Children and adults alike down throughout the decades have thrilled to the antics of these heroic li'l critters as they go about their deeds with gusto. You could do worse with a fifteen minute segment of your life than to sit quietly with your family and a big smile and to watch Hammy and pals go about their exciting riverbank based routines. Watch for the episode where Hammy flies a bi plane, it is a classic on a par with anything in 'Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines'. This show should have been repeated full time on all stations globally ad infinitum until the duration ended and it's a shame it wasn't. Go hammy Go!
10 Reviews
Impeccable Entertainment
screenman13 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The natural follow-up to 'Rag,Tag & Bobtail' mentioned elsewhere; 'Tails of The Riverbank' featured real live animals messing about in boats and other gadgets, with character voice-overs supplied by the incomparable Johnnie Morris.
You simply couldn't improve upon this program even today. The modern take would have computer generated imagery about as believable and crass as all of the usual Saturday morning fare that really ought to be banned.
There was no violence, no bad-language, no sexual innuendo, no hokum. It encouraged kids to go out and play, and presented other animals in a very likable, funny and harmless way.
Some politically-correct twits have belly-ached about the anthropomorphism, but how harmful is that for kids? If it induces them to care, even for the wrong reasons, surely that's a right thing.
Perhaps the worst aspect of this series would be its reflection upon modern parenting values. If screened today, a cohort of spoiled brats would be demanding Hammy hamsters, and Rorerick Rats for pets. Their ever-indulgent parents would run to the pet-shops and supply, only for their darlings to grow tired of the up-keep routine after a few weeks and neglect them.
Perhaps after all it is a series best remembered with quiet affection by middle-aged kids.
Incidentally, contrary to the credits cock-up at the beginning of this item Roddy really was a white rat, not a mouse.
You simply couldn't improve upon this program even today. The modern take would have computer generated imagery about as believable and crass as all of the usual Saturday morning fare that really ought to be banned.
There was no violence, no bad-language, no sexual innuendo, no hokum. It encouraged kids to go out and play, and presented other animals in a very likable, funny and harmless way.
Some politically-correct twits have belly-ached about the anthropomorphism, but how harmful is that for kids? If it induces them to care, even for the wrong reasons, surely that's a right thing.
Perhaps the worst aspect of this series would be its reflection upon modern parenting values. If screened today, a cohort of spoiled brats would be demanding Hammy hamsters, and Rorerick Rats for pets. Their ever-indulgent parents would run to the pet-shops and supply, only for their darlings to grow tired of the up-keep routine after a few weeks and neglect them.
Perhaps after all it is a series best remembered with quiet affection by middle-aged kids.
Incidentally, contrary to the credits cock-up at the beginning of this item Roddy really was a white rat, not a mouse.
Ottawa is the house!! Global FTW
jritty9 April 2016
I LOVED this show as a kid, I'm 39 now...but I remember watching this at 6:30 I think (not (7:30) but I could be wrong... I might be confusing it with Frightenstein. I only wrote this just cuz there's 2 other ottawa peeps who remember this show!!! Awesome!! I loved global back in the day. I remember Saturdays most. Cartoons till 11 then at noon was wwf then a break but then from 3-5 I think) we'd have afternoon cartoons on global. You could even listen to them in the car (which I did while mom and dad were in a store some times)... My pet monster, droids, ewoks and something else I think... I also remember the santa claus parade being a great start to the season. 80's ftw. Good memories. O-town and global TV!!!
Homage to a screen legend
federovsky29 September 2005
I loved this. I thought it was better than all the cartoon or puppet children's shows we watched on the BBC as kids. Hammy Hamster was real, he had persona. It might have been a different hamster every time for all I knew, but who cares when you're kids? Johnny Morris did the voice. He was good.
There was a gentle calmness about it all and Hammy was always cute, pottering about slowly with his whiskers twitching. You got the impression he was curious about everything and enjoying himself, even when they made him do those stunts like putting him in a little boat - you could see he was trying to get out all the time. Johnny Morris would have to ad-lib constantly to cover up Hammy's waywardness. It was funny. Hammy never cared much for the script, but that was his genius and that was the charm of the show.
