Lecture Notes: Lost Media in Children's Television

Introduction to Lost Media

• Two main categories of lost media:
  1. Existence Unconfirmed: Media that may not have ever existed.
  2. Known but Obscure: Media that exists but is difficult to find due to limited releases or poor archiving.

"Audrey and Friends"

• A UK animated series aired in 2002 on Channel 5's Milkshake block.
• Known for its unusual 3D animation style with odd movement and facial expressions.
• Almost entirely lost, except for a pilot/Christmas special from 2000.
• Poor ratings led to few home recordings.
• Series re-aired in New Zealand, UK, and a defunct streaming service, Scamp.
• No master tapes exist; some asset material available.

"Roly Poly Oie"

• CGI show about a robot family; aired on Playhouse Disney in 1998.
• Created by William Joyce based on his sketches.
• Successful show, but its pilot is completely lost.
• Only two small screenshots exist; no active search efforts.
• Similar to "Johnny Quazar" (pilot for Jimmy Neutron) in being shown at SIGGRAPH.

"Piparopossum" Bumpers

• Replaced "Face" on Nick Jr. in mid-2000s.
• Animated by Little Airplane Productions.
• Numerous bumpers, but no master list exists.
• British and Latin American dubs; bumpers could have aired once.
• Active search with new findings as recent as late 2024.

"Max the Cat"

• A Canadian mini-series aired on Treehouse TV.
• Followed a cat searching for his missing tail.
• 52 episodes aired from 2001 to 2003; mostly lost.
• Recent uploads suggest increasing recovery efforts.

Centerpoint Distribution Tapes

• Company known for "Jumper" and "Eco and Simon 2" tapes.
• Little information on other productions; speculative about other lost media.

"Thomas the Tank Engine" Pilot: "Down the Mine"

• Original pitch pilot from 1979; used live-action models.
• Only still images and script pages available.
• Believed to be held by Mattel; planned release for 80th anniversary.
• Possible community hoarding.

Conclusion

• Lost media from childhood shows hold a nostalgic interest.
• Active community efforts to recover and archive lost media.
• Encouragement to continue searching and documenting findings.