The Gingerbread Man (TV series)

The Gingerbread Man is a British stop motion animated children's television series about a gingerbread man and his friends, who come to life in their home on the kitchen dresser when the Big Ones are asleep.^[2]

The Gingerbread Man
Genre	Children's television series
Created by	David Wood
Written by	David Wood
Directed by	Martin Pullen
Creative director	Alan Murphy (art director)
Voices of	Andrew Sachs Jacqueline Clarke David Wood
Narrated by	Anton Rodgers (uncredited)
Theme music composer	David Wood
Composers	Peter Pontzen David Wood
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	13[1]
Production
Executive producer	David Yates
Producer	Kath Swain
Editor	Andi Sloss
Camera setup	Simon Paul
Running time	10 minutes per episode (approx.)
Production companies	FilmFair Central Independent Television
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	24 April (1992-04-24) – 24 July 1992 (1992-07-24)

The series was written by David Wood, adapted from his two-act musical play The Gingerbread Man, which premiered in 1976 at the Towngate Theatre in Basildon, Essex, and went on to great international success.^[1] The play is inspired by "The Gingerbread Man", a 19th-century fairy tale.

The screen adaptation was co-produced by FilmFair and Central Independent Television in 1991, and broadcast on ITV in 1992. Andrew Sachs voiced the Gingerbread Man, Mr Salt the Sailor, Herr Von Cuckoo and Sleek The Mouse. Jacqueline Clarke voiced Miss Pepper and Old Tea Bag. Although uncredited, Anton Rodgers voiced the narrator. David Wood and Jacqueline Clarke voiced The Big Ones.

Characters

The Gingerbread Man

The Gingerbread Man is a gingerbread man cookie who lives in the kitchen with his friends.

Mr Salt

Mr Salt is a sailor-like salt grinder who references sailing activities whenever he is woken up.

Miss Pepper

Miss Pepper is a pepper mill who frequently asks Mr Salt to twist her handle.

Herr Von Cuckoo

Herr Von Cuckoo is the wooden cuckoo bird in the kitchen's cuckoo clock.

Old Bag

Old Bag is a bad-tempered old tea bag who lives in a teapot on the top shelf of the dresser in the kitchen.

Sleek the Mouse

Sleek is a gangster with a Brooklyn accent who is often hungry and in search of food.

The Big Ones

A married couple with children who live in the house. (They never appear on-screen.)

The Gingerbread Man, Mr Salt, Herr Von Cuckoo, and Sleek are voiced by Andrew Sachs. Miss Pepper, Old Bag, and the lady of the house (the female Big One) are voiced by Jacqueline Clarke. The man of the house (the male Big One) is voiced by David Wood.

Episodes

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	1	"The Arrival[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	24 April 1992 (1992-04-24)[3][4]
The dresser folks find out that the Gingerbread Man is not finished.
2	2	"Cuckoo's Cuckoo[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	1 May 1992 (1992-05-01)[5]
Herr Von Cuckoo has lost his voice.
3	3	"Sleek the Mouse[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	8 May 1992 (1992-05-08)[6]
Sleek tries to eat The Gingerbread Man.
4	4	"Hide and Squeak[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	15 May 1992 (1992-05-15)[7]
The dresser folks play hide and seek.
5	5	"Poison[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	22 May 1992 (1992-05-22)[8]
Herr Von Cuckoo gets poisoned by The Big Ones.
6	6	"Party[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	29 May 1992 (1992-05-29)[9]
The dresser folks have a party.
7	7	"A Pinch of Salt[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	5 June 1992 (1992-06-05)[10]
Mr Salt refuses to wake up.
8	8	"Locked Clock[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	19 June 1992 (1992-06-19)[11]
Herr Von Cuckoo's clock is stuck.
9	9	"Weekend Break[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	26 June 1992 (1992-06-26)[12]
The Gingerbread Man accidentally breaks a plate.
10	10	"Old Bag in Danger[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	3 July 1992 (1992-07-03)[3][13]
The Old Bag is in serious danger.
11	11	"While the Cat's Away[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	10 July 1992 (1992-07-10)[14]
When Mr. Salt and Miss Pepper are gone, the Gingerbread Man finds something to do.
12	12	"It's Not Fair[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	17 July 1992 (1992-07-17)[15]
The dresser folks have their own fair fun.
13	13	"The Gingerbread Ghost[2]"	Martin Pullen	David Wood	24 July 1992 (1992-07-24)[16]
The Gingerbread Man becomes a ghost.

Home media releases

In the United Kingdom, some episodes were released on VHS videocassette in the 1990s by PolyGram Video, 4 Front Video (Pocket Money Video), and distributed by Channel 5. PolyGram video released the first five episodes on VHS on 28 April 1995.

After including a portion of the series on its VHS animation compilation All Together Now (2001), Universal Studios Home Entertainment released the first five episodes on a Region 2 DVD, titled The Gingerbread Man, on 12 April 2004 (distributed by PolyGram Video and Channel 5). Abbey Home Media released the first six episodes on DVD on 27 March 2006, and the remaining seven episodes on a second DVD on 26 March 2007.