Tickle, Patch and Friends

Tickle, Patch and Friends
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	11
Production
Running time	25 minutes
Production companies	Ed Matthews in-house C5 (Series 1 to 9) Two Hand Productions (Series 10 and 11 only)
Original release
Network	Channel 5/Milkshake!
Release	28 August 1999 (1999-08-28) – 26 June 2005 (2005-06-26)

Tickle, Patch and Friends was a BAFTA award-winning television series for children. The series was produced in-house by Ed Matthews for the United Kingdom television network Channel 5, and was originally broadcast in the Milkshake! programming block, which ran from 28 August 1999 to 26 June 2005.

Plot

Tickle, Patch and Friends featured the misadventures of the two guinea pigs Tickle and Patch. Made and Puppeteered by Marcus Clarke and Helena Smee. Each episode would see the pair taking on a job to make money. The show featured crossover appearances from Channel 5's other children's programming. Shows included PB Bear, Plonsters, Animal Antics, and Mr. Men and Little Miss. These other shows also aired on Milkshake! The show broadcasts at a variety of locations, such as zoos, seasides, central London, churches, schools and farms.

Other characters

• Pipsqueak: a baby guinea who was introduced to Tickle and Patch in late 2002.
• 37 Bear: a Taxi Driving Bear.
• Thing: a large insect of unknown origin.
• Alien: a fleece Alien Puppet.

Features

• The Picture Gallery (later changed to The Farmyard Gallery in the later series) - Tickle and Patch look at viewers' drawings.
• Patch FM - Tickle and Patch are being disc jockeys and they talk to viewers on their video phone and answer frequently asked questions from them.
• Joke Time - Tickle and Patch read out viewers' jokes on location (e.g. outside a theme park) and they usually laugh at them so much, their socks or pants blow off for extra laughs.
• Tickle's Quiz - Featured in the later series where Tickle stays in the barn from the rain and asks the audience a simple question involving what sound does a farm animal or vehicle make.

Programmes featured as part of Tickle, Patch and Friends

• Mr Men and Little Miss
• Plonsters
• PB Bear and Friends
• Animal Antics
• When I Grow Up
• Little Antics
• Nosey
• James the Cat
• Animal Express
• Monkey Makes
• Why
• Insect Antics
• Klootz
• Mio Mao
• Sailor Sid
• Softies
• Aussie Antics
• Bird Bath
• Funky Valley
• Funky Town

In other media

• During the early 2000s, Tickle and Patch were sometimes accompanied with the Milkshake! presenters in additional spin-off programmes and features in continuity links
• Outtakes from the show were included on various episodes of It'll Be Alright on the Night.
• In 2020, Patch auditioned for Britain's Got Talent as a comedian but got buzzed off after 1 joke and received 4 nos.

External links

• "Two Hand Productions". Two Hand Productions. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
• "Puppet Makers and Puppeteers, Hands Up Puppets".