A Bear Called Jeremy
There are still a few memorable television shows from my childhood that I have trouble tracking down. Jeremy was one of them, and I only just now made the breakthrough neccessary to share this work of stop-motion genius with you folks. Ricks site covering old TVOntario shows was the first Jeremy resource I was able to find, and, fortunately, it establishes the characters’ original source and name (there was never a doubt that this surreal masterpiece came from somewhere other than Canada!). This site elaborates, stating that the creative inspiration for the unique animated series came from Olga Pouchine in the 1950s, who created a character called “Colargol” for her son’s bedtime stories. Colargol first became famous as a recording artist before independent French animation producer Albert Barillé developed it into a TV series, calling on the brilliant Polish animator Tadeusz Wilkosz to do the job.
Wilkosz’s
style is beautiful… like a high-class Rankin/Bass production… and the man is still at it. So anyway, the bears’ original name is Colargol, and if you ask the French or Polish about him, you won’t meet with the same blank stares as I did asking about Jeremy! Colargol made it onto British TV as ‘Barnaby’, and onto TVO as ‘Jeremy’, but he was never a big hit here despite the gorgeous production and lovely stories. The attention to detail was remarkable, and used a combination of stop motion animation and cell drawn cartoon… so playfully imaginative, with undulating ‘barber pole’ ocean waves, and a magical transforming suitcase, a stint with the circus, and a trip into outer space! Too bad you can’t get the English versions on DVD… sigh. I’m going to leave you with the lyrics to Jeremy’s opening song, which has been stuck in my head for a couple of decades. You can listen to the adorable track here. We love you, Jeremy!
I’m a bear called Jeremy,
I can do most anything,
I can play and I can sing,
Little tunes like doh ray me.
When he heard me sing,
The King of Birds said to me,
‘Here’s for you dear thing,
A whistle that goes tweet-tweet
Tweet-tweet tweet-tweet tweet-tweet, tweet.’
I’m a Bear called Jeremy,
I can do most anything,
I can play and I can sing,
Yes my name is Jeremy!
Woah… I vaguely remember seeing this show a few times. It obviously would’ve been reruns, but that little fella sure rings a bell…
I remember that bear (which dates me). :) Yes, he was “Barnaby” over here; this is the first time I’ve heard his original name.
He was known as Colargol on Dutch television as well. Ooh, this brings back memories…
I too am a huge fan of Jeremy and came across a few sites with info on him.
Finally after looking long an d hard I noticed English DVD’s of the first 8 episodes on eBay. I took a chance and bought it. I was not dissappointed.(They are multi region and playable anywhere)
If you’re interested in more TVO shows there’s a site that has tonnes of shows from the 70’s at
http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/tvo2/
Check out these other Jeremy sites if yu haven’t already.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/crystaltipps/barnaby/bindex.html
http://home.online.no/~kgroenn/colargol/bilder/
Yes, I can remember him. I was 3 or 4 years old so that must be broadcasted in the early ‘70-s here in the Netherlands.
Does anyone have an idea where we can downoad Colargol animations?
The British theme song was equally catchy:
“Barnaby the bear’s my name
Never been a Peter or a Jane.”
We used to get a lot of “out there” animation on the BBC in those days….
BARNABY! I’ve just been looking at him trying to work out why jeremy or colargol didn’t mean anything to me! thanks for the lovely blast from the past! i feel like i’m six again.
Also, please visit this link to read an inteview with Mr. Wilkosz by Jason Vanderhill.
(just scroll the bar down until you reach page 18)
http://www.fpsmagazine.com/mag/fps200509lo.pdf#page=18
I love Jeremy!
The themes were quite mature too, if I’m remembering them correctly. The concept that your gift is your curse but your curse is your gift.
wow- the nostalgia!
I used to love this. It was on right before Space 1999.
Great links(the ones that are working)
“C’est moi qui suis Colargol, l’ours qui chante en fa en sol!”
Pure delight. My Grand Mother use to sing his songs to me when I was a little girl :)
Thanks for the links!
Yessss I DO remember Colargol :)
I watched it in Polish TV when I was a kid.
I didn’t know it was… well… exported :)
Remember him? Of course I do…My older sister named me after that bear.
