Season 18

1986–1987

Aug 1, 1986 · 15m

Bungle, Zippy and George learn about how different things can feel smooth, rough, hard, soft, hot and cold to touch. Geoffrey reads the story of "Ichabod Bungely Wungely Boo" and Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Feel With Your Hands".

E2. Being Sensible

Aug 8, 1986 · 15m

Bungle wants to buy some sweets as a surprise for the others and he goes off to the sweet shop without telling anyone. Geoffrey becomes very worried when he can't find Bungle and discovers he has gone out on his own. Luckily on the way back from the sweet shop Bungle meets Rod who accompanies him back home safely. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Be Sensible" and Sue Holderness reads a story called "Will and The Wishing Stone".

Geoffrey is learning to speak Italian. Bungle, Zippy and George learn about Italy, its people and food, and they watch a film of a boy and his Italian family, at school and at home. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "We're In A Gondola".

E6. Favourite Things

Sep 5, 1986 · 15m

Bungle is busy sorting out old clothes for a jumble sale. He finds an old sweater of Geoffrey's and wants to put it in the sale, but Geoffrey tells him he wants to keep it as it was knitted by an old girlfriend of his. Then Bungle finds an old scarf which belongs to Zippy, but Zippy won't let him have it for the jumble as it's his favourite. Meanwhile George is watching TV. First he watches the lines and shapes, then he watches Rod, Jane and Freddy sing a song called "Your Favourite Things". Bungle, Zippy and George talk about their favourite things, then Bungle daydreams that he's a magician. Geoffrey tells a story called 'Dolly Doodles Favourite Things'.

E7. Hard Worker

Sep 12, 1986 · 15m

Geoffrey is outside in the shed working very hard making a table. Bungle complains when the noise of Geoffrey's hammering disturbs him, as he is being very lazy and staying in bed for the day. Zippy and George ask Geoffrey if he will read them a story, but Geoffrey is too busy so they go off in search of Freddy to ask if he'll read them a story instead. Freddy reads the story of "Hardworking Horace". Rod, Jane and Freddy give Geoffrey a helping hand to make the table and sing "When There's Work To Be Done".

E8. Mirrors

Sep 19, 1986 · 15m

Bungle, Zippy and George find out all about mirrors and reflections. Geoffrey reads the story of The Very Old, Large Mirror and Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Mirror Mirror".

E9. Multi Cultural: Indian

Sep 26, 1986 · 15m

Bungle, Zippy and George learn about India and Indian culture. They watch film of a girl and her Indian family, at school, helping out in her parent's newsagents shop and at home. Sneh Gupta tells the story of The Clever Monkey and Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "India".

E10. Horses II

Oct 3, 1986 · 15m

E11. Party Preparation

Oct 10, 1986 · 15m

The Rainbow team prepare for their 1000th Birthday Party. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "We're Going To A Party".

E12. 1000th Birthday Party

Oct 17, 1986 · 15m

The Rainbow team celebrate their 1000th episode!! Special party guests are Matthew Corbett and Sooty, Christopher Lillicrap and Mel Harvey.

E13. Multi Cultural: Chinese

Oct 24, 1986 · 15m

E14. Geoffrey Gets It Wrong

Oct 31, 1986 · 15m

Geoffrey is busy tidying up the house ready for his sister's visit, but he has got the date she is supposed to be coming mixed up. Rod and Freddy remember the time Geoffrey helped them with some decorating with disastrous results and then Zippy, George and Bungle recall the time Geoffrey made a blunder when helping them with their paintings. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Mr Bodger" with the help of Geoffrey dressed up as Mr Bodger. Then magician Clive Webb does some magic tricks but all his tricks go wrong.

E15. Getting Your Own Way

Nov 7, 1986 · 15m

Everyone is trying to get their own way. George wants to play a game of Happy Families, but Zippy wants to play Snakes and Ladders instead and gets his own way. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "You Get Your Own Way Every Time". Jane wants to watch a cookery programme on the television, but Geoffrey, Rod and Freddy won't let her because they want to watch the football an another channel. Lynda Baron reads the story of 'Bossy Billy'.

E16. Nursery Rhymes 1

Nov 14, 1986 · 15m

Zippy and George sing "Hickory Dickory Dock", but the mouse doesn't seem to be running down the clock. Then they act out "Hey Diddle Diddle" with Geoffrey being the fiddler, Bungle being the cow, George being the little dog and Zippy being the dish and the spoon. Jane pretends to be Little Bo Peep and Bungle pretends to be one of Little Bo Peeps lost sheep. Freddy pretends to be Little Boy Blue. Geoffrey reads a story called 'The Little Dog's Dinner'. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Ride A Cock Horse".

E17. Falling Out and Making Up

Nov 21, 1986 · 15m

George is building a tower with his building blocks and Bungle is doing a drawing. But Bungle wants the table all to himself and he and George start squabbling when Bungle knocks the tower over and George spoils Bungle's drawing. Then they go into the garden where they meet Georgette, the pink female hippo from next door, who helps Bungle and George sort out their squabble and make up. But Zippy is not best pleased that Bungle and George have a new friend, and he falls out with them all. Geoffrey reads a "Tat The Cat" story about falling out and making up. After falling out with Bungle, George and Georgette, Zippy goes into the garden, where he sees Rod, Jane and Freddy. The trio sing "You've Got To Make It Up" and then Zippy says sorry and makes it up with everyone.

