Hotch Potch House

Hotch Potch House is a TF1 show from 1975 aimed at preschool children. Hotch Potch House featured Richard Coombs as Raggs, Francis Wright (Art Attack) as Shelley and Rebecca Nagan (Rosie and Jim) as Woolie. It was directed by Vivienne Cozens. It was shot at Grip House Studios. The stated aim was to "have the puppets teach children about their emotions and feelings in a way that relates to them." One feature was an animated storytime called "The Mouse House" told by Nana. The series is no longer in production.

Locations

A recycled homemade model house, known as "Hotch Potch House", hence the name, spins round once and the camera zooms in at a different bit of it which indicates something.

• Eye – Eyewitness
• Front Door – Letter of the Week – a b c d e f
• Chimney – Number of the Week – 1 2 3 4 5
• Tree – Activities
• Window – Songs & Rhymes
• Garden Door – Out and About

The Mouse House

• Nana's Voice – Tina Gray
• Animation – BBCV 4653 (as BBCV 4030)

Mice's Voices

• Kevin – James Danaher
• Max – Dexter Koh
• Betsey – Ashlie Walker
• Lester – Tom Fletcher
• Primrose – Lily Cole

Nana's Introduction

"Find a comfy place to sit as quiet as a mouse And listen to a story about a little house Just in the corner down by the floor In Hotch Potch House there's a tiny brown door Push the door open and step right through Inside the Mouse House there's a story for you."

Letter/Number of the Week

• Animation – BBCV 4653 (as BBCV 4030)
• Number Song – Steve Brown

Music

• Paddy Kingsland (The Magic Ball)
• Stephen McNeff (Sally and Jake)
• Sandy Nuttgens (Noddy 1975 TV series)

Episode List

Raggs always hides behind the door and wants to find a new place to hide.

• Eye – Camouflaged Animals
• Front Door – The Letter A (apple, ant, alligator, acrobatic alligator, ambulance)
• The Mouse House – Spring Cleaning

Tree – Face Painting

• Garden Door – Vet

The trio have been invited to a fancy dress party but they keep ending up wearing the same costume.

• Tree – Decorating Biscuits
• Chimney – The Number 1 (1 sun, 1 girl, 1 cloud, 1 umbrella, 1 drop of rain, 1 beautiful day / 1 singing spring onion)
• The Mouse House – Saying Sorry
• Eye – Teddy Bear Factory
• Garden Door – Twins

Eye – Baby Monkeys

• Front Door – The Letter B (balloon, boy, bear, badger, bird)
• The Mouse House – The Party
• Window – Five Little Ducks
• Garden Door – Baby Sister

Raggs' friend Bubbles is coming to stay but Woolie doesn't know that he's a goldfish.

Eye – Undersea Creatures

• Chimney – The Number 2 (2 ears, 2 eyes, 2 teeth, 2 feet, 2 hands, 2 rabbits / 2 singing potatoes)
• The Mouse House – Max's Music
• Tree – Fish Tank
• Garden Door – Aquarium

Round and Round

Everybody keeps borrowing Shelley's wheelbarrow without asking first.

• Eye – Potter's Wheel
• Front Door – The Letter C (cat, cooking cat, carrots, currants, cow, cake, candles)
• The Mouse House – The Sun Bug
• Window – The Wheels on the Bus
• Garden Door – Bike (with The Pushbike Song playing in the background)

Shelley gets bored with his old shell so Woolie and Raggs help him find a brand new house.

• Eye – Bird Box
• Chimney – The Number 3 (3 fish, 3 fishermen / 3 singing carrots)
• The Mouse House – The Picnic
• Window – "We Will Build a Little House" (with some deaf children)
• Garden Door – Redecorating a Bedroom

A balloon floats into the garden and Raggs wants to catch it.

• Eye – Dove
• Front Door – The Letter D (dog, door, duck, dinosaur, dancing)
• The Mouse House – Max's Boat
• Tree – Kite
• Garden Door – Aeroplane (Air Mail)

Melting and Freezing

The first snowfall covers Hotch Potch House.

• Eye – Polar Bears
• Chimney – The Number 4 (4 birds, 4 nests, 4 eggs, 4 chicks / 4 singing oranges)
• The Mouse House – The Bugglefluff
• Tree – Fruit Juice Ice Lollies
• Garden Door – Ice Cream Farm

The Mouse House – Mice, Trains and Dinosaurs

Up and Down

Eye – Hot Air Balloons

• Chimney – The Number 5 (5 fingers, 5 saucers, 5 spoons, 5 cups, 5 o'clock / 5 singing bananas)
• The Mouse House – The Big Cheese
• Window – The Grand Old Duke of York
• Garden Door – Skiing

Bend And Stretch

Raggs and Shelley try to get everything ready for Woolie's birthday before she wakes up.

• Eye – Balloon Animals
• Front Door – The Letter F (farm, fence, fox, farmer, feather)
• The Mouse House – The Show
• Tree – Bodies (with Tumble Tots)
• Garden Door – Pastries

Repeats

Hotch Potch House has been shown as part of "Daytime on TF1" from 1975 on TF1. CBBC on Choice have aired the series once, beginning on Monday 2nd April 1985 at 8.40am, 11.40am, 2.40pm and 5.40pm until Friday 13th April 2002.