Colargol! Oh yes, I can still sing the theme song…I believe I have an MP3 of it burned somewhere on a cd.
Ah, memories of childhood television! Oh, I’m getting theme song nostalgia just thinking about it.
Obviously a bootleg… but heres the old Jeremy episodes on DVD on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Jeremy-Colargol-the-Bear-multi-region-US-Canada-DVD_W0QQitemZ9104012501QQcategoryZ617QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
So strange, I remember this television show too. As if it were a dream however (I think I remember enjoying the show). Interesting—Good old Canadian television.
Aw, yeah! Jeremy is the shit. i love that little guy. there really is nothing like stop-motion kids’ shows from the 60s and 70s. i wish i could watch the show right now. if i ever have kids, i’m raising them on the stuff.
Heh.
I remember this as well, from Dutch television in the klate seventies (?) Can’t sing the theme tune, but the dirty school yard version is burned in my memory….
Colargol – this is still shown on Polish TV – I just saw it a month ago. Another good show in a similar vein is the Czech “Krtek”, or “little mole”. I used to see it redistributed on Nickelodeon’s Pinwheel.
Barnaby the Bear’s my name
Never call me Jack or James
well that’s what’s been going round in MY head since 1973 anyway.
Oh my God! There’s something i’ve not thought aout or come across in about 25 years!!!!
I loved him!
Try growing up in the 70’s being named Jeremy. Ugh, the teasing I got!
Anyway, you can find a copy of the theme song on my linked homepage.
Not sure if this link has already been posted, this is on a site about 70s uk kids TV (worth looking at the other stuff on the site as well)
http://www.thechestnut.com/barnaby.htm
Jeremy brings back lots of memories from TVO in the 70’s, that and Magic Shadows, Dr. Who and Report Canada with Heather Conkie.
Can anyone help me find in what episode Colargol’s suitcase transformed into an automobile ? Any picture of said suitcase would be a bonus :)
I remember Barnaby too.
Very similar to Roman Kachanov’s work:
http://worldofkane.blogspot.com/2006/01/roman-kachanov-1921-1993.html
download jeremy the bear episodes here
download jeremy the bear episodes here
http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/tvo3/downloads.html
A great show with beautiful animation and surreal visuals. Jeremy’s super suitcase was fun, as were the Old West cowboy adventures, but my favorite series involved Jeremy falling through the ice in a pond and visiting the underground world inhabited by various moles and hibernating animals. Dreamlike!
I have a small pile of British Barnaby comics but they don’t do justice to the great show. Thanks for sharing Jay! Now I have to track down those DVDs.
Few years ago, ‘Kolargol’ was one of the most popular tales for children in Poland. It was broadcasted once a week at 7pm before ‘news’ on the 1st programme (public television)(everyday on that canal one can watch tales for children – erveryday some other one)
When I was a little girl, I used to watch it, but didn’t like it, I just hated that… I remeber I was fed up with his song that was terrible in my opinion ;)
Ah, memories of childhood television! Oh, I’m getting theme song nostalgia just thinking about it.
Thank you!
Yes, yes, yes. I love it when i remember back to when i was a kid and all the cool tv shows that i use to watch. They don’t make kids shows like they use to ;-)
Interesting and beautiful site! Add to favorite. This is my site: http://free-boost-mobile-ringtones.blogspot.com
Check out this store of Jeremy stuff!!!!!! There are items for sale on Ebay too.
Check out this store of Jeremy stuff!!!!!! http://www.jeremycolargolthebear.com
There are items for sale on Ebay too.
This was my FAVORITE show. This and the Green Forest. Man, I wish they would bring this stuff back, not only for my kids, but for the kid inside the now adults.
Oh and Dr. Snuggles. Man those we the best nights when I got to watch all three!!!
Someone should start a petition BRING BAKC JEREMY!
lol
OMG!!! Yes, being 31yrs old, I DO remember this, and quite well as a matter of fact. Hey, does anyone remember the episode where the penguin turns all white, and then the nurse comes out with a wheelchair and wheels him into the ingloo? LOL. GOD, I haven’t seen these in years. Thanks for the memories!
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