I don't remember the story lines, but no doubt Hammy got into some kind of scrape every time with his friend Roderick - like getting stuck out on a branch and hanging on for dear life - but they made it back safely in the end.
I was disappointed when Hammy disappeared from our screens and hoped for years that they would show the repeats, but I never saw him again. No doubt once colour television took over Hammy was all washed up. I wonder what became of him?
We always kept hamsters when we were kids. Probably it was because of Hammy. This little guy influenced our lives, as much as any of the big Hollywood stars influence kids today.
Thanks to the makers of this for putting their fingers on something that really appealed to me as a child. There was nothing else like it.
There was a gentle calmness about it all and Hammy was always cute, pottering about slowly with his whiskers twitching. You got the impression he was curious about everything and enjoying himself, even when they made him do those stunts like putting him in a little boat - you could see he was trying to get out all the time. Johnny Morris would have to ad-lib constantly to cover up Hammy's waywardness. It was funny. Hammy never cared much for the script, but that was his genius and that was the charm of the show.
I don't remember the story lines, but no doubt Hammy got into some kind of scrape every time with his friend Roderick - like getting stuck out on a branch and hanging on for dear life - but they made it back safely in the end.
I was disappointed when Hammy disappeared from our screens and hoped for years that they would show the repeats, but I never saw him again. No doubt once colour television took over Hammy was all washed up. I wonder what became of him?
We always kept hamsters when we were kids. Probably it was because of Hammy. This little guy influenced our lives, as much as any of the big Hollywood stars influence kids today.
Thanks to the makers of this for putting their fingers on something that really appealed to me as a child. There was nothing else like it.
A good piece of history
marshna20 April 2024
The show is good. The writing is good. The stories are good and the Characters are good Tales of the river bank have made a good impression on the world 10/10. I like all the Characters. Especially Guinea pig. The set designs are good. The props are good. Everything about it is good. I would like the show to hava a reboot When I watch tyes, I like it. As for the movie in 2008 it's okay I do not like it I do not dislike it. It's the.
Best show in the world I highly recommend it. It's very good I get so much. One episode dialike is the aeroplane episode I like it a lot. It's very good I like it.
Best show in the world I highly recommend it. It's very good I get so much. One episode dialike is the aeroplane episode I like it a lot. It's very good I like it.
Excellent programming for children
dave13-111 April 2012
I remember watching this show in reruns when I was about 6 and thinking that the storytelling device used was really quite clever. The characters in the show - a hamster, a guinea pig etc. - are animated and anthropomorphosed by moving them about in little cars, or having them go up or down on winched elevators, or just sitting on a napkin having a picnic, while a voice over narrated the action. It made live action storytelling possible despite a non-human cast, and it all looked rather elegant and even convincing to a younger audience. The stories are simple, and socially oriented. The characters visit with one another and try to solve each other's minor problems or overcome some small obstacle. The message seemed to be that good outcomes were possible with perseverance and kindness, but the show never seemed overly preachy, as so much children's programming often was then and is now. Plus the rodent cast were cute. Pretty good viewing for audiences under 7.
Memories from "The House with the Magic Window"
tjjohnson6110 April 2007
I grew up in northwest Iowa, U.S.A., and one of the children's shows I remember was "The House with the Magic Window," hosted by Betty Lou Varnum, and her puppet sidekicks, Gregory Lion, Katrina Crocodile, and one other - can't remember the other puppet right now.
Anyway, in addition to some Felix cartoons and others, "Magic Window" would show "The Tales of the Riverbank."
I didn't know "Tales of the Riverbank" was a BBC show. It has a very distinctive guitar musical background, and I can remember the theme song tune to this day.
What I remember was the little creatures -- hamster, etc. -- which were actual live animals filmed in black and white -- they were all probably very well trained -- with a male narrator who did all the voices for all of the animal characters. It was very short and episodic, almost soap-opera-ish, but I also don't remember actually watching them sequentially on "Magic Window." It seemed like we always saw them out of order, but I could be wrong on that. Somehow, they always seemed out of order, but throughout had the most beautiful guitar as background music.
