Anti-Realism in the Seventies

Throughout the Seventies animation for children's TV underwent a highly stylised period. Both artistically and narratively the programmes were fantastical and non-realist in style. Programmes like The Clangers and The Magic Roundabout being set in other universes it seems, whilst those set in a more realistic context sought to undermine this realism with the weird and wonderful existence of the Wombles, or the adventures of the Thunderbirds. The surrealism or high fantasy allowed for a complete freedom of creativity and invention in the characters, situations and settings.
Correspondingly the art work itself was also granted a great freedom by virtue of its non-realism. From the bouncy images of Roobarb against a void white background, to the pop-up book style settings of The Magic Roundabout.
Although no single artistic approach can warrant the term 'Golden Age', this is an important point. The surrealism and fantasy of Seventies children's animation created a diversity and strong artistic input. Something which was to be lost in the Eighties. Partially with the advance of American programmes, but certainly due to a movement towards increased realism.
Symbolic of this movement is Postman Pat, perhaps the icon of Eighties children's TV. Set in a rural Welsh valley it was essentially a realistic environment in which domestic problems arose and were dealt with. It was followed by Fireman Sam and Portland Bill; two programmes from the same animators. This collection of programmes can be seen as a development of the Trumpton and Camberwick Green stable of animation, which also depicted characters of various professions in small communities. These however had musical numbers, and fantastic towns of soldiers, firemen, wealthy landowners and, of course, Windy Miller. Dialogue was always minimal throughout the Seventies, whilst in the Eighties programmes like Postman Pat relied almost entirely upon dialogue between characters to create the narrative.
With increased realism came a restriction of the narrative and artistic freedoms. Whilst the problems of Thomas The Tank Engine in the Eighties being expressed by talking engines may seem fantastical, it was a far cry from the dragons of Ivor The Engine which lit his engine. Though not removing all fantasy in the Eighties there was a visual and narrative movement towards realism, with dialogue becoming increasingly important and narrative closure being all important. This led towards a greater uniformity of programming which contrasts with the diversity of the weird Seventies' examples, and in a sense may have left the Seventies as a Golden Age of diversity and imagination.
The Clangers in particular entered the realms of surrealism, allowing the imagination full reign. See the Clangers Case Study
Whilst Roobarb exercised an artistic and narrative freedom almost exclusive to the Seventies. See the Roobarb Case Study

British Product - Coming Of Age
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