E18. What Shall We Do

Nov 28, 1986 · 15m

E19. Caring for Others

Dec 5, 1986 · 15m

E20. Nursery Rhymes 2

Dec 12, 1986 · 15m

Geoffrey, Zippy, George and Bungle sing "Five Current Buns In A Baker's Shop". Geoffrey tells everyone he'll be baking some jam tarts for tea which makes Zippy hungry. George says the nursery rhyme "The Queen of Tarts" and everyone dresses up like in the nursery rhymes. Geoffrey dresses up as the King of hearts, Bungle dresses up as the Queen of hearts, Zippy dresses up as the knave of hearts and George decides to be his brother the prince. Geoffrey makes a crown out of card. Rod, Jane and Freddy each dress up as different characters from Nursery Rhymes. Freddy sings "Little Jack Horner", Rod sings "Hot Cross Buns" and Jane sings "Polly Put the Kettle On". Rod, Jane and Freddy then sing some nursery rhymes such as "Little Miss Muffet". "Little Tommy Tucker", and "Sing A Song Of Sixpence". Geoffrey serves the jam tarts he's made, but Zippy doesn't want to wait for them to go cool and dreams about being the knave of hearts. He eats all the jam tarts in his dream and ends up feeling ill. Then when he wakes up he only wants to eat just one jam tart, which surprises everyone.

E21. Visit to the Theatre

Dec 19, 1986 · 15m

It's a very special occasion today. Geoffrey is taking Zippy and George to the theatre to see Peter Pan. Bungle has a cold, so he has to stay at home and Jane comes to look after him. She tells him the story of Peter Pan and talks about the time when she first went to the theatre. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "An Invitation".

E22. Rainbow Christmas Show

Dec 26, 1986 · 15m

E23. Keeping the Peace

Jan 9, 1987 · 15m

Zippy takes George's toy car he's playing with, which makes George angry. Geoffrey keeps the peace between them by suggesting they both play with the toy car, taking turns to push it to each other. Then George builds a bridge for the car to go under, but Zippy won't play properly and keeps knocking the bridge down with the car. So policeman Bungle steps in to keep the peace between Zippy and George. Mrs Jones from next door is very angry with Geoffrey about the broken fence between the houses. But she forgives Geoffrey when Bungle, Zippy and George explain it was them who accidentally made a hole in the fence so they could retrieve their football, and Geoffrey says he'll fix the fence for her. Rod, Jane and Freddy are in the garden. Jane and Freddy are practising their song, but they keep getting it wrong and argue with each other. Rod steps in to keep the peace and then they all sing "It's Time To Sing The Song".

E24. Creativity

Jan 16, 1987 · 15m

The Rainbow gang is being very creative indeed and putting together their own version of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. Jane plays Jack and Bungle the Giant. Zippy is Jack's mother (Mrs Beanstalk). Rod is the evil wizard who sells Jack the beans and Geoffrey and Freddy for some reason are a clown double act called 'Tea and Cocoa'. George wanted to be the cow, but ends up being Georgieporgy when the two clowns take the part of the cow.

E25. Highwayman

Jan 23, 1987 · 15m

The Rainbow gang act out the story of Dick Turnip the highway man. Barron Bungle Warren's daughter Jane has her necklace stolen by the naughty Dick Turnip. Zippy the Good sees what happens so Rod and Freddy arrest Dick Turnip and they take him to court to see Judge George. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing " With A Hey and A Ho".

E26. How

Jan 30, 1987 · 15m

Zippy and George receive some party invitations in the post, but sadly there's not one for Bungle. Bungle, Zippy and George and Geoffrey sort out items they no longer need and put them in a box for their next door neighbour's jumble sale. Bungle builds a tower with building blocks, but Zippy knocks it down. Geoffrey takes the box of jumble next door and notices Bungle's party invitation was delivered there by mistake, so he has an invitation after all! Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "How Many?" Zippy, George, Bungle and Geoffrey sing "How Does A Caterpillar Grow?" Then they all play a game where they have to guess how many stepping stones Bungle needs to cross a pretend river.

E27. Machines

Feb 6, 1987 · 15m

The washing machine has broken down, so Geoffrey, Bungle, Zippy and George are at the laundrette. While there they find out about lots of different machines. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Can Anyone Guess What This Machine Is?"

E28. Family Ties

Feb 13, 1987 · 15m

Geoffrey receives a phone call telling him that Grandad has had an accident and is in hospital. He tells Bungle, Zippy and George that he will have to go up to the hospital and that he will take them to stay at Auntie's house for the night. Geoffrey takes them to Auntie's in his car. Bungle has some flowers for her and George has made a get well card for Grandad, but Zippy isn't very happy at going to stay with Auntie and would rather stay at home. When they arrive at Auntie's house Zippy is disappointed that he'll have to miss his favourite cartoon as she doesn't own a TV set. Also he doesn't like the sausages she's cooked them for their tea. After tea, Auntie asks Bungle, Zippy and George to help her with the washing up, but they aren't very happy at this. Auntie tells them they shouldn't be so lazy and selfish and that families should help each other. Then Rod, Jane and Freddy visit and sing "They're Your Family". Later, Auntie lets them play with an old train set that used to be Geoffrey's when he was a little boy. This cheers Zippy up and when Geoffrey telephones to see how they're all getting on Zippy tells him he's having a wonderful time!

E29. Cats

Feb 20, 1987 · 15m

E30. I Want to Be a Pop Star

Feb 27, 1987 · 15m

Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Heartbeat". Zippy, George and Bungle decide they want to be popstars just like Rod, Jane and Freddy and even dress up for the part, with Geoffrey as their manager. However it's not as easy as it seems. Rod, Jane and Freddy rehearse their song "Heartbeat" in a recording studio and then they come to help Zippy, George and Bungle out.