'', which, for the bulk of its long-running time, centred around puppets Zippy (a creature with a zipper for a mouth) and George (a {{camp}} hippopotamus), as well as a bear named Bungle and their avuncular human caretaker Geoffrey living in the Rainbow House. It started airing in 1972, and ended in 1992, followed by two spin-offs.
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8	Many non-European viewers know the show for its infamous "twangers" segment which consisted of progressively less veiled {{double entendre}}s about the sexual escapades of the cast. The episode never actually aired as part of the show and was put together at a production party as a private joke, but has since [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes migrated its way]] to Website/YouTube and other such online video sites. Zippy and George also appeared on ''Series/TheWeakestLink''.
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10	----
11	!!Rainbow provides examples of:
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13	* AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: This happens to Bungle in the episode "Bungle's High and Mighty Day". Bungle receives an invitation to [[Series/TheSootyShow Sooty's]] birthday party while Zippy and George don't, and this gets to his head. He suddenly decides that he is too 'grown-up' for sharing a room with Zippy and George, card games, sharing a bath, and even breakfast. What snaps him out of it is when he realises his haughty behaviour would result in him missing out on a bedtime story.
14	** Zippy, George and Geoffrey get an invitation later on that day.
15	* AesopAmnesia: A repeated plotline throughout the series was Zippy pushing George and Bungle too far with his selfish antics, before seeing the error of his ways and making amends.
16	* AgelessBirthdayEpisode: Zippy celebrates his birthday in the episode "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Zippy's Birthday]]", but his age is never stated.
17	* AmbiguouslyGay: George is pink and effeminate, and can get 'touchy-feely' with the other characters.
18	* AntiRoleModel: Zippy is sometimes portrayed as this
19	* BearyFriendly: Bungle, while not the brightest crayon in the box, is a pretty nice character. There are occasions when an episode has him pick up the JerkassBall, but even then he learns from his mistakes much better than Zippy does.
20	* BigEater: Zippy. Very much so.
21	* BreakoutCharacter: Zippy eclipsed the original main puppets, Sunshine and Moony, who were ultimately phased out. The first revival omitted a human host of any kind, thus making him, George and Bungle the main stars.
22	** George has had that effect lately, with viewers cheering him on when he confronts Zippy instead of the usual reverse that occurs in most series.
23	* TheCameo: The characters have made brief appearances in shows like ''Series/AshesToAshes2008'' and ''Series/TwoPintsOfLagerAndAPacketOfCrisps''.
24	* CanonForeigner: Cleo the rabbit in one spin-off, Dale in the later 'Rainbow Days'. [[FanonDiscontinuity Fans tend to disregard their existence]].
25	* CartoonCreature: Zippy. WordOfGod calls him 'a unique'.
26	* CelebrationMiscalculation: In the episode "Wrong Day". After overhearing Geoffrey telling a friend over the phone that his birthday is "on the second", Zippy, Bungle and George assume this to mean it's on the second day of the month. They decide throw him a surprise party, when he tells them that his birthday is actually on the second ''week'' of the month, not the second day.
27	* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: When the show premiered in 1972, the original "stars" of the show were two puppets named Sunshine and Moony, who would often have little conversations relating to the episode. Eventually, though, they were overshadowed in popularity by Zippy and disappeared without a trace in 1973.
28	** That's a case of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, as is the fact George was missing from the first series.
29	* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: In the episode ''Misbehaving'', Zippy, Bungle and George won't stop arguing with each other, and Geoffrey becomes fed up of this. He tries to pull them back into line by having his grumpy Uncle Bill come to visit them. [[spoiler:It turns out that 'Uncle Bill' is actually Geoffrey in a suit, and he's eventually found out.]]
30	** Every once in a while when Zippy gets too noisy and demanding, they zip his mouth up. He only unzipped it once, as he always submits to this punishment.
31	* CrossOver: [[Series/TheSootyShow Sooty]] appeared a couple of times.
32	* DietEpisode: As a long-running edutainment show for children, Rainbow has had several episodes about exercise and healthy eating. One notable example of such episode is ''Exercise Is Fun'', in which Bungle takes his diet up to eleven by constantly running around the garden, wanting to live off peas, and attempting to lift weights that are obviously too heavy for him.
33	* DreamSequence: Too many times to count.
34	* EdutainmentShow
35	* EveryoneHasStandards: PlayedForLaughs in an early 2000s commercial for Marmite. Zippy demands breakfast, and when it comes out with Marmite on it, he ''zips his own mouth shut''.
36	* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows
37	* {{Forgiveness}}: This series is unique even among children's programs for its pervasive theme of the importance of genuine unconditional regret followed by genuine unconditional forgiveness (though the TimeStasis of the characters' single-digit ages means that they are forever at the maturity level of a small child). It helps that the voice actors are unusually talented at conveying a believable level of regret and repentance for each episode's misbehavior.
38	* FreudianTrio: Proudly naughty Zippy is the Id, proudly conformist Bungle is the Superego, compromise-loving George is the Ego.
39	* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Zippy will usually apologize for his bad behavior, but more often than not, only does so to stop being punished or to get his own way.
40	** In the episode "Zippy Sets Them Up", he offers to help Bungle, Geoffrey and George with their chores. The other characters are [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness stunned by this]], with Bungle thinking he had changed for good. But as you can guess by the SpoilerTitle, he hadn't. [[spoiler:Turns out there was a competition in the local newspaper looking for "the most helpful person in town", with the prize being a picnic hamper filled with food. Given Zippy is a BigEater, he didn't tell the others about the competition so he could win the prize himself. He had no intention of actually helping them at all.]]
41	* KickedUpstairs: In the first ''Rainbow'' spin-off, Zippy, Bungle and George (who were originally treated as children) are left to run a shop alone with no human caretaker of any kind.
42	* KidsAreCruel: Zippy
43	* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: The first Rainbow revival took a completely different premise, centred entirely around the puppet characters running a shop. The second ''Rainbow Days'' was closer to the original format, though still included a different set, presenter and theme tune.
44	* LongRunners: Over 1000 episodes between 1972 and 1992. Which would be long even by Japanese standards, but by {{British\|Brevity}} standards, it's an eternity!
45	* {{Muppet}}
46	* NiceMeanAndInBetween: George is very prominently [[NiceGuy nice]]; Zippy is frequently naughty, arrogant, selfish and greedy; and Bungle is usually nice, but can on occasion be smug, thoughtless and immature.
47	* NotSoAboveItAll: On rarer occasions, George or even Geoffrey would be the ones to screw up (if usually more through accidental circumstances than Zippy). One episode revolves around ''all four characters'' upsetting each other, as AnAesop that everyone makes mistakes.
48	* OddCouple: Zippy and George differ between this and LikeBrotherAndSister.
49	* PinkGirlBlueBoy: Inverted somewhat. George is male yet has pink fur (which is actually appropriate). In the first spinoff, Cleo, the female rabbit, had blue fur.
50	* {{Pride}}: Zippy has this in spades.
51	* PunctuatedForEmphasis: "Paint. The. Whole. World. With. A. ''Rainboooooooow!''"
52	* SesameStreetCred: Fitting, considering the show was made as a TransatlanticEquivalent of the show.
53	* ShortRunners: The two revivals, in complete contrast to the original series, were very short lived. ''Rainbow Days'' lasted for only twelve episodes.
54	* {{Spinoff}}: A series set in a toy shop, and ''Rainbow Days''. Also, ''The Rod, Jane and Freddy Show'' which was an extended version of Rod, Jane and Freddy's musical skits in ''Rainbow''.
55	* SubvertedKidsShow: Undergone this treatment, with the 'twangers' clip and Zippy and George's appearance in ''Series/AshesToAshes2008''.
56	* TeamDad: Geoffrey.
57	** In the first revival, Bungle is this to an extent in the absence of any human presenters.
58	* ThemeTuneExtended: A full variation of the original theme was recorded, which actually converts into a rather slow, psychedelic tune.
59	* UncannyFamilyResemblance: Zippy's cousin Zippo. They look more like twin brothers than cousins.
60	* UnwantedGiftPlot: A subplot in the episode ''Auntie Pays a Visit''. Geoffrey's aunt (played by Creator/PatsyRowlands) gives the three puppets a present each, none of which are well-received. She gives Bungle a pink tricycle, George a woolly hat that's too small for him, and Zippy a baby doll. Bungle and George make little effort to hide their disappointment. Zippy makes none.
61	* VagueAge: Neither Zippy, Bungle nor George have confirmed ages. Bungle is much bigger than Zippy and George but often acts as if he is the same age as them.
62	* TheVillainSucksSong: Variation; a song is sung about how much of a 'bossy boots' Zippy is.
63	* VocalEvolution: Though Bungle went through multiple actors, they seemed to follow the consistent direction of making him squeakier and more childish sounding.
64	* WholePlotReference: Plenty of these, even one imagining a backstory for Little Tommy Tucker.

Context Series / Rainbow