There was one episode where the little creatures were flying all over in the balloon -- incredible guitar accompaniment that gave a sense of the flight. It seemed like the balloon adventure went on and on for many episodes.
Anyway, in addition to some Felix cartoons and others, "Magic Window" would show "The Tales of the Riverbank."
I didn't know "Tales of the Riverbank" was a BBC show. It has a very distinctive guitar musical background, and I can remember the theme song tune to this day.
What I remember was the little creatures -- hamster, etc. -- which were actual live animals filmed in black and white -- they were all probably very well trained -- with a male narrator who did all the voices for all of the animal characters. It was very short and episodic, almost soap-opera-ish, but I also don't remember actually watching them sequentially on "Magic Window." It seemed like we always saw them out of order, but I could be wrong on that. Somehow, they always seemed out of order, but throughout had the most beautiful guitar as background music.
There was one episode where the little creatures were flying all over in the balloon -- incredible guitar accompaniment that gave a sense of the flight. It seemed like the balloon adventure went on and on for many episodes.
Children's TV at its best
iandbaldwin14 May 2005
Only 3 black and white episodes of this superb children's TV programme. Features GP (guinea pig) Roderick Rat and Hammy Hamster. The story is told in Johnny Morris' inimitable style using different voices for each of the animals in a similar way to the Animal Magic BBC TV programme.
The black and white episodes were longer than the colour ones and the photography appears superior. The writing did not talk down to children and so even now as an adult the episodes are intelligent and clever.
This was a gentle beautifully crafted series with no violence made in Canada and bought for the BBC by the great Peggy Miller. Sadly Paul Sutherland died in 1994 aged 73.
Can we have all the early episodes on DVD please ?
The black and white episodes were longer than the colour ones and the photography appears superior. The writing did not talk down to children and so even now as an adult the episodes are intelligent and clever.
This was a gentle beautifully crafted series with no violence made in Canada and bought for the BBC by the great Peggy Miller. Sadly Paul Sutherland died in 1994 aged 73.
Can we have all the early episodes on DVD please ?
Wonderful memories of childhood
tranquilbuddha21 January 2007
I grew up in Britain watching Tales of the Riverbank, and as the parent now of a toddler in Los Angeles, I wish I could get hold of some episodes on DVD.
We allow our son to watch only very limited TV - never live, always selected from our DVR or two or three favorite DVDs (a 1980s claymation Curious George, for example, and A Charlie Brown Christmas, which is still totally magical) - and I recall the relaxed rhythm and charming Johnny Morris voice-over of Hammy the Hamster's adventures as an influence on my own love of animals, as well as my burgeoning interest in film-making (I think I tried to recreate scenes myself with my own poor hamster).
I haven't seen this series since childhood, and it only came to mind the other day when my wife and I were discussing the role TV should or should not play in our child's upbringing, but I remember it as a gem, both in terms of its story lines and its gentle love of life.
We allow our son to watch only very limited TV - never live, always selected from our DVR or two or three favorite DVDs (a 1980s claymation Curious George, for example, and A Charlie Brown Christmas, which is still totally magical) - and I recall the relaxed rhythm and charming Johnny Morris voice-over of Hammy the Hamster's adventures as an influence on my own love of animals, as well as my burgeoning interest in film-making (I think I tried to recreate scenes myself with my own poor hamster).
I haven't seen this series since childhood, and it only came to mind the other day when my wife and I were discussing the role TV should or should not play in our child's upbringing, but I remember it as a gem, both in terms of its story lines and its gentle love of life.
I used to watch a series based on TALES OF THE RIVERBANK
durrant4145@rogers.com3 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I used to watch a series based on TALES OF THE RIVERBANK that used to air on GLOBAL TV every morning at seven-thirty. I can still recall watching Hammy Hamster go down in the diving bell or G.P. flying his plane or driving his car. As with the original, the characters were all voiced by one man, but I don't remember who he was. In fact, I don't remember what the series was called, except that the credits carried the legend, "based on TALES OF THE RIVERBANK." One of my favourite stories involved having G.P., the guinea pig, have a statue of himself carved by another guinea pig named Leonardo de Cavy so that he could pass it off as a fossil guinea pig, Guine Piggus Giganticus.
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