Jigsaw was a Children's BBC programme shown between 1979 and 1984. It was usually shown on a Thursday afternoon between 4.25pm and 4.55pm. This page collates information from other websites so that it's all in one place.
If there are any inaccuracies or further information, then please contact me. I hope that this page will jog some memories!
Each letter would be identified via a sketch of some variety. At the end of the programme, Mr Noseybonk (a man wearing a mask with a very, very long nose) would run around a park or some such location looking at different objects - the first letters of these prominent objects being the answer to the write-in competition.
The aim was come up with a full six-letter word - the jigword - taking a clue from each sketch.
The animated character Jig would reveal the competition word from the previous episode and introduce other games and puzzles.
This was sometimes done in the later programmes by the character Dot played by Julia Binsted. Jig appeared at the top
left hand side of the screen but Dot appeared on the right hand side of the screen, like the BBC Cue Dot.
Hedley wore dungarees and a top hat. He was an accomplished mime artist of the glass ceiling variety...
Hedley (who did speak!) was the main man throughout. I can't really remember what Ellis did, but I don't
think sticky backed plastic was required.
Other characters included the O-Men (Sylvester McCoy and David Rappaport), Biggum the giant (all you ever saw of him was his sandal) and Pterry the pterodactyl.
Another character that appeared was Cid Sleuth (David Cleveland). He was basically The Prof (from 'Vision On') dressed up like Sherlock Holmes. He appeared in the earlier series of Jigsaw, with each short film giving a clue to a letter or the whole jigword. David Wyatt also appeared in these as a thief whom Cid was always trying to catch.
The programme was devised by Clive Doig whose quizzical shows delighted BBC bosses for 20 years. Jigsaw was a programme for swots designed to increase their attention span and short term memory. Mr Noseybonk seems to have been thrown in to give people nightmares.
Noseybonk was scary. Contrary to popular belief he was not featured in any of Tony Hart's programmes. As far as we know he was only ever featured in Jigsaw.
|
Dave May says:
Look what I found!!!!!
Picture added: 10/7/2002. |
|
This picture was from the BBC Online Shockwave Flash card game Top Trumps.
For a MUCH LARGER version click here. |
|
Dave May says:
"Here is the scan - as much of it as I could get on. It's from a paperback book and I couldn't open the book out any more on the scanner without damaging the spine, so there's the edge of the picture missing I'm afraid". This is an incredible and much appreciated picture from one of the Jigsaw puzzle books - thanks Dave! |
|
Who would own a green house like this? Yes, it's him again! This picture is from Paul Taylor who had part of an episode on video tape.
|
Keep your eyes peeled for more Noseybonk footage!
|
This picture is from It's Prof Again
The "Prof" (BBC 'Vision On') aka David Cleveland appeared in Jigsaw as Cid Sleuth. He wasn't an Equity member so he couldn't be seen in the studio, only in the film inserts that the BBC had purchased. The Prof also ran around at double speed in a white lab coat in a black and white clip but he didn't have a fake head, just a sinister looking face. Could this have been a primitive version of Noseybonk?
|
|
"No time for the old in-out love. I've just come to read the meter", Alex in A Clockwork Orange. |
|
A Noseybonk Simulation by the Head Case Ladz. |
|
This picture is from http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/022/news.htm
The programme was called Magic Micro Mission and was hosted by Adrian Hedley and Jo Wheeler. Hedley played the captain of
the show and lead the cast and guests on a journey in a spaceship through the world of computers.
Adrian is now a producer for CITV. |
|
Brilliant in Blue Peter! I remember her having an asthma attack during the Blue Peter expedition to Australia
when she was climbing Ayer's Rock. We had to watch every episode of that because we did a class
project on Australia in primary 7.
I don't know what she has done since. Her roles seem to be taken by the similarly shaped Phillipa Forrester these days. Sophie Ellis Bextor is Janet's daughter. |
|
Sylvester McCoyWas the Doctor for a while. Now occasionally seen in dictionary corner on Countdown. Also on See It, Saw It.David RappaportOn American television, Rappaport may best be remembered for starring in the season-long adventure series The Wizard (1986-1987) and for a recurring role on L.A. Law. Rappaport died of possibly self-inflicted gunshot wounds on May 2, 1990.Status: Worm food. |
Featuring Mr Noseybonk in cartoon form presumably.
Jigsaw Puzzle book
Jigsaw signed photograph
1. Jigsaw Introduction. BBC Streaming Server. 2. Jigsaw Introduction. Saved Stream. 3. Noseybonk pottering around. Added (16/11/2002). 1. "Jigsaw (Start)" by Martin Cook & Richard Denton. 2. "Jigsaw (End)" by Martin Cook & Richard Denton. 3. "Jigsaw (Start) Theme 2" by Martin Cook. 4. "Jigsaw (End) Theme 2" by Martin Cook. 5. "A Hippo Called Hubert" (Noseybonk's Tune) by Joe Griffiths. 6. "Children's Carnival" by Ted Atking & Alain Freanch. Updated (13/8/2005).
Children's Carnival is the old Story Teller advert tune, but we can vaguely remember it being used as the music accompanying a clue sketch in Jigsaw.
This was confirmed by Kevin Fardell on the 3rd of January 2003: "The fifth letter is the initial letter of the last circus act". Thanks Kevin!
Full version of Children's Carnival found by Mark McMillan on Electronic Toys August 2005.
RealPlayer 8 is required to play these clips.
For video clip 1 just click the link once and Real Player will stream the clip.
For the other clips just hover over the Real Player 8 icon, press the right mouse button and "Save Target As...".
The clip will download in a few minutes and can be played from the hard disk.
TV Cream
It's Prof Again
Head Case Ladz
Sinclair User Archives
Jigsaw Information Page
See It, Saw It
I Love The 1980s
Cult Telly
Paul Ewin
Brechin
Ask The Family
B3TA
Everything2.com
The TV Lounge
Watched It!
Also, thanks to Mark McMillan, Dave May, Paul Taylor and Kevin Fardell.
All copyright is acknowledged. If you use images or clips from this web page then please include a link back here!
Jigsaw and Noseybonk were mentioned in Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe (BBC 4, Series 4, Episode 5, Original transmission date: 16/12/2008) in an episode about Children's Television. The Noseybonk Again character made a short cameo in this programme and it included some real Jigsaw and Noseybonk footage from the BBC Archive.
Back